ANIMAL SYMBOLISM IN ARCHITECTURE. 189 



the world are clearly seen, being understood by tbe things that 

 are made/' 



The result was that the Physiologus, which interpreted the 

 sacred significance of the animal kingdom, had a wider circula- 

 tion than any other book save the Bible, and was translated into 

 the languages even of the remotest Christian peoples.* 



It will appear strange to any one not well acquainted with the 

 ways of mediaeval thinkers that the animal which had perhaps 

 the earliest and greatest significance was one which existed 

 neither in the Bible nor in Nature, but which was evolved by 

 early Christian thought, brooding over statements which came 

 from the sun worship of earlier nations and from pagan literature. 

 This animal was the phoenix; it was made to teach a world of 

 church doctrine, and was even stamped upon the coin of the first 

 Christian emperor. 



In the twelfth century we have, as an outgrowth of the Physi- 

 ologus, the Bestiaries. These developed this theological learn- 

 ing still further, and now it comes in with a full tide. The 

 sculptures of cathedrals, the paintings on stained glass, the illu- 

 minations of manuscripts, the embroideries of vestments, are all 

 filled with phoenixes, unicorns, salamanders, as well as with the 

 whole range of animals having real existence. 



Of animals having real existence, the lion was perhaps most 

 frequently sculptured, and regarding him the Physiologus is 

 especially explicit. Among other things it ministers to edifica- 

 tion as follows : " First, when the lion perceives that the hunters 

 are pursuing him, he erases his footprints with his tail, so that 

 he can not be traced to his lair. In like manner our Saviour, the 

 lion of the tribe of Judah, concealed all traces of his Godhead 

 when he descended to the earth. Secondly, the lion always sleeps 

 with his eyes open ; so our Lord slept with his body on the cross, 

 but awoke at the right hand of the Father. Thirdly, the lioness 

 brings forth her whelps dead and watches over them, until after 

 three days, the lion comes and howls over them and brings 

 them to life by his breath ; so the Almighty Father recalled 

 to life his only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, on the 

 third day.-*' 



Another animal which we constantly find lurking in the sculp- 

 tured foliage of cathedrals is the lizard. Regarding this the 

 Physiologus informs us that in its old age it becomes blind, 

 creeps into some crevice looking eastward, and, beholding the 

 rising sun, is restored to sight: on this the mediaeval naturalist 

 advises us : " In like manner, O man, thou who hast on the old 

 garment, and the eyes of whose heart are obscured, seek the wall 



* See Evans, p. 62. 



