A medieval illustrated book or manuscript describing animals—both real and mythical—with symbolic, moral, or religious meanings assigned to each creature.
From Latin bestia (beast) + -arium (collection or place). The genre flourished in medieval Europe (12th-16th centuries) and combined zoology with theology and symbolism.
The most famous bestiary, the Physiologus, wasn't trying to be scientifically accurate—it was a medieval 'spiritual animal guide,' and these books influenced how Europeans thought about animals for centuries, even though they mixed facts with total fiction (like whales swallowing ships!).
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