Between reality and a legend – animals of medieval imagination

The exhibition presents a unique and invaluable creation – a 14th c. illuminated parchment code. The code contains a copy of an encyclopaedia, very popular in medieval times, titled Liber de natura rerum, written by 13th c. Flemish Dominican Thomas of Cantimpré (1201-1272). Liber de natura rerum is an encyclopaedia, which contained all the acquired knowledge of the world around us at that time in one volume composed of twenty books. The work is a blend of ancient authors, medieval scholars such as Isidore of Seville or Vincent of Beauvais, and beliefs of the Church Fathers. The encyclopaedia begins with information about humans, human soul, and illnesses, to then delve into topics on stones, fauna and flora to finally finish on astronomy and astrology. Every entry is available in Wrocław’s code R174, and is embellished with a miniature that more or less depicts particular topic or idea. Wrocław’s manuscript vanished during the turmoil of World War II, but was recovered at an auction in London on 27th September 2011. Since then, the manuscript graces the collection of Wrocław University Library.

Reading the section of the Thomas’s encyclopaedia devoted to animals, it may surprise that among the creatures known to exist in reality, we also find e.g. a griffin, a Pegasus, a basilisk, a dragon or a siren. For medieval encyclopaedists and nature researchers these creatures truly exist in the world created by God. They are not imaginary. Modern descriptions of Thomas’s encyclopaedia of exotic and ‘fantastic’ animals are brim with paradoxographical information, which often is a result of mistakes in the process of data transmission or due to merging characteristics of many creatures into one. The basilisk is an example of the latter. Basilisk evolved from a little snake, as firstly mentioned by a Hellenic poet Nicander of Colophon (3rd/2nd c. BC), to what it currently is due to addition of newer qualities throughout the centuries. There is a good reason why the existence of said creatures was unquestioned by medieval fauna researchers. Samuel Bochart, an infamous French scholar specialising in semitic languages, described many of the animals known today in his work Hierozoïcon (1663), released as animalibus dubiis sive fabulosis. These descriptions in turn, were used by Saint Jerome in his Latin translation of the Old Testament.

The exhibition is held on the 3rd level of Wrocław University Library, next to Special Collections’ Reading Room. You are invited to explore the exhibition until the end of March during the opening hours of the library.

The exhibition was prepared by:
Content development: Łukasz Krzyszczuk, Manuscripts Department of Wrocław University Library
Graphic and technical design: Team of Special Collections’ Reading Room of Wrocław University Library

Translated by Nergis Dogan (student of English Studies at the University of Wrocław) as part of the translation practice.

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