Unicornis animal est parvum quidem, ut dicit Ysidorus, secundum fortitudinem corporis. Brevia etiam crura habet secundum suam magnitudinem. Acerrimum nimis est, ita ut a nullo venatore vi valeat comprehendi. Huic color buxeus. Cornu in media fronte habet quatuor pedum, a quo nec ipse elephas tutus est corporis sui magnitudine. Hoc cornu ad saxa limat in pugna. Nam sepe cum illo certamen habens in ventre vulneratum prosternit.
Ut dicit liber Kyrannidarum, cornu illud demones eicit. Perforatur enim, et sic sono et presentia cornu fugatur demon.
Ferrum non timet. Manet in montibus excelsis et in solitudinibus vastissimis commoratur. Iacobus et Ysidorus: Sed hoc argumento capitur: Puella virgo in silva proponitur solaque relinquitur. Qui adveniens omni ferocitate deposita casti corporis pudicitiam in virgine veneratur caputque suum in sinu puelle aperientis imponit sicque soporatus inermis deprehenditur a venatoribus, occiditurque vel in regali palatio ad spectaculum exhibetur. Hoc animal primo, ut Plinius dicit, magnus Pompeius ad spectaculum Rome exhibuit. Hoc crudele animal Christum significat, qui ante incarnationem seviebat in celo puniendo angelos propter superbiam, in terra homines propter inobedientiam sicut Adam et propter luxuriam sicut Sodomitas, propter crapulam sicut filios Israel. Huic nullo contradicere audente clamat Ysaias: Non est, inquit, qui consurgat et teneat te. Hunc virgo in deserto mundi quasi cepit, dum gloriose virginis Marie incomparabili pulchritudine castitatis illectus dei filius quasi sinum eius uterum introivit atque per eam humanatus corpus accepit, in quo a Iudeis quasi crudelissimis venatoribus comprehensus occiditur, indeque resurgens et ascendens ad celos in celestis regni palatium ad patris dexteram collocatur.
- Translation
- Vocabulary
- Notes
Concerning the unicorn. The animal of the unicorn is certainly small, as Isidore said, according to the strength of its body. In addition, it has short legs according to its size. It is exceedingly the sharpest, so that it might be strong to be caught by no strong hunter. To it is the color of boxwood. It has a horn in the middle of its forehead of four feet in length, marvelous in its splendour, from which not even an elephant itself is protected by the size of its body. This horn is filed against stone in battle. For often holding a contest with that one he strikes it down wounded in the stomach.
As the book of Kyranides says, that horn expels demons. For it is pierced, and thus the demon is driven away by the sound and presence belonging to the horn.
It does not fear iron. It remains in the high mountains and dwells in the vastest solitude. Jacob and Isidore: But this is taken for proof: A virgin/maiden girl was placed in the woods and left alone. Who approaching puts down all fierceness, it reveres the purity of the chaste body in the maiden and he places his own head in the opening girl’s lap, and thus it was discovered sleeping defenseless by the hunters, and it was killed and presented on display in the royal palace. First this animal, as Pliny says, Great Pompey exhibited for spectacle at Rome. This cruel animal signifies Christ, who after incarnation raged in heaven punishing angels because of pride, on earth [punishing] men because of disobedience like Adam and because of luxury like the Sodomites, because of debauchery like the sons of Israel. Isaiah cries out with no one daring to contradict this: There is no one, he said, who would stir you and hold you. As if a maiden caught this one in a desert of the world while the son of a god entered the womb of the virgin Mary, incomparable in beauty and alluring in chastity, like her lap, and through this took on a human body, in which having been arrested he was killed by the Jews as if killed by most cruel hunters, thence resurrecting and ascending to heaven he was located in the palace of the heavenly kingdom at the right hand of his father.
buxeus, a, um adj. of boxwood
castitas, castitatis f. chastity; fidelity; virginity
colloco, collocare, collocavi, collocatus 1 put in order; arrange; position
commoror, commorari, commoratus sum 1 stop; stay; remain
comprehendo, comprehendere, comprehendi, comprehensus 3 catch; seize; arrest
crapula, ae f. drunkenness; debaunchery; intoxication
crus, cruris n. leg; shank; shin
eicio, eicere, ejeci, ejectus 3 cast out; expel
illicio, illicere, illexi, illectus 3 allure; entice
inermis, is, e adj. unarmed; defenseless
introeo, introire, introii/ivi, introitus irr. enter; go into; invade
Iudaeus, i m. Jew
limo, limare, limavi, limatus 1 file; polish
saevio, saevire, saevivi, saevitus 4 rage; rave; be angry
saxum, i n. stone
soporo, soporare, soporavi, soporatus 1 rend to sleep; render unconscious
superbia, superbiae f. (excessive) arrogance; pride
tuteor, tueri, tutus sum 2 see; look at; protect
venter, ventris m. stomach; womb; belly
Ysidorus : Isadore of Seville, Bishop of Seville, C. 560 to 636 CE, saint of bees
quatuor : Medieval spelling of quattuor
quatuor pedum : gen. of description, ’of four feet in length’
Kyrannidarum : 4th century Greek text describing the magical and medical properties of nature, also known as the Cyranides
Ferrum : referring to iron weapons
aperientis : “opening”, possibly referring to blossoming womanhood. Actual intended meaning unknown.
soporatus : perfect passive participle, ’sleeping’
Huic nullo contradicere audente : Abl. Abs. “With no one daring to contradict this”
sepe, presentia, puelle, Rome, seviebat, Iudeis, celos : Latin writings in the 1200s often shortened ’ae’ to ’e’.