Aquatic animals in the Catalan Bestiari - Institut Interuniversitari de ...

the animal symbolises the sinners. 42 To sum up, this is an extremely vicious monster,
with devil-like connotations.
The name virgília only appears in the Tuscan and Catalan versions of the
bestiaries and its origin is unknown. However, the denomination serra dates back to the
Isidorian Etymologies, taken from the crest which is shaped like a saw and attributed to
this animal as pure fantasy.
Uno pescie è lo quale si chiama virgilia; è grande e currente como astore e le sue alette
sono tagliente como rasoio. E corre si fortemente per lo amre che, quando elli trova una nave
andare a vela, si se paregia colla nave, e seguiscela per volta bene milia centi e più, se lo viagio è
cussì longo. Quando la sua leegeressa no9n può più seguitare lo corso Della nave, si se prova
d’inghiottirla, e quando vede che non la può inghiotire, si chiude le ale e lassase cadere in fundo
per dolore ch’à de la nave e se parte da lui. Questo pescie si potemo assimilare al demonio, e la
nave, potemo assimialre al buono homo, che sichome lo pesce seguiste lo demonio nolto tempo
lo buono homo tentandolo e provandolo e conoscendolo, e quando elli vede che l’omo è più forte
a la temptatione ch’elli non è a ttempatarlo, e vedelos partire de questo mondo con bone
operatione facte, si si briga di poterlo impedire a la fine per menarlo seco in inferno, e lo buono
homo si parte da lui con bona fine, e vane in de lo regno del cielo. 43
Brunetto Latini compares the serra with the dolphin and notes that this is a
mammal, which must have been quite an unusual discovery at that time. According to
this encyclopedist “al flum Nil són una manera de dalffins que han sobre l’esquena una
serra ab què maten lo corcorell”. 44 The lack of knowledge about these animals meant
that monstrous iconography of this animal proliferated. It was even depicted with bird
wings, a crest, a lion’s head and a fishtail. In this guise, it appears in Spanish texts as a
rocho. 45
The whale (balena)
Very close to the virgilia or sawfish is the whale:
42 According to the Physiologus, this monster does not destroy boats, but as it can never reach them it
abandons its endeavour. This is interpreted as the animal representing those who initiate a life of ascesis
but as they cannot reap the rewards of their virtuous life until the end, they give in to avarice, arrogance,
adultery, greed, etc. and all of this drags them to the Hades (Physiologus, p. 202).
43 McKenzie&Garver, 1912, p. 50. The inedit manuscript N reproduces the name “Vergilia”.
44 See, Llibre del Tresor, vol. 2, p. 44. Brunetto Latini separates the dolphin’s characteristics and from the
imaginary serra. According to Latini, the dolphin is an extemely swift sea animal, it always travels in
schools and sailors follow them to see where they might take them. He also recognises their pacific nature
and their closeness to man, as he mentions stories of children living with dolphins.
45 It appears in the prologue of the Celestina as a type of animal with similar characteristics although here
it is considered to be a bird: “ De una aue llamada rocho, que nace en el índico mar de Oriente, se dice
ser de grandeza jamás oída y que lleva sobre su pico fasta las nubes, no solo un hombre o diez, pero un
navío cargado de todas sus jarcias y gente. E como los míseros navegantes estén así suspensos en el aire,
con el meneo de su vuelo caen y reciben crueles muertes.” See, F. de Rojas, La Celestina. Tragicomedia
de Calisto y Melibea, editions and study Francisco J. Lobera, Guillermo Serés, Paloma Díaz-Mas, Carlos
Mota e Iñigo Ruiz Arzálluz, Francisco Rico (Barcelona: Crítica, 2000, pp. 18-19).
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