MS M.81, fols. 69v–70r

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Worksop Bestiary

England, possibly in Lincoln or York
ca. 1185
215 x 155 mm

Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913) in 1902

MS M.81, fols. 69v–70r
Description: 

Crocodile

This terrifying ridge-backed beast devouring a corpse is not easily recognizable as a crocodile; after the kill, it weeps over its prey, and is thus an effective symbol of hypocrisy.