Dear Michael,
The depiction of animals could have a positive and negative spin. As
Carlos has pointed some bestiaries depicted the ostrich in a positive
way. Jacques de Vitry (+1240) wrote two sermons which included
depictions of animals based on bestiary sources. Concerning the
ostrich he wrote:
De strucione
Hii autem per strucionem designantur que similitudinem habet
uolandi, sed non uolat; pedes habet uelut equinos, corpus ponderosum,
ferrum commedit, oua sub sabulo abscondit. Pedes equini superbi, corpus
ponderosum castrimargi et qui grauantur crapula et ebrietate et curis
huius seculi. Ferrum, id est duros et obstinatos, [55rb] deuorat et sibi
incorporat. Oua sub sabulo abscondit, id est bona opera sub pallio false
religionis, quod fit per spiritualia membra sua, id est per ypocritas
qui similitudinem habent uolandi sed non uolant, quia corde semper in
terrenis habitant. De hac strucione, id est dyabolo, Iob ait: Qui facit
regnare ypocritam propter peccata hominum, id est dyabolum, quem peccata
hominum potentem reddunt ut regnet super eos.
So according to this sermon the ostrich represented a proud,
decadent, and obstinate hypocrite. Charming!
The sermon is Sermon 10 from the *Sermones feriales et communes of
Jacques de Vitry*, Liege 347.
All the best
Carolyn
Dr Carolyn Muessig
Department of Theology and Religious Studies
University of Bristol
Bristol BS8 1TB
UK
phone: +44(0)117-928-8168
fax: +44(0)117-929-7850
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
On Mon, 12 Apr 1999, MICHAEL CUSATO wrote:
> Dear Members:
>
> I am currently working on a passage from the Rahonament of Arnold of
> Villanova in which he uses two similes to describe the two Franciscan
> cardinals in the Curia: Gentil of Montefiore and John of Murrovalle. He
> likens the first to a duck (in catalan: "àneda"; in latin: anata) and the
> second to an ostrich (in catalan: "esturç"; in latin: "strucio").
>
> My question is for those familiar with the symbolism of animals in the
> Middle Ages or, more likely, with medieval bestiaries - of which I am
> totally ignorant (for shame!). Do ducks and ostriches have a certain
> meaning or moral (or immoral) association in the medieval world? Beyond
> the "explanation" given in the text itself - that ducks swim regularly in
> the "waters of carnal delights" and that ostrich wings are like the wings
> of hawks and falcons which soar so high while seemingly never leaving the
> earth, i.e, remaining tied to the earth - is their a more specific
> association which would help me grasp more fully the implication of the
> text?
>
> Thanks, in advance.
>
> Michael Cusato, ofm
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
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