Stork, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

Storks, named after the unique sound they make by clattering their bills, are fascinating birds embodying various symbolic and cultural significances. They herald the arrival of spring and are known to form large, organized flocks that migrate across seas, resembling an army led by crows. They engage in fierce battles against hostile birds or deserters, returning with visible wounds as evidence of their bravery and refusal to retreat from conflicts fought for the common good.

Remarkably, storks are thought to have no tongues, yet their parental devotion is profound. They maintain their nests with such dedication that they often lose feathers while brooding. This extraordinary care extends to their fledglings, who reciprocate by nourishing and supporting their parents in old age. This familial bond surpasses that of humans, who often neglect their elderly despite societal and legal exhortations to care for them. The Romans revered such birds, using their devotion as a moral exemplar for humans.

The stork also symbolizes the holy preacher, diligent in educating its offspring and fighting snakes, which represent evil. Biblical references, like in the Book of Jeremiah, highlight their timely return and enduring vigilance. Intriguingly, stork societies have a strict moral code; if a female stork commits adultery and fails to cleanse herself before her mate returns, she faces severe punishment from the flock. This mirrors the human need for repentance and moral accountability within the community.

Ciconie vocantur a sono quo crepitant. quasi cicanie.
Quem sonum oris potius scimus esse. quam vocis. quia
eum quaciente rostro; faciunt. Hec; veris; nuncie.
societatis comites. serpentium hostes. maria transvo-
lant. In asiam collecto agmine pergunt. Cornices du-
ces; precedunt eas. et ipse quasi exercitus ordinatus ad
bellum; sequntur. Unde creduntur in alieno solo. eas
bella contra inimicas aves. vel desertrices nature vel
consuetudinis proprie; inferre. Simul enim quotquot
fuerint in aliqua regione pergunt ordinate ad bellum.

Storks are named after the sound they make[1], almost like the sound crickets make. Storks produce this sound by clattering their bills. They are heralds of spring, companions of society, enemies of snakes and fly across the seas. Resembling an army prepared for battle and led by crows, they gather in flocks and head to Asia. It is believed that they engage in battles against hostile birds or deserters of nature or of their own customs in foreign lands. Whenever they gather in any region, they go into battle arrayed.

Cuius rei indicium est; que nulla per interval-
lum aliquod temporis; residere tunc in illis lo-
cis reperitur. et quia cum vulneribus reverten-
tes manifesta quadam sanguinis sui voce; cer-
tis que loquitur inditiis; gravium certaminum
se subisse conflictum. Ecce quid natura dedit. vi-
delicet quod nulla se subtrahere audeat bellis;
pro communi utilitate susceptis. Aves istas ferunt
linguas non habere. Eximia illis circa filios pie-
tas est. Nam adeo nidos inpensius fovent; ut assi-
duo incubitu; plumas exuant. Quantum autem tem-
pus inpenderint fetibus educandis et in curis;
tantum et ipse invicem a pullis suis aluntur. me-
lius servantes federa inter parentes et filios; quam
homines. homines enim qui etiam inperatorum precep-tis et liegibus arcantur ad dilectionem patrum
suorum; patres suos vetulos abiciunt. et ciconiis
inferiores inveniuntur. Nam antiqui patris ar-
tus per longeue senectutis tempus plumarum
tegmine et alarum remigio nudatos; circum-
stans soboles penius propriis fovet. et collato cibo

It is observed that they are not found staying in those places for any interval of time and return with wounds, clearly showing signs of severe conflicts. Their nature is that they dare not withdraw from battles fought for the common good. These birds are believed not to have tongues. They feel exceptional parental love[2] towards their offspring, to such an extent that they lose their feathers when they keep their nests warm, owing to the constant brooding. They spend their time raising and caring for their fledglings, which in turn nourish and take care of their parents; therefore, they are better than humans are at keeping the bond between parents and children. Humans, even when instructed by the laws and precepts of emperors to love their parents, abandon their elderly parents and regard them as inferior to storks. In fact, the chick closely surrounds its old father’s limbs, stripped of feathers and of the flapping of the wings due to the old age and nourishes him with its own or obtained food until she restores the parent to its former state. Hence, among the Romans, the stork is regarded as a pious bird. Following the example of the stork’s devotion and justice, the laws of emperors instruct men to learn to imitate storks.

pascit; donec in pristinum statum reducat. Unde
apud romanos; pia avis dicitur cyconia. ad eius
pietatis exemplum; leges imperatorum homi-
nes informant. ut discant coconias imitari.
Nomine igitur ciconie; significatur predicator sanc-
tus. qui inimicus est serpentibus. et sollicitus circa fi-
liorum educationem. pugnans pro nobis contra
inimicas potestates. Unde ieremias. Milvus in celo
cognovit tempus suum. turtur et hirundo et
ciconia custodierunt tempus adventus sui. Dicunt
quoque quidam quod ciconia uxor si cum altero quam
cum proprio viro adulterata fuerit. statim ne a viro
revertente deprehendatur; lavat se et baptizat
in aqau. et sic res domino latebit. Si autem antequam bap-
tizetur redeat dominus; statim per odorem; adulte-
rium deprehendit. et convocans multitudinem
coconiarum; rem illis insinuat. que omnes contra adulte-
ram quasi sancto iuditio; insurgunt. et occidunt. Sic
si aliquis fidelis cum diabolo vel ydolis vel hereticis.
vel cum muliere adulteratur; statim se baptizat in
aqua lacrimarum et penitencie. alioquin a multitudi-

Thus, the stork symbolises the holy preacher who is an enemy of serpents and is diligent in the education of his offspring, fighting for us against hostile powers. Hence, Jeremiah says: "The hawk in the sky knows its time, the turtle dove, the swallow, and the stork have kept the time of their coming."[3] Some also say that if a female stork commits adultery with another male, she immediately washes and asperses herself in water so as not to be discovered by her returning husband; therefore, the matter will remain hidden from him. If the male returns before she asperses herself, he immediately detects the adultery by smelling her, gathers together a multitude of storks, informs them of the matter and they all rise against the adulteress, acting as holy judges and kill her. Likewise, if believers commit adultery with the devil, idols, heretics, or a woman, they immediately asperse themselves in the water of tears and repentance;

ne predicatorum condempnatur et ab ecclesia proi-
citur.

otherwise, the multitude of preachers will condemn and cast them out of the church.

Further Reading

David Badke, The Bestiary Blog: Animals in the Middle Ages, Stork, November 6 2023, https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast236.htm

Mynott, J, Birds in the Ancient World (New York: Oxford University Press 2018)

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

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)

Matthews, J. and Matthews C., The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A-Z of fantastic beings from myth and magic (London: HarperElement, 2005)

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

Endnotes

[1] Bill-clattering of the stork

[2] Pĭĕtās has various meanings in Latin from pity, piety, devotion and in this case, it means parental love and affection.

[3] Jeremiah NKJV 8:7: “Even the stork in the heavens Knows her appointed times; And the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow Observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the LORD.