The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-23
SOME ANIMAL MYTHS
FANTAsTICAL NATURAL HISTORY OF
THE FAR OFF MIDDLE AGES.
Dragons, Bnsilisks, Sirens, Unicorns
and Other Freaks OF Imagination
How the Ideas Originated.

AN 0OAANotAO 1EtNANS
existed among the Greeks and Romans.
was swept away in the fourth century by
the thrush of barbaiians. But for Constan-
tinople and the monasteries the light OF
learning would have been extinguished.
and the observations of travellers and nat
uralists lost till they were replaced by those
of new generations. As time went on. how
ever, a few writers arose who based their
accounts Of animal life on what they heard
from travellers, or saw with their own eyes.
and more particularly on the extant works
of Pliny and other naturaIists OF the Roman
period. The result was a pleasing mixture
OF truth and falsehood. In the sixth CEN
fury fourished the Egyptian, Cosmas Ind
copleustes; in the seventh. the Spanish
natural historian. Isidore of Seville; while
two saints. Ambrose and Augustine, con-
tributed to geological literature. Learning
received considerable impetus form Charlie
magne, and the crusaders were mach en-
lightened by the science of the East In
the twelfth century two Jews. Benjamin Of
Tudela, who by some authorities is re-
garded as a mythical parsonage, and Pc
tacchia. made a tour round the world"
and recorded their observations. And while
there are several great names In this study.
as for example Aibertus Magnus and Bar
tholomeus Anglicus, we prefer to depend
mainly on the Tresor OF Brunette Latini.
who wrote his treatise on animals in the
thirteenth century.
This book. extravagant enough, displays
more caution than its predecessors, as IL
men were already preparing for the out
burst of intelligence which came with the
Renaissance. Among other interesting rep
tiles, Brunette mentions the basilisk, which
he agrees with Pliny in calling 1.-The king
Of serpents." 1t is six feet long. wears .
white crest on its head, and has a skin
spotted with white. Such is the abundance
of its venom that it makes the body shine
all over. The air is poisoned where this
dire reptile passes, and great plants are
envenomed with the subtle and luminous
fluid: while the birds, in turn, fall before
the odor exhaled by the trees. But this
monster is an easy prey to the weasel
on is the largest of serpents. and inhabits
especially India and Ethiopia. When he
With With o such I Violence dei as to make it gieam
with fire. His mouth Is small, and 10 -
not the wounds he %inficts. but the strang-
plants, that is so formidable. Ii Is inter-
esting to observe that the mythical dragon
Is already evolving towards the se noinis
out is not the siren OF antiquity, wnicn
was an emblem merely of decoying women.
sort of white serpents which run SO mar
yellously that most men say they n.y."
SOME STRANGE BIRDS.
More is known about birds, for the sport
of falconry had accustomed men to observe
their habits. Still there are one or two
strange myths concerning the eagle. He is
said to seize his young in his talons, ard 10
make them fx their eyes on the burning
a OF the sun Those alone which can
gaze without finching are kept and nour-
ished as worthy of life. This is not cruel
ty," says the simple writer, but judy
ment." The eagle has the power OF renew
ing his youth. Mounting higher and higher
till his plumes are burned by the sun, he
falls into a fountain, where he bathes' three
times, and is thoroughly r~ejuvenated. Inc
habits OF the ostrich are regulated l., q
star named Virgil. When the star begins
to rise, the astute bird lays It's eggs. covers
them v.ith sand, and leaves their Matching
to the sun. Wonderful TO relate, the cnanti-
cleer exercises a recognized influence on the
king OF beasts, P bis sn has s c.Cw sdpM ufs ht fo do do
this his plumage must be dazzling white.
African coionists should make a memoran-
dunn of this. The following anecdote Is told
Of the extraordinary strength OF the ele-
plant: the people or Cremona say tnat
the second Emperor Frederick brought one
to Cremona that Prester John sent him
from India, and they saw J.. strike a load
ed ass SO hard that 1t sent the animal n.y.
ing over a house" The fact that Brunette
|. saws nOtnlnR ABOUT III ShOhS zig
critical acumen OF his MIND.
But we should not be doing justice to the
middle ages if we withheld an account OK
this interesting beast, which may have been
in part suggested by the rhinoceros.. Taa
unicorn is the Size OF a morse, though his
legs are shorter, and his hide mas gsnsr-
ally a tanned color. There are three kinds
The magnificent white unicorn has q pur-
pie head and blue eyes. The horn as a
cubit in length: White In the iower par.
end. He has a stays head ana the TAN OK
a boar. The Eglisserion is like a gigantic
deer. and has a very sharp horn. The mon
of the middle ages has a horn three feet In
length, and so sharp and hard that moth
fight the elephant, the animal he hates
most of all, he sharpens his horn against a
stone, and, when the day or battle comes.
paunch. This noble animal falls an easy
prey to the fascination OF innocence and
virtue writer's t In In t lndl esns especially Mheg i, among is dsssir re;
to tame the unicorn, a young and Vrtuous
girl is chosen out and led TO his cave. Inc
age, putting his head meekly ON the girfs
lap. Moreover, a pleasing friendship ex-
lists between the unicorn and the pigeon
who croons him asleep. II may DE addeo
tina the horn of the unicorn was an anti
dote Of extraordinary efficacy against pol
sons, and was much sought by princes
whose lives were IN danger, though, We
suspect, they had to put up with ivory CT
an inferior description.
THE JEWELED TOAD.
The phoenix, with its t~riumphantly sui
cidal habits, is too well known TO bear de-
scription. With regard to the salamander.
Marco Polo states that ''more are found in
the East and in India than in any other
provinces of the earth. The Emperor of In
dia collects these little worms in great null
titudes; with a thousand skins he orders q
coat to be made to defend him against fire
when he goes to battle" We should be sor-
ry not to say a word about the toad. around
which superstition still fingers. This rep
tile was especially dear TO the black ma
gician, and was kept by such as a pet, fed,
and decorated with ribbons; while a fluid
that exuded from its body was supposed by
some to be poisonous, and by others was
its head contained a jewel, which could be
procured by burying the animal In an ant
hill till the flesh withered away. In the
middle ages animals were credited with
greater wisdom than they really possess.
Possibly we are inclined to depreciate their
intelligence. IF you wish TO burst chains,
SAYS Albertus Magnus, "go into the wood
there are young; climb the tree and choke
the mouth of the nest with anything YOU
like. As soon as she sees you do this she
flies off for a plant. which she lays on the
stoppage; tbs bursts, and the plant falls 10
the ground under the tree, where you must
have a cloth spread for receiving It" j. -
possible thai a num5er OF atmospheric phe-
nomena were personified as birds and dra-
gons, and subsequently, were believed by the
Ignorant TO exist as living creatures. The
dragon. rushing so swift as 10 leave a
trail of fire behind. seems to point To the