Fountains Abbey bestiary
ca. 1325–1350
England, probably North Yorkshire
227 x 152 mm
MS M.890, fols. 6v–7r
Gift of Alastair Bradley Martin, 1958
Left Page (Fol. 6v)
Wolf: A wolf pounces on an unsuspecting flock of sheep, signifying allegorically that the faithful are stalked by the devil.
Hare: A hare—whose principle trait is timidity—follows a companion into a burrow at the base of a tree.
Right Page (Fol. 7r)
Dog 1: The dog, representing loyalty, is shown wearing one of the fashionable belled collars described in some aristocratic inventories.