This is a list of medieval bestiaries. The bestiary form is commonly divided into "families," as proposed in 1928 by M. R. James and revised by Florence McCulloch in 1959–1962.
Latin bestiaries
First family
The subfamily designated the "B-Is" version, dated to the 10th–13th centuries, are based upon the "B" version of the Physiologus and the writings of Isidore of Seville:
Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 22
London, British Library Royal MS 2.C.xii
London, British Library Stowe MS 1067
Los Angeles, Getty Museum Ludwig XV 3
Los Angeles, Getty Museum Ludwig XV 4
Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Bodley 602
Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Douce 167
Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Laud Misc. 247
Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale Nouv. acq. lat. 873
Vatican, Cod. Palat. lat. 1074
The "H" versions,[1] late 13th-century, which in addition to a base Physiologus text, adds and arranges the content according to the "H" text or Book II of De bestiis et aliis rebus of Hugues de Fouilloy (olim of Pseudo-Hugo de St. Victor).[2][3]
Cambridge, Sidney Sussex College 100
Chalon-sur-Saône, Bibliothèque Municipale MS 14
Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 2495A
Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 2495B
Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 3638A
Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 14429
Valenciennes, Bibliothèque Municipale MS 101
The "Transitional" group, appearing from the 12th to 14th century, incorporate material from other sources used by second family bestiaries:[4][3]
Northumberland Bestiary (Alnwick Castle, MS 447)
Cambridge, Trinity College R.14.9
Leningrad, Rossiiskaia natsional'naia biblioteka Q.v.V,1
The works in this group are based principally on Isidore's Etymologiæ with significant additional material from Solinus, Saint Ambrose's Hexameron,[5][6]Rabanus Maurus and others:[7]
These, from the 13th century, expand on the above with various races of humans, mythological creatures, and sometimes wonders of the world from Bernard Silvestris and others:
Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum 254
Cambridge, University Library MS Kk.4.25
Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. e Musaeo 136
Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Douce 88 E
Westminster Abbey Library MS 22
Fourth family
The sole work in this family, from the 15th century, is distinguished by its incorporation of writings by Bartholomaeus Anglicus:
Cambridge, University Library MS. Gg.6.5
Dicta Chrysostomi
These works were attributed in their time to John Chrysostom and appeared, mostly in Germany, from the 12th to 15th century:
Bad Windsheim, Ratsbibl. Cod. 28
Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale 18421-29
Chicago, Newberry Library MS 31.1
Epinal, Bibliothèque Municipale 58 (209)
Göttweg, Stiftsbibl. Cod. Ms. 154
Göttweg, Stiftsbibl. Cod. ms. 200
Harvard University, Houghton Library MS Typ 101
Leningrad, Gos. Publ. Biblioteka Saltykova-Shchedrina lat. Q.v.III,1
Leipzig, Universitätsbibl. Paul. fol. 351
Leipzig, Universitätsbibl. Paul. 4° 1305
Linz, Studienbibl. Cod. ms. Cc.II.15
London, British Library Sloane MS 278
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 536
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 2655
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 3221
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 5613
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 5921
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 6908
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 9600
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 14216
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 14348
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 14693
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 16189
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 19648
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 23787
New York, Morgan Library MS M. 832
Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal lat. 394
Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 10448
Uppsala, Universitetsbibliotek C 145
Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 303
Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 1010
Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 2511
Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 4609
Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 13378
Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibliothek 35a Helmst. (Manuscript digitized)
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 9649 (Hugues de Fouilloy, De avibus in a miscellany)
Isidore of Seville
Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, LJS 184 (Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae)
Thomas de Cantimpré
Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, LJS 23 (Thomas de Cantimpré, Liber de Natura Rerum)
Brugge, Openbare Bibliotheek, Ms. 410 (XIII)
Brugge, Openbare Bibliotheek, Ms. 411 (XV)
Brugge, Openbare Bibliotheek, Ms. 412 (XIV)
Brugge, Openbare Bibliotheek, Ms. 413 (XIV)
Wrocław, Biblioteka Uniwersytecka, Ms. R 174 (XV)
French bestiaries
The French bestiaries are all derived from works with commonly attributed authorship, and are divided as such:
Bestiaire in Verse by Philippe de Thaon
Copenhagen, Kongelige Bibliotek Gl. kgl. S. 3466 8º
Florence, Bibl. Naz. cl. XII Cod. Strozz. Magliabecchiano 135
Florence, Biblioteca Ricardiana Cod. 1357 P.III.4
Florence, Biblioteca Ricardiana Cod. 2183 R.IV 4 Nr. 2260
Florence, Biblioteca Ricardiana Cod. 2281
Naples, Bibl. Naz. XII.E.11
Padova, Museo Civico di Padova (Bibl. Comun.) Cod. C.R.M.248
Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale ital. 450
Rome, Bibl. Corsini 44.G.27
Catalan bestiaries
Barcelona, Bibl. Universitària 75
Barcelona, Bibl. de Catalunya 87
Barcelona, Bibl. de Catalunya 310
Vic, Bibl. Capitular 229
Vic, Bibl. Capitular 1354
Icelandic bestiary
Copenhagen, Arnamagnæanske Institut, Arnamagnæanske Institut, AM 673a 4º
German bestiary
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Cgm 38 (Konrad von Megenberg, Das Buch der Natur)
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Cgm 8414 (Konrad von Megenberg, Das Buch der Natur)
References
^Clark (2006), pp. 128, 227.
^McCulloch (1962), pp. 31–32.
^ a bYapp (1985), p. 1.
^McCulloch (1962), p. 33.
^Crane, Susan (2012). Animal Encounters: Contacts and Concepts in Medieval Britain. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 76. ISBN 9780812206302.
^Clark (2006), passim. (notes to translated chapters)
^McCulloch (1962), pp. 34–35.
^"British Library, Add MS 28260 (Bestiaire of Gervaise)". The Medieval Bestiary. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
Bibliography
Badke, David. "Bestiary Families." at The Medieval Bestiary
Clark, Willene B. (2006). A Medieval Book of Beasts: The Second-family Bestiary : Commentary, Art, Text and Translation. Boydell Press. ISBN 9780851156828.
McCulloch, Florence (1962) [1960]. Mediaeval Latin and French Bestiaries (revised ed.). Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9780807890332.; [ Reprint], C. N. Potter, 1976
Yapp, W. B. (1985). "A New Look at English Bestiaries". Medium Ævum. 54 (1): 1–19. doi:10.2307/43628861. JSTOR 43628861.