Dyalogus Creaturarum:

RENAISSANCE WOODCUTS & FABLES


De Bubone

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De Bubone qui voluit habere dominium alitum * Dyalogus.lxxxij

About the Owl who wanted to rule over the Birds: Dialogue 82

The owl, Bubo, has its name from the sound it makes, says Isidorus: a night bird who hunts mice and sucks out the eggs of the dove, drinks the oil from the lamps in church and makes a mess everywhere...

One day all the birds were having a party, and after dinner they took a peaceful break from all the festivities. The owl preened himself and said "I'm not given the place of honour which my noble birth demands, but now I'm going to put things right". He gathered around him the porphyry, the night jar, the bat, indeed, all the birds of the night, and they rushed in to take over the power from all the birds. But the birds fought back and beat them: and the story goes that it's because of this treachery that the owl is attacked by all the other birds, and doesn't dare to show himself in the daytime...

Male levat se qui cadit

perit & qui false tradit

The Book of Proverbs says "He who works out evil designs we may call a fool: power which is taken by force is short-lived"...

                                 


Eight Stories:

About Laurus, the Sea-Eagle
About the Pheasant and the Peacock
About the Owl who wanted to rule over the Birds
About the Countryman and the Bees
About the Lion who built a Priory
About the Donkey-Centaur who built a Palace
About the Monkey who wrote Books
About the Wolf and the Donkey


                                                                                           

Introduction

Original editions

Johan Snell's printing


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