Boa, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

The boa is an ancient and formidable snake rooted in Italian lore, described as a snake of immense size and strength. According to ancient sources, this terrifying creature earned its notorious reputation by attacking herds of cattle and buffaloes. Unlike other serpents that might use venom or constriction, the boa has a more insidious method: it attaches itself to the udders of these large animals, drawing vast quantities of milk until the livestock are drained and ultimately killed.

The boa’s name is directly tied to its destructive habits, deriving from the Latin bōs meaning cow. Its behaviour of targeting cattle made it a dreaded presence, symbolising unchecked consumption and devastation. This voracious serpent was believed to cause great harm to farmers and herders, leaving a wake of dead animals and empty pastures in its path.

In the minds of those who recorded such tales, the boa represented not only a physical threat but also an embodiment of greed and gluttony—a creature that takes without end, draining the life from whatever it touches. Its legendary status in ancient texts, especially in medieval bestiaries, has cemented the boa as a creature both feared and fascinating, reflecting the dangers lurking within nature’s untamed corners.

Boas anguis italie inmensa mole; greges
armentorum. et bubalos. et plurimo lac-
te uberibus innectit. et suggens inte-
rimit. Atque inde a boum depopulatione; boas dcitur;

The boa is a snake of Italy of immense size; it attacks herds of cattle and buffaloes, attaching itself to their udders with great quantities of milk and kills them by suckling on them. Thus, it is named after the destruction of cows, bōs, whence bŏa derives.

Further Reading

David Badke, The Bestiary Blog: Animals in the Middle Ages, Boa, November 6 2023, https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast274.htm

Josh Goldenberg (BA 2012) and Matt Shanahan (BA 2014, Logeion, November 2022, https://logeion.uchicago.edu/

Castiglioni, L. and Mariotti, S. (1996). Vocabolario della Lingua Latina: Latino-Italiano Italiano-Latino. Terza Edizione. Loescher Torino

Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Wikipedia: The Elephant, 28 November 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant

Matthews, J. and Matthews C., (2010), The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, HarperCollins UK, London

Curley, M. J., Physiologus: A Medieval Book of Nature Lore (University of Chicago edition 2009)

Rackham, H., M.A., Pliny Natural History Volume III, Libri VIII-XI (London: William Heinemann Ltd, 1949)

Collins, A. H., M.A., Symbolism of Animals and Birds (New York: McBride, Nast & Company, 1913)

Henderson, C., The Book of Barely Imagined Beings (London: University of Chicago Press, 2013)

White, T. H., The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts (New York: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1960)

Barney, S. A., Lewis, W. J., Beach A., Berghof O., The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006)