Hrabanus Maurus on Panther
Patrologia Latina Cursus Completus LXIII, 219C – 220A
Panther dictus sive quod omnium animalium #219D# sit amicus, excepto dracone: sive quia et sui generis societate gaudet, et ad eamdem similitudinem, quidquid accipit, reddit. Pan enim Græce omne dicitur: bestia minutis orbiculis superpicta, ita ut oculatis ex fulvo circulis nigra vel alba distinguatur varietate. Hæc semel omnino parturit. Cujus causæ ratio manifesta est. Nam cum in utero matris coaluerint catuli, maturisque ad nascendum viribus pollent, odiunt temporum moras. Itaque oneratam fetibus vulvam, tanquam obstantem partui, unguibus lacerant. Effundit illa partum seu potius dimittit, dolore cogente. Ita postea corruptis et cicatricosis sedibus genitale semen infusum non erit acceptum, sed irritum resilit. Nam Plinius dicit #220A# animalia cum acutis unguibus frequenter parere non posse; vitiantur enim intrinsecus se moventibus catulis.
Paraphrase and commentary
Hrabanus Maurus started the account with the etymological explanation of the name of the panther following almost word-for-word Isidore of Seville' Etymologies, book XII, 2, 8-9.i
- The panther is called like that because it is a friend of all the animals apart from the dragon; or because it delights in the company of its kind, and it gives back in correspondence to whatever it receives. In fact pan in Greek means everything. The beast is sprinkled with tiny spots resembling the circles of yellowish brow eyes; it is distinguished for the black or white colouring.ii
Another often remarked fact about the panther is their inability to give more than once. This fact is also mentioned by Isidore.
- The panther gives birth altogether once. There is a clear reason for that. For, when the cubs grow together in their mother’s womb, they get vigorous as their strength mature near the time they have to be born, and they detest the delay of time. And so they tear with their claws the womb burdened with the foetuses, just as it gives birth to the cub obstructing it. The mother pour the new born or rather send it away driven by the pain. So that afterwards due to the damaged and covered with scars rump the genitals do not accept the laid semen but throws it away in vain. Indeed Pliny says that animals with sharp claws often cannot give birth, for they are being injured by cubs the moving inside them.ii
Footnotes
i The actual etymology of the word is not certain. Some believe to be of Sanskrit origin meaning "the yellowish animal". See Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
ii For example see the illumination in MS London, British Library, Harley 4751, fol. 4r.
ii This refers to Pliny, Natural History, book 8, 17. Pliny transmitted the general belief about the cubs tearing their mother's womb, but also transmitted Aristotle's account on the topic, saying that the female panther during the first litter gives birth to five cubs and then with each time reduces the number till she becomes sterile. Hrabanus Maurus however following closely Isidore who maybe did not have direct access to Pliny transmitted only partially the latter's account.
