They were also used in medieval songs, proverbs, and even as swear words!īeasts became prominent allegorical figures in the Middle Ages. Beasts spread across church interior walls, stained-glass, and bas-reliefs served as a teaching device for the illiterates in medieval society. They are found in numerous media such as seals, coats of arms, sculptures, architectural elements, and illustrations. Medieval iconography used animals and mythical beasts in abundance.
Medievalists have played a key role in this investigation by studying a major source of information for animal studies, the medieval bestiary. But during the last several decades, thanks to the combined work of historians, zoologists, anthropologists, ethnologists, and linguists, animal studies have begun to thrive. Previously thought of as an anecdotal subject, animal studies have been neglected in the past. Medieval bestiary has recently become a subject of fascination among scholars, who have taken a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach.
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