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Hydra

Hydra /hydrus, hydra/ 10X6.8 cm

The bestiaries of the twelfth century and the text by Pseudo-Hugh (II.7) follow the story by Isidor /XII.IV.22, 23/
who continued the story in Physiologus about the unceasing hostility between the hydra and the crocodile living
in the Nile. When the hydra saw the crocodile sleeping on the bank with his mouth open, it slipped into the
crocodiles mouth and split his intestine and came out safely at the other end. Thus, the crocodile is symbolic of
Death and Hell while hydra symbolizes Jesus Christ who descended into the Hell and led out the sinners. The
fight between the hydra and the crocodile symbolises Redemption.
In Greek Physiologus where hydra was described as a dog and called evudpig or 8vn6pog, it was the otter that
was meant. In the Latin versions the description of this animal was being gradually lost and the otter was turned
into ydris and then into hydris or hudra. Isidor describes a fight between the hydra and the crocodile, calling
the hydra enhydros /XII.II.36/, and perhaps distinguishing it from the creatures described by him in the sectioon
On Snakes /enhydros (XII.14.21), hydros (XII.IV.22) and the many-headed dragon hydra, the hydra of Lerne
(XII.IV.23)/. Isidor mentions hydras also in the section on monsters: in XII.II.34 he speaks about hydram, the
nine-headed Hydra of Lerne, and in XI.III.35, about the water hydro, which St. Abrose associates with heresies.
The hydras fight with the crocodile was included into the poetical bestiaries of Philippe de Thaun /703718/.
The tale of the hydras fight with the crocodile inspired the medieval painter impressively to portray fantastic
animals. The stylized figures show that entwined animal forms were traditional in medieval artistic thought.

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Hydra

Hydra /hydrus, hydra/ 104.6 cm

The second chapter about the hydra reproduces the text about the hydra of Lerne by Isidor and repeats the story
about the hydras fight with the crocodile. Such repetitions are not infrequent in medieval compilation since the
latter derived material from several different sources. The inclusion of the second chapter about the hydra was
partly due to the influence of Isidor who in his section on snakes devoted several chapters to all kinds of hydras
/XII.IV.21, 22, 23/. However, the compilers removed the chapter on the hydra from the section on snakes and
placed it after the first tale about the hydra, wishing to achieve a better arrangement of the texts. On the other
hand, the presence of the second chapter on the hydra, following the first one repeating the story on the fight with
the crocodile, is obviously due to the fact that in the original Physiologus, as well as in its Eastern versions and
writings by Isidor /XII.II.37/, the tale of the fight was followed by a chapter on ichneumon

whose description is very close to that of the hydra. The ichneumon is said to be the dragons fierce enemy whom
he fights after covering himself with ashes. The ichneumon symbolized Christ who clad himself with fleshy
substance to conquer the Devil. In Latin Physiologus and the bestiaries this part of the narrative was included in
the second chapter about the hydra, though the name ichneumon was lost in the course of time. In the manyheaded dragon-hydra /when one of its heads was cut off, three heads would grow in its place /Isidor and the
compilers of bestiaries saw the origin of fairy-tale imagination. Like some distant echoes of a prehistoric animal,
like the fabulous Russian Fire Dragon, the five-headed Dragon of the manuscript is undoubtedly one of the most
fantastic images in the bestiary as it is reminiscent of the Apocalyptical vision of the seven-headed dragon and its
portrayal in medieval sculpture and painting.

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Hydra

Hydra /hydrus/ 10X6.1 cm

The text repeats the description by Isidor /XII.IV. 2223/ and is close to the text of ff.l6v. and 17. The miniature
pictures a crocodile swallowing a hydra, but the crocodile on the miniature largely differs from the fantastic
bristled-up animal drawn on ff.75 and 16 v. where it is shown lying prone on a coloured surface, its long tail rolled
in coils.

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