The Medieval Bestiary in English

“This facing-page translation of the Old and Middle English Physiologus will be an excellent teaching text. Not only does it make these poems readily accessible to students, but the edition also offers an excellent introduction to the poems’ literary history and influence as well as to their relevance to contemporary animal studies. The appendices make accessible valuable source material and other texts influenced by the Physiologus and provide students with the opportunity to compare the texts’ different discussions of animals. One appendix includes images of bestiary illuminations and provides links to their digitized sources, again enabling students to engage with the material following their introduction to it. Finally, the bibliography serves as an excellent starting point for those wishing to pursue further their studies of medieval animals.” — Ernst Gerhardt, Laurentian University

“The Medieval Bestiary in English edits and translates the only English versions of Physiologus, a fascinating group of late-classical and medieval texts that pair earthly and imaginary animals with Christian allegorical interpretations. Megan Cavell makes these two English versions newly accessible in her elegant facing-page translations. She offers as well a fine array of supports: introductions to the languages and manuscripts, excerpts from related medieval works, an overview of the entire bestiary tradition, and a substantial discussion of how contemporary environmental and animal studies might help us assess these unfamiliar accounts of the living world. A valuable resource for scholars and students alike.” — Susan Crane, author, Animal Encounters: Contexts and Concepts in Medieval Britain

Megan Cavell is Associate Professor of English Literature at the University of Birmingham.

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