Elephant of Louis IX.

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The elephant of Louis IX. From the Chronica majora by Matthew Paris, 13th century.
The elephant of Louis IX. From the Liber additamentorum by Matthew Paris, 1255;

The elephant of Louis IX. († 1258) was a gift to Heinrich III. of England in 1255 and is believed to be the first elephant in London.

Life and meaning

Louis IX , the saint , King of France, brought an elephant with him to France from the Holy Land in 1255 after the lost sixth crusade . In the same year he sent the animal with Henricus de Flor, his magister bestiae , to England as a gift to Henry III. The animal died in the Tower's menagerie in 1258 .

With Abul Abbas , the white elephant of Charlemagne , an elephant in Europe is first documented by name and documented around 800; and Frederick II. had one . In the 16th century, these animals, especially the docile Indian , became valuable diplomatic gift ideas under the European rulers, of which Hanno and Soliman , for example, also became known by name. To what extent Ludwig IX. France could have pursued political interests by sending his souvenirs to the English king, can only be assumed.

Sources

Matthew Paris recorded the arrival of the beast in England in his Chronica majora . A source from 1844 cites the King's Latin order to the Sheriff of London.

The illustration that accompanies the Chronica and is attributed to Matthäus Paris is considered to be the oldest realistic drawing of an elephant in Europe. The shape of the ears shows its African origins. To illustrate the size of the animal, Henricus de Flor was also shown.

literature

  • Stephan Oettermann: The elephant curiosity. An Elephantographia Curiosa . Syndikat, Frankfurt am Main 1982, ISBN 3-8108-0203-4 , pp. 100f.

Remarks

  1. ^ Parker Library (Corpus Christi College, Cambridge), MS 16, fol. 4r
  2. ^ British Library, MS Cotton Nero DI, fol. 169v ; see also British Library: The Elephant at the Tower
  3. ↑ See Oettermann p. 100
  4. ↑ to Oettermann p. 100: Mathew Paris, Chronica majora . London (= Rolls series; 57), 1872-1883
  5. ^ Anonymus (James Rennie?): The Elephant, principally reviewed in relation to Man. A new edition, rev. by the author with engravings . (= Knight's Weekly Volume; Vol. 15). Charles Knight & Co., London 1844; n. Oettermann p. 100
  6. ↑ Oettermann p. 101