The Book of Beasts

Terence Hanbury White

Bestiaries, a bestseller of the Middle Ages second only to the Bible in popularity, are richly illustrated stories offering a fascinating glimpse into pre-scientific man’s perception of the earth’s creatures. Bestiaries blend zoological studies, myths, and legends, inspiring such exotic animals as the manticore, a creature with a man’s face, a lion’s body, and a ravenous appetite for human flesh; the dragon or draco, the biggest serpent and the embodiment of the Devil; and amphibia, a fish that could walk on land and swim in the sea. Many of these creatures are a part of folklore and have been incorporated into literature and art.

Terence Hanbury White (1906-1964), translator of this twelfth century bestiary, The Book of Beasts, was an accomplished novelist and medieval scholar. White’s translation includes copious footnotes and a comprehensive Appendix detailing the history of bestiary. White’s fascination with Arthurian legends resulted in a quartet of novels based on King Arthur. The first, The Sword and the Stone (1939), was later adapted into a Walt Disney movie. He eventually revised all four books into one volume, The Once and Future King (1958), which became the basis for the Lerner and Loewe musical, Camelot.

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