Ecbasis captivi
Encyclopedia
The Ecbasis captivi is an anonymous
Latin beast fable
that probably dates to the middle of the 11th century, and was likely written in the Vosges
region of France
. It is the oldest example of a European beast fable to survive, and the first medieval European example of anthropomorphic animals. The poem is written in hexameter
s with Leonine internal rhyme
frequently used throughout the poem. The text survives in two manuscripts, both of which now are at the Royal Library of Belgium
.
within a fable. A calf has been caught by a wolf on Easter
. The wolf has a dream, warning him not to eat the calf. Meanwhile, the other animals come to the wolf's cave.
The inner fable is told, which explains why the wolf and fox are enemies. The lion, king of beasts, was sick. All the animals suggest cures for the lion except for the fox. The wolf suggests that the fox should be hanged for his failure to appear and offer a cure. A panther warns the fox to present himself and make a defense; the fox appears and explains that he was on a pilgrimage
. He offers his cure: flay the wolf and let the lion use his skin as a blanket. This was done, and the cure worked. The lion recovers; courtiers sing songs comparing the lion's suffering to the passion of Jesus Christ, and the fox supplants the wolf as regent.
Then, the wolf shows himself to the assembled crowd of animals, which allows the calf to escape. The wolf is gored by the steer, and the fox writes him an epitaph.
has written that the poem is unique, not only because it is the first new beast fable to appear in the European Middle Ages, but also because it unites the classical tradition of anthropomorphic fables such as Aesop
with the allegorizing
Christian
bestiary
tradition exemplified in the Physiologus and similar popular works. The story of the cure of the lion has parallels in Aesop. On the one hand, the wolf of the story is a representation of Satan
; on the other hand is apparently meant to represent the monk
s, who were often depicted as notoriously greedy in period literature.
Anonymous work
Anonymous works are works, such as art or literature, that have an anonymous, undisclosed, or unknown creator or author. In the United States it is legally defined as "a work on the copies or phonorecords of which no natural person is identified as author."...
Latin beast fable
Beast fable
The beast fable or beast epic, usually a short story or poem in which animals talk, is a traditional form of allegorical writing. It is a type of fable in which human behaviour and weaknesses are subject to scrutiny by reflection into the animal kingdom....
that probably dates to the middle of the 11th century, and was likely written in the Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is the oldest example of a European beast fable to survive, and the first medieval European example of anthropomorphic animals. The poem is written in hexameter
Hexameter
Hexameter is a metrical line of verse consisting of six feet. It was the standard epic metre in classical Greek and Latin literature, such as in the Iliad and Aeneid. Its use in other genres of composition include Horace's satires, and Ovid's Metamorphoses. According to Greek mythology, hexameter...
s with Leonine internal rhyme
Leonine verse
Leonine verse is a type of versification based on internal rhyme, and commonly used in Latin verse of the European Middle Ages. The invention of such conscious rhymes, foreign to Classical Latin poetry, is traditionally attributed to a probably apocryphal monk Leonius, who is supposed to be the...
frequently used throughout the poem. The text survives in two manuscripts, both of which now are at the Royal Library of Belgium
Royal Library of Belgium
The Royal Library of Belgium is one of the most important cultural institutions in Belgium. The library has a history that goes back to the age of the Dukes of Burgundy...
.
Synopsis
The plot of the poem revolves around a fableFable
A fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.A fable differs from...
within a fable. A calf has been caught by a wolf on Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
. The wolf has a dream, warning him not to eat the calf. Meanwhile, the other animals come to the wolf's cave.
The inner fable is told, which explains why the wolf and fox are enemies. The lion, king of beasts, was sick. All the animals suggest cures for the lion except for the fox. The wolf suggests that the fox should be hanged for his failure to appear and offer a cure. A panther warns the fox to present himself and make a defense; the fox appears and explains that he was on a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
. He offers his cure: flay the wolf and let the lion use his skin as a blanket. This was done, and the cure worked. The lion recovers; courtiers sing songs comparing the lion's suffering to the passion of Jesus Christ, and the fox supplants the wolf as regent.
Then, the wolf shows himself to the assembled crowd of animals, which allows the calf to escape. The wolf is gored by the steer, and the fox writes him an epitaph.
Interpretations
Henry HallamHenry Hallam
Henry Hallam was an English historian.-Life:The only son of John Hallam, canon of Windsor and dean of Bristol, Henry Hallam was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, graduating in 1799...
has written that the poem is unique, not only because it is the first new beast fable to appear in the European Middle Ages, but also because it unites the classical tradition of anthropomorphic fables such as Aesop
Aesop
Aesop was a Greek writer credited with a number of popular fables. Older spellings of his name have included Esop and Isope. Although his existence remains uncertain and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a...
with the allegorizing
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
bestiary
Bestiary
A bestiary, or Bestiarum vocabulum is a compendium of beasts. Bestiaries were made popular in the Middle Ages in illustrated volumes that described various animals, birds and even rocks. The natural history and illustration of each beast was usually accompanied by a moral lesson...
tradition exemplified in the Physiologus and similar popular works. The story of the cure of the lion has parallels in Aesop. On the one hand, the wolf of the story is a representation of Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
; on the other hand is apparently meant to represent the monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s, who were often depicted as notoriously greedy in period literature.