Urchin, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

In the maritime world, the sea urchin, a small creature about half a foot long, plays a crucial role as a forecaster of storms. When it attaches itself to a ship, it causes the vessel to become motionless, signalling the approach of a tempest. Its behaviour is a fascinating omen: sensing the storm's winds, it grabs a heavy stone and drags it like an anchor, stabilising itself against the turbulent waves. Unlike relying solely on its strength, it uses the weight of the stone to maintain its position, offering a critical warning to sailors.

This remarkable ability of the sea urchin raises profound questions. What mathematician, astrologer or Chaldean could interpret the movements of the stars and the heavens with such precision? What knowledge or teacher could endow the sea urchin with such foresight? Unlike humans, who often misinterpret atmospheric disturbances, the sea urchin never errs in predicting storms. Its reliable omens suggest a divine gift of foreknowledge.

The text draws a parallel to God’s provision and wisdom. Just as God clothes the grass of the field with splendour and provides for the birds and ravens, He also ensures that creatures like the sea urchin are endowed with the necessary foresight. If God grants strength and bravery to the horse, allowing it to excel in the fields and be favoured by kings, He also imbues irrational and seemingly insignificant things, like grass and lilies, with divine order.

Thus, if the sea urchin is not overlooked by God's wisdom, neither are humans. The divine care is evident in the way God provides for all creation. As Jesus taught, if God cares for the birds and dresses the grass, He will surely provide for you, demonstrating that you are of greater value. This divine assurance calls for faith and trust in God's provision and wisdom.

Echinus est parvus piscis et semipedalis. Qui
si adheret navi; facit eam inmobiliter stare.
Plerumque index future tempestatis e terra nuntius
solet esse navigantibus. Denique cum procellam ventorum
senserit; calculum validum arripit. eumque velut

The sea urchin is a small fish, about half a foot in size. When it clings to a ship, it causes it to remain motionless. In most cases, it predicts an approaching storm and serves as a messenger from the land to sailors. When it senses the winds of a storm approaching, it grabs a heavy stone,

saburram vehit. et tanquam anchoram trahit; ne excu-
ciatur fluctibus. Itaque non suis se liberat virubus. sed
alieno stabilit et regit pondere. Quo inditio naute
velut signum future perturbationis tapescunt; et
sibi precavent. ne eos inperatos inprovisus turbo inveni-
at. Quis matematicus. quis astrologus. quis caldeus
poterit fiderum cursus. et sic celi motus et signa com-
prehendere; Quo ingenio ista colligit. quo doctore
percipit; Quis ei tanti fuit interpres augurii. Sepe
hominis aeris confusionem vident et sepe falluntur.
quia plerumque eam sine tempestate discuciunt. Echinus
non fallitur. nequaquam sua signa pretereunt. Unde tam
exiguo animali tanta scientia; ut futura prenuntiet;

carries it like ballast and drags it like an anchor to prevent itself from being tossed about by the waves. Thus, it does not free itself by using its own strength but stabilises and directs itself with the weight of another. By this omen, sailors become cautious, as if they had received a warning of impending turmoil and take precautions so that they can tackle an unexpected storm. What kind of mathematician, astrologist or Chaldean[1] can understand the motion of the stars, of the heavens and their signs in such a way? With what skills does the sea urchin gather such knowledge and under what teacher does it learn? Who or what could have been the interpreter of such an omen for the sea urchin? When humans witness the disturbance of the air, they are often mistaken, for they frequently misjudge it when no storm is coming but the sea urchin is not mistaken and is unfailing in interpreting its own omens. From where does such knowledge come to so small a creature that it enables it to foretell the future? I believe that it received the gift of foreknowledge through the mercy of the Lord, who is the ruler of all things. Indeed, if God clothes the grass in such a way that we marvel, how much more will He provide food for the birds and for the ravens whose nestlings cry out to the Lord? If He gave women the ability to weave and taught the spider to dangle subtly and skilfully from doorways, He ensures these creations serve their purpose. God gave strength to the very horse and removed fear from its neck,

de cervice eius formidinem. ut exultet in campis. et
occurrens regibus arrideat. odoretur bellum eminus.
excitetur sono tube. Si hec irrationabilia plurimaque
alia insensibilia. ut fenum. lilia. replevit dispositione
sue sapientie. quid dubitamus quod etiam in echinum
contulerit gratiam eius presciencie; Nichil enim inexplo-
ratum. nichil dissimulatum relinquit. Omnia videt;
qui omnia pascit. Omnia replet sapientia qui omnia
in sapientia fecit sicut scriptum est. Et ideo si echinum
visitationis sue exortem non pretermisit. et futurorum
format inditus. tua non considerat. Immo vero consi-
derat. sicut testatur eius divina sapientia dicens. Si
respicit volatilia. si pascit illa. none vos plues estis illis;
nisi(? covered by capita) fenum agri quod hodie est et cras in ignem mittitur
deus sic vestit. quanto magis vos minime fidei;

allowing this animal to rejoice in the fields and be liked by the kings who encounter it and to sense war from afar and be spurred by the sound of the trumpet. He also imbued irrational and many other insensible things, like grass and lilies, with the order of His wisdom: why then do we doubt that He also bestowed upon the sea urchin the grace of His foreknowledge? Nothing remains unexplored or overlooked by Him. He sees everything, He who feeds all things. He imbues everything with wisdom, He who made all things in wisdom, as it is written . Therefore, since He has not neglected the sea urchin and has instilled foreknowledge of future events into it, how could He not also consider you? Indeed, He does consider you, as His divine wisdom testifies: If He watches over the birds and feeds them, are you not of more value than they? If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is cast into the fire, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

Further Reading

David Badke, The Bestiary Blog: Animals in the Middle Ages, Sea-urchin, November 6 2023, https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast106336.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] The Chaldeans were ancient people from southern Mesopotamia, particularly around the region of Babylon. In historical contexts, they are best known for their association with astrology, astronomy and divination. By the time of the Roman Empire and the medieval period, Chaldean had become synonymous with astrologers and learned men who studied the stars and the heavens.

[2] Job NKJV 39:19: "Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his neck with thunder?"

[3] Proverbs NKJV 3:19: "The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens."

Wisdom of Solomon 9:1-2 (Deuterocanonical Book): "O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy, who hast made all things with thy word, and ordained man through thy wisdom, that he should have dominion over the creatures thou hast made..."

[4] Matthew 6:26: "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

Matthew 6:30: "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"