| Abstract | Paper -a:
The Latin prose bestiary is a text that has usually been characterised as being popular primarily in England during the 13th century. However, manuscript evidence indicates that it also enjoyed significant popularity in France (especially in Paris) during this time, and by the end of the 15th century was known throughout the rest of France, as well as in Italy, Germany, and Bohemia. Known provenances of continental manuscripts include Tours, Prague, and Wrocław. The texts in the manuscripts are from the First and Second bestiary families and range from the 10th to the early 16th century - testifying to their continuing popularity. This paper will discuss the relationships between the continental bestiary manuscripts and relate them to the spread of the bestiary text throughout Europe in the later Middle Ages, thus showing that the medieval Latin bestiary was not a solely English work, but travelled widely.
Paper -b:
On their way to the Holy Land, pilgrims frequently visited Cairo and described in their writings some of the curious creatures they encountered in Egypt : rare exotic animals, mostly unknown or unseen in Europe, like elephants, giraffes, rare birds, crocodiles, etc. Their accounts provide us with precious information about oriental menageries and the sale of African and Indian animals in the markets. While their surprise, admiration, and curiosity in the face of oriental wonders is understandable, the way pilgrims describe animals and name them (sometimes with Arabic zoonyms) allows us to weigh their zoological knowledge and interests.
Paper -c:
The varieties of travel in this pious tale include demonic transmogrification, daily travel, and pilgrimage. Bestiary animals have an explicitly didactic purpose as edifying metaphors of medieval Christianity, and in this tale, bestiary symbolism serves to frame, shape, inspire, and cohere each type of travel. The demon's bestial apparitions at the hermitage foreshadow the hermit's bestial behaviour during the central episode of this tale as well as the hermit's inhumane treatment by the people of Rome during the pilgrimage episode that concludes the narrative. Here, types of travel not only illustrate the relationship between bestiary symbolism and human behaviour, but also serve as metaphors of sin, repentance, and salvation.
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