Millipede, leech, silkworm and caterpillar, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

The millipede, known as multĭpēs due to its many legs, curls up into a ball and swells like a small urn for protection. The leech, sanguĭsūga, is a water worm famous for its bloodsucking habits; it lies in wait for those who drink, slipping into their throats or clinging to them to drain and refresh its blood supply.

The silkworm, bombyx, is a leaf-dwelling worm that produces silk. Its name reflects its process of weaving silk threads, during which it empties itself, leaving only air inside its body.

The caterpillar, ērūca, feeds on leaves and wraps itself in cabbage or vine leaves. Derived from ērōdĕre (to gnaw), it is described by Plautus as mimicking a harmful beast wrapped in a vine leaf. The caterpillar, slow and lazy, devours plants, leaving them half-eaten and ultimately contributing to the destruction of crops. Some even consider it a type of locust, known as brūchus.

Multipes vermis terrenus ex multitudine pedum
sic vocatur. qui contractus in globum; urnas amplificat.
Sanguissuga vermis aquatilis. sic dicta quod san-
guinem sugit. Potantibus enim insidiatur. Cumque illabi-
tur faucibus vel ubi quispiam adheserit; sanguinem
haurit. ut recentiorem denuo sugat;
Bombex est frondium vermis. ex cuius textura bom-
bicinum conficitur. Appellatur autem hoc nomine;
quod evacuetur dum fila generat. et aer solus in
eo remanet;
Eruca frondium vermis in olere vel panpino
involutus. ab erodendo dicta. De qua meminit sic
plautus. Imitatus nequam bestiam et maleficam pampino
involutam. Implicat se eadem. nec volat. Hec pessima
bestia ut locusta huc illucque discurrens; semipasta
dimittit. sed permanet perituris frugibus. et tardo lapsu
et pigris morsibus universa consumit. Et est eruca
ut quidam putant brucus. qui est species locuste.
Locusta est. et terrestris et maritima. et dicitur

The millipede, multĭpēs, is a land worm named as such due to its multitude of legs. When it curls up into a ball, it swells like an urn. The leech, sanguĭsūga, is a water worm, called so, for it sucks blood, sanguis. It lies in ambush for those who drink and when it slips into their throat or hangs on to someone, it drains the blood to suck it fresh again. The silkworm, bombyx, is a leaf worm, from whose weaving silk is made. It is named as such, for it empties itself whilst weaving silk threads, leaving only air inside the body. The caterpillar, ērūca, is a leaf worm, wrapped up in cabbage or vine leaves and its name derives from ērōdĕre, meaning to gnaw. Plautus mentions it thus: 'It imitates a wicked and harmful beast wrapped in a vine leaf.' It wraps itself up in the same manner and does not fly. This bad creature, like a locust, runs hither and thither, leaving plants half-eaten and gnawed but remains among crops bound to perish. With slow motion and lazy bites, it consumes everything. Some think that the caterpillar is the brūchus, which is a species of locust.

Further Reading

David Badke, The Bestiary Blog: Animals in the Middle Ages, Millipede, November 6 2023, https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast106113.htm

David Badke, The Bestiary Blog: Animals in the Middle Ages, Leech, November 6 2023, https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast106105.htm

David Badke, The Bestiary Blog: Animals in the Middle Ages, Silkworm, November 6 2023, https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast106117.htm

David Badke, The Bestiary Blog: Animals in the Middle Ages, Caterpillar, November 6 2023, https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast106110.htm

Josh Goldenberg (BA 2012) and Matt Shanahan (BA 2014, Logeion, November 2022, https://logeion.uchicago.edu/

Castiglioni, L. and Mariotti, S. (1996). Vocabolario della Lingua Latina: Latino-Italiano Italiano-Latino. Terza Edizione. Loescher Torino

Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Wikipedia: The Elephant, 28 November 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant

Matthews, J. and Matthews C., (2010), The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, HarperCollins UK, London

Curley, M. J., Physiologus: A Medieval Book of Nature Lore (University of Chicago edition 2009)

Rackham, H., M.A., Pliny Natural History Volume III, Libri VIII-XI (London: William Heinemann Ltd, 1949)

Collins, A. H., M.A., Symbolism of Animals and Birds (New York: McBride, Nast & Company, 1913)

Henderson, C., The Book of Barely Imagined Beings (London: University of Chicago Press, 2013)

White, T. H., The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts (New York: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1960)

Barney, S. A., Lewis, W. J., Beach A., Berghof O., The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006)

Endnotes

[1] Bombyx = silkworm

[2] Plautus (c. 254–184 BCE) was a Roman playwright known for his comedies. His full name was Titus Maccius Plautus. He is one of the earliest and most influential Roman comic dramatists and his works were highly regarded in ancient Rome. Plautus’s plays were characterized by their lively plots, clever dialogue and humour that involved stock characters like clever slaves, foolish old men and young lovers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plautus

[3] Cistellaria, 728-30: "Imitatus nequam bestiam et maleficam pampino involutam. Implicat se eadem. nec volat." ("It imitates a wicked and harmful beast wrapped in a vine leaf. It entangles itself in the same manner and does not fly.")