Caladrius

The caladrius is a legendary bird of the Moyen-âge. It was perceived as being completely white. It is said that it was able to cure people of terminal illness, but which it turned the head if the person in question were Destin ée to die. When he cured dying it, he fixed the patient, took its disease to him and flew towards the sun to burn it. They were high in the royal palaces to announce, mainly, the death of the Suzerain S.

According to the heraldists, it would be the representation of Jesus-Christ (the white meaning the purity) which cures the human beings of their evils.

Quotations

" If the disease is not among the mortals, the caladre looks at the patient and it gathers in itself all the infirmities of this one, which flies away in the airs in direction of the sun, and there it burns all the infirmities of the patient and disperses them, and thus the patient is guéri."

Pierre of Beauvais, Bestiary , 13th century

External bonds

Page on the caladrius
Description, illustrations and bibliography on the Medieval site Bestiary

Random links: