Wolf fish, sea bream, red mullet, grey mullet, thymallus, scarus, stargazer, millago, eel and moray, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

15 Oct

In the world of fish, cunning and unique behaviours abound: the wolf fish, a master of escape, cleverly digs through the sand with its tail to evade nets. The sea bream, known as phăgĕr, boasts formidable teeth that allow it to feast on oysters. Meanwhile, the red mullet, mullus, is said to temper desire when eaten and dulls the senses, especially when its flesh is soaked in wine, reducing the drinker's thirst.

The grey mullet, mūgĭl, lives up to its name, being incredibly agile and capable of leaping through nets. The grayling, thymallus, is both grey and fragrant, delighting the senses with its pleasant aroma. The scărus, a genus of parrotfish, is not only skilled at chewing its food but also demonstrates cleverness by escaping from wicker traps through the tail-end and even receiving assistance from fellow parrotfish.

The stargazer, ūrănoscŏpus, features a distinctive upward-looking eye, adding to its enigmatic nature. The millago, when seen leaping from the water, signals that a storm is easing. Eels, anguillae, are slippery and elusive, particularly in the Ganges River where they can grow up to thirty feet long. When eels are killed in wine, they induce a strong aversion to the drink.

Lastly, the moray eel, mūrēna, is a unique creature, exclusively female and reputed to conceive from a snake. It is notoriously difficult to kill with a stick but succumbs quickly if struck on the head. Its soul is said to reside in its tail, as it dies instantly when the tail is harmed.

Lupus marinus alios pisces devorat. et est. ingeniosus.
ita ut reti circundatus; cauda aranas(changed to harenas) arat. Et sic conditus
transire rete. Phagrus ita duros dentes habet; ut ostreis
in mari alatur. Mulus libidinem inhibet commestus

The wolf fish[1] devours other fish and is clever. When surrounded by a net, it digs in the sand with its tail, thus managing to pass through the net.

The sea bream, phăgĕr[2], has such hard teeth that it feeds on oysters in the sea.

The red mullet, mullus[3], inhibits lust when eaten.

oculos habetat. Iin vino necatus(changed from nacat;) tedium vini bibendi
iiiverit hiis; qui ex vino hoc bibunt. Megilis ita est
agilis; quod transvolat rete. et dicitur mugilis quasi
multum agillis. Timallus est specie graus et sapore;
iocundus. Sicut flos fragrat et corpore aspirat odorem;
Escarius; escas ruminat. ingeniosus. In vase vimineo
inclusus; non fronte exit sec cauda foramina facit lata;
ut exeat. Et si alius escarius videt exeuntem; adiuvat
apprehensa cauda(changed from causa) exeuntis. Vranuscopus; habet
oculum in capite quo sursum semper intendit;
Milago quotiens extra aquam videtur avolare; tempes
tatem sedari significat. Anguilla in limo oritur. et
limosa est. ut quinto plus presseris; tanto cicius de manibus
elabitur. Et in gaugen fluvio; sunt.xxx. pedum
anguille. Si in vino necantur. tedium vini prestant
bibentibus ex eo. Murena est tantum feminei sexus.
et concipit ex serpent. Unde a piscatoribus sibilantibus;
De h’ supra capitur. Fuste vix interficitur. ferula protinus. Animam
habet in cauda. Nam in capite percussa; vix interimitur cauda statim.

It dulls the eyes. When killed in wine, it makes those who drink that wine lose the desire to drink more. The grey mullet, mūgĭl, is so agile that it flies through the net and its name sounds like ăgĭlis, agile. The grayling, thymallus,[4] is grey in appearance and delicious in taste. Like a flower, it smells fragrant and exudes a pleasant aroma from its body.

The parrotfish, scărus[5], chews its food and is clever. When trapped in a wicker basket, it does not exit headfirst but makes large holes with its tail to escape. If another parrotfish sees it escaping, it helps by grabbing the exiting tail.

The stargazer, ūrănoscŏpus[6], has an eye on its head, which always looks upward. When the millago is seen flying out of the water, it signifies that a storm will subside. The eel, anguilla, is born in the mud and is slimy. The more you press it, the faster it slips out of your hands. In the Ganges River, there are eels thirty feet long. If they are killed in wine, they cause in those who drink it revulsion for the wine. The moray, mūrēna, is exclusively female and conceives from a snake. Hence, it is captured by fishermen hissing. It is hardly killed with a stick but easily with a cane. Its soul is in its tail, for it is hardly killed but the tail immediately dies, when struck on the head.

Endnotes

[1] This fish is also known as the Atlantic wolf fish or Atlantic cat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_wolffishfish

[2] This fish, Pagrus pagrus, is the red porgy, commonly known as sea bream. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_porgy

[3] The term Mullus refers to the red mullet, Mullus barbatus or the striped red mullet, Mullus surmuletus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mullus_barbatus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striped_red_mullet

[4] The grayling is Thymallus thymallus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thymallus_thymallus

[5] The genus of parrotfishes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarus

[6] This is a genus of stargazers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranoscopus

Jacob Scott

Wolf fish, sea bream, red mullet, grey mullet, thymallus, scarus, stargazer, millago, eel and moray, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

Further Reading

Endnotes

Kent Archaeological Society

Wolf fish, sea bream, red mullet, grey mullet, thymallus, scarus, stargazer, millago, eel and moray, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

Further Reading

Endnotes

Cetus, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

Octopus, cuttlefish, snail, murex, crab, oyster and mussel, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

Kent Archaeological Society