Tarandrus, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

The tarand was first mentioned as tarandos/tάρανδος by Aristotle in his Corpus Aristotelicum, then by Pliny in his History of The Animals as tarandus and also Solinus called it parandrus.

In Medieval bestiaries and Christian symbolism, the tarand was often associated with strength and endurance due to its ability to navigate harsh winter environments and pull heavy loads. This symbolism was sometimes used to represent the perseverance and resilience of Christians in facing the challenges of life.

The tarand's antlers, which shed and regrow annually, were seen as a symbol of renewal and rebirth, paralleling themes of spiritual renewal and the resurrection of Christ.

The image of the tarand pulling a sleigh or carrying burdens was sometimes interpreted allegorically as an emblem of humility and service, reflecting Christ's role as a servant leader and the Christian call to serve others.

Ethiopia emittit bestiam parandrum nomine. Boum
magnitudine. ybico vestigio. ramosis cornibus.
capite cervino. ursi colore. et parriter villo profundo;
Hunc parandrum affirmant habitum metu vertere.
et cum delitescat fieri ad similitudinem cuicumque rei proxi-
maverit. sive illa saxo alba sit; seu frutecto virens.
sive quem alium modum perferat.

In Ethiopia, there appears an animal by the name of tarandrus. It has the size of an ox, cloven hooves and branching horns, a deer-like head, the colour and the shaggy fur of a bear. This beast is said to be able to change its appearance when it is scared and when it hides, it becomes chameleonic, blending with any nearby thing, whether it be white like a rock or green like a shrub, or in whatever manner it prefers.

Bibliography

David Badke, The Bestiary Blog: Animals in the Middle Ages, Yale, November 6 2023, https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast142.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

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)

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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)