77 Posts From “Medieval Creatures” That Might Make You Appreciate Medieval Art Much More

The Middle Ages were the time period between the 5th century and the Renaissance period (which began in the 13th, 14th, or 15th century, depending on the region). This era, which followed the fall of the Roman Empire, was characterized by Christianity dominating Europe, feudalism, chivalry, and the transition from isolated manorialism to centralized nation-states.

ABC News Australia also notes that life was not easy during medieval times. There were plagues that wiped out millions of people, and violence was just a normal part of life. With wars between England and Scotland, between Muslims and Christians, and the Crusades in the Holy Land, the conflicts of this period are quite famous.

Despite how long ago the Middle Ages were, you might find them surprisingly relatable. Michael Barbezat, a research fellow in medieval and early modern studies at the Australian Catholic University, told ABC News that people struggled with many of the same issues back then that we have today. The lack of affordable housing was a huge problem, as well as inadequate access to food.

Apparently, people have been debating for over a thousand years whether or not food and housing are human rights. And at every point in human history, people have considered themselves to be modern, as they are compared to those who came before them. “It's humbling and fascinating to follow [these people] in their wanderings through these questions that we're still facing,” Dr. Barbezat said. 

Clearly, as you can see from this list, medieval art featured plenty of animals. And according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, animals were very symbolic for many people, particularly Christians, during that time. For example, the lamb was seen as a sacrificial animal, while the griffin was viewed as a guardian for those who had passed. Plus, animals played an important role in many Bible stories, such as Noah’s Ark and Jonah and the Big Fish. 

The Met explained that animals also played key roles in religious allegories and morality tales in many cases. The Bestiary, which was developed in Europe during the 12th century, provided descriptions and interpretations of animals that were intended to be historic, as well as moral and religious, lessons. The tales told about these creatures then often found their way into medieval art. The basilisk was equated with the devil, so it shows up in many art pieces symbolizing him. Meanwhile, the manticore was used to represent “the siren song of temptation that surrounded the Christian soul” while living on Earth.    

Exotic animals sometimes appear in medieval art as well, perhaps because they were given as gifts to leaders or taken as souvenirs from pilgrimages or the Crusades. Edgar of Scotland, for example, gave the king of Ireland a camel after visiting Muslim lands. And apparently, Charlemagne was gifted an elephant from Harun-al-Rashid, caliph of Baghdad, in 797. In those times, there was no way to know what an animal was like if you hadn’t seen it with your own eyes, so it’s only natural that people wanted to immortalize them in artwork.  

While it was likely taken seriously at the time of its creation, medieval artwork has gone viral on social media many times due to how it's perceived by modern audiences. Part of the reason for this may be that we actually know what all of those animals look like today. We have access to photos and videos of pretty much any animal you can think of. You might have even seen exotic animals with your own eyes while traveling or by visiting your local zoo. So seeing a depiction that is clearly nowhere near reality can be pretty hilarious.