Caladrius, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230
The charadrius), With a glance (sometimes spelt Charadrius) can tell you if a sick person will live or die. The Caladrius is brought to the bedside of sick person; if the bird turns away , the patient is going to die, but if the bird continues to look into the face of the patient, it will draw all the sickness into itself, and then fly into the sun where the sickness will be burnt up and destroyed, curing the sick person. It is also said that the dung of the caladrius can heal blindness.
The Caladrius is seen as a representation of Christ, it's white plumage is without blemish, just as Christ was without blemish. Just as the Caladrius turns away from the dying, so Jesus turned away from the Jews because of their unbelief, and instead turned his face towards the gentiles, taking their sins upon himself, just as the Caladrius takes sickness upon itself. It's flight towards the sun is a reflection of Christ's ascension into Heaven.
Transcription
Translation
totus est albus sicut cignus. et longum collum
habet. cuius interior fimus; curat caliginem oculorum.
Hic in atriis regum invenitur. Si quis est in egritudi-
ne; ex hoc caladrio cognoscitur; si vivat an moriatur.
Si enim homo mori debet; avertit faciem suam ab eo;
Et quo signo cognoscunt homines; quia moriturus est.
Si vivere debet; intendit in faciem illius. Et qui as-
sumeret omnem egritudinem illius intra se; volat in
aera contra contra solem quasi comburendo infir-
mitatem ipsius et eam dispergendo. et sic sanatur in-
firmus. Caladrius habet personam nostri salvatoris.
Totus enim est candidus. quia non fecit peccatum. nec
inventus est dolus in ore eius. Veniens autem christus de
excelsis; avertit faciem suam a iudeis propter incre-
dulitatem eorum. et convertit se ad nos gentes. tollens
infirmitates nostras exaltatus in ligno crucis. et as-
cendens in altum; captivam duxit captivitatem.
dedit dona hominibus. Caladrius tamen in levitico inter
inmundas aves numeratur; que commedi id est imitari;
Caladrius or caradrius, as the physiologist says; he is all white like a swan, and has a long neck, the innermost part of which is a breast; cures the darkness of the eyes. Here it is found in the courts of kings. If someone is sick; it is known from this caldera; if he lives or dies. For if a man must die; she turned her face away from him. And by what sign do men know; because he is going to die. If he must live; he focused on his face. And who would assume all his illness within himself; he flies in the air against the sun as if burning his weakness and dispersing it, and thus the in-firm is healed. Caladrius has the person of our savior. For he is entirely white, because he committed no sin, and no guile was found in his mouth. And Christ coming from on high; he turned his face away from the Jews because of their unbelief, and turned himself to us Gentiles, taking away our infirmities, being exalted on the wood of the cross, and ascending on high; He led the captive into captivity, and gave gifts to the people. However, in Leviticus, the cockerel is numbered among the unclean birds; that I ate, that is to imitate;
est secundum proprietatem illam qui longum collum ha-
bens cibum querit sibi de profundis visceribus terre.
Et ideo secundum illam proprietatem significat contemplati-
vum. habentem specium religionis. cuius lectio est de celestibus;
et vita de terrenis. qui in hoc imitandus non est. Se-
cundum autem illam proprietatem qua se avertit a morturis
et se convertit victuris volans in altum contra solem;
significat christum. Sicut leo et aquila licet inmunda sunt
secundum legem; tamen christum significant secundum aliquam sui
proprietatem. Quia leo est rex ferarum. et aquila vola-
tilium. et christus omnium fidelium;
are forbidden And yet it signifies Christ. For he is unclean according to that property, who, having a long neck, begs for food from the deep entrails of the earth. And therefore, according to that property, it signifies contemplative, having a kind of religion, the reading of which is about the heavenly things; and the life of the earthly, who in this is not to be imitated. But according to that property by which he turns away from the dead and turns to the living, flying high against the sun; it means Christ. Even as the lion and the eagle are unclean according to the law; yet they signify Christ according to some characteristic of himself. Because the lion is the king of beasts, and the eagle of birds, and the Christ of all the faithful.