Cats and other animals in sermons

Bernardino Busti, Rosarium Sermonum (Strasbourg, 1496), Sermon 16, 313.

Aliquam creaturam posse realiter transmutari in aliam speciem, puta in gattas, vel huiusmodi hoc enim est haereticum … apparente vero potuit fieri virtute daemonum.

Translation: A certain creature could really metamorhose into other species, like in cats, and in every way this is heretic … it is just the virtue of demons than can make it [the metamorhosis] seem real.

Context: Busti speaks of those witches who believe to be capable of turning into cats, following an old and long-lasting popular belief. The cat is the symbol of the devil.

Bernardino of Siena, Ciclo Senese 1425, ed. C. Cannarozzi, (Florence: 1958), sermon 38, 169 - 70.

El dimonio fa parere a quella mala femmina che ella diventi gatta e vada stregonando, ma ella si sta nel letto suo. Illusioni del dimonio per ingannare altrui!

Translation: The devil makes it seem to the evil woman that she metamorphoses into a cat and that she goes around bewitching, but in reality she remains in her bed. These are the devil’s illusions to deceive people!

Context: Busti speaks of those witches who believe to be capable of turning into cats, following an old and long-lasting popular belief. The cat is the symbol of the devil.

Luca from Bitonto, Sermones "Narraverunt Mihi", Sermon 68, f. 294 [1]

Sicut aquila provocat ad volandum pullos suos et super eos volitans. In hac autoritate tria querenda sunt, scilicet quare dominus aquile comparetur.

Translation: In the behaviour of the eagle that exhorts its eaglets to fly while it flyes along with them, it can be seen the behaviour of our Lord.

Context: Through a metaphor Luca from Bitonto shows how animal behaviours might symbolize Christian moral habits

Luca from Bitonto, Sermones "Narraverunt Mihi", Sermon 37, f. 150 [2]

Item debemus converti sicut pullus perdicis ad genitricem suam

Translation: Item debemus converti sicut pullus perdicis ad genitricem suam

Context: Through a metaphor Luca from Bitonto shows how animal behaviours might symbolize Christian moral habits

Luca from Bitonto, Sermones "Narraverunt Mihi", Sermon 52, f. 219 [3]

Pisces maris qui perambulant semitas maris. Sunt curiosi qui in profundo huius seculi temporalia, et propter fluenciam pertinaci studio querunt

Translation: Fishes swim in the depths of the sea like eager men go looking for insatiable secular goods in the depths of earthly life

Context: See above. Moreover, the fish has an old christian significance symbolizing the faithful, and water as the element in which the fishes live has a strong baptismal significance, as we read in Tertuallian

Bernardino of Siena, Prediche volgari sul Campo di Siena 1427. ed Carlo Delcorno, (Milano: Rusconi, 1989), 1010.

Elli so stati di quelli che hanno già veduta la gatta quando va a fare queste cose; e tali so stati tanto preveduti, che hanno auto qualche cosa in mano e arandellato a quella gatta, e talvolta l'hanno gionta. E di quelle so' state, che hanno riceuta tal percossa, che hanno rotta la gamba. E a chi credi che sia rimasa la percossa? Pure a la femina indiavolata, non al diavolo.

Translation: There are those who said they saw a female cat when he (the Devil) went to do these things; and some have even taken preventive action against it by throwing whatever they had in their hand at this cat, even managing to strike it. And there are some of these cats that, being struck, got their leg broken. And who do you think ended up with a broken leg? Not the Devil, but the possessed woman.

Context: Bernardino refers to the belief of women's metamorphosis into cats (symbols of the devil) reporting this story.

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Contributor: Fabrizio Conti