Bygone Beliefs

This is an early twentieth-century scholarly essay (drawing on occultist and antiquarian traditions, originally appearing in *The Occult Review*) that examines the use of animal symbolism in English medieval church architecture. The author opens by distinguishing art from craft — art serves spiritual ends, craft physical ones — and argues that medieval cathedrals exemplify their combination, with architectural choices like cruciform layouts and symbolic decoration conveying Christian doctrine to largely illiterate congregations. The essay's main focus is the tradition of animal imagery derived from two sources: the medieval Bestiaries (natural history compilations that appended moral lessons to each creature, real or fabulous) and the symbolically interpreted Bible. A distinctive and recurring claim is the author's insistence on separating "true" symbols — those whose meaning is intrinsic to the creature's nature, like the Lamb of God — from arbitrary or "pseudo" symbols, like the fish (ICHTHYS), whose significance depends entirely on a Greek linguistic coincidence. The author surveys a range of creatures — pelican, centaur, griffin, mantichora, unicorn, phoenix — noting that much Bestiary symbolism rests on zoological fictions, yet can still carry genuine spiritual resonance. It would appeal to readers interested in medieval iconography, the history of religious art, or the intersection of natural philosophy and Christian symbolism.

Bygone Beliefs

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