gems, early lapidaries, early gemology, early mineralogy

Presents an edition of the bestiary and lapidary sections of the Rosarius, an anonymous fourteenth-century French devotional compilation preserved in manuscript BnF français 12483. The surviving material describes fourteen animals and four stones, interpreting their reputed characteristics as expressions of the virtues of the Virgin Mary. Natural history and inherited beliefs about animals and gemstones thus provide material for religious instruction and moral reflection. The lapidary is of particular interest for the history of gemstone symbolism, showing how the properties attributed to stones were incorporated into Marian devotion. Together, these texts document the close relationship between medieval knowledge of nature, allegorical interpretation, and devotional literature.