by Heather R. Darsie

The eale is an all-black, horse-like animal bearing an elephant’s tail, long bull’s horns, and boar’s tusks. The horns are, “…adapted to every kind of movement…” and can, “…be moved as needed when it fights.” When fighting, the eale, “…puts one out in front…, so that if it loses its tip from a blow, it can bring the other one forward.”

And that is the extent of the entry concerning the eale. One must wonder how the creator of MS Bodley 764 came up with this particular beast, or came to know its specifics. What do you think of the eale?

Eale, illumination from a bestiary of the 13th century. Written in Latin. England.

Sources & Suggested Reading

1. MS Bodley 764 facsimile, pg. 68.     (Please see prior post that explains citation system at https://maidensandmanuscripts.com/2017/08/29/from-the-bestiary/)