List of medieval bestiaries

First family

These appeared in the 10th - 13th century are based upon the "B" version of the Physiologus and the writings of Isidore of Seville:

• Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 22
• London, British Library Royal MS 2.C.xii
• London, British Library Stowe MS 1067
• Los Angeles, Getty Museum Ludwig XV 3
• Los Angeles, Getty Museum Ludwig XV 4
• Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Bodley 602
• Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Douce 167
• Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Laud Misc. 247
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale Nouv. acq. lat. 873
• Vatican, Cod. Palat. lat. 1074

The following are all late 13th century texts, based upon the same version of the Physiologus, with the text of De bestiis et aliis rebus by Hugues de Fouilloy.

• Cambridge, Sidney Sussex College 100
• Chalon-sur-Saône, Bibliothèque Municipale MS 14
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 2495A
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 2495B
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 3638A
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 14429
• Valenciennes, Bibliothèque Municipale MS 101

These. appearing from the 12th to 14th century, incorporate material from other sources:

• Northumberland Bestiary (Alnwick Castle, MS 447)
• Cambridge, Trinity College R.14.9
• Leningrad, Rossiiskaia natsional'naia biblioteka Q.v.V,1
• London, British Library Royal MS 2.B.vii
• London, British Library Royal 12.C.xix
• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek gall. 16
• New York, Morgan Library M. 81

Second family

Detail of folio 8 recto from the Aberdeen Bestiary, the tiger.

The works in this group are based principally on Isidore's Etymologiæ with significant additional material from Saint Ambrose, Rabanus Maurus, Solinus and others:

• Aberdeen Bestiary (Aberdeen University Library MS 24)
• Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale 8340
• Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale Hs 8827-42
• Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 53
• Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum MS 379 (C, W(B))
• Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College MS 109/178
• Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College MS 372/621
• Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College MS 384/604
• Cambridge, University Library Ii.4.26
• Canterbury, Cathedral Library Lit.D.10
• Chartres, Bibliothèque Municipale 63 (125)
• Copenhagen, Kongelige Bibliotek Gl. Kgl. 1633 4°
• Douai, Bibliothèque Municipale MS 711
• Le Mans, Bibliothèque Municipale 84
• London, British Library Additional MS 11283
• London, British Library Harley MS 3244
• London, British Library Harley MS 4751
• Rochester Bestiary (London, British Library Royal MS 12.F.xiii)
• London, British Library Sloane MS 3544
• Los Angeles, Getty Museum, Salvatorberg Bestiary
• Nîmes, Bibliothèque Municipale 82
• New York, Morgan Library MS M. 890
• Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Ashmole 1511
• Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Bodley 533
• Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Bodley 764
• Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Douce 88 A
• Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Douce 151
• Oxford, St. Johns College MS. 61
• Oxford, St. Johns College MS. 178
• Oxford, University College MS. 120
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 3630
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 11207
• Paris, Mazarine Library 742 (1115)
• Vatican, Apostolic Library Reg. 258

Third family

These, from the 13th century, expand on the above with various races of humans, mythological creatures, and sometimes wonders of the world from Bernard Silvestris and others:

• Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum 254
• Cambridge, University Library MS Kk.4.25
• Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. e Musaeo 136
• Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Douce 88 E
• Westminster Abbey Library MS 22

Fourth family

The sole work in this family, from the 15th century, is distinguished by its incorporation of writings by Bartholomaeus Anglicus:

• Cambridge, University Library MS. Gg.6.5

Dicta Chrysostomi

These works were attributed in their time to John Chrysostom and appeared, mostly in Germany, from the 12th to 15th century:

• Bad Windsheim, Ratsbibl. Cod. 28
• Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale 18421-29
• Chicago, Newberry Library MS 31.1
• Epinal, Bibliothèque Municipale 58 (209)
• Göttweg, Stiftsbibl. Cod. Ms. 154
• Göttweg, Stiftsbibl. Cod. ms. 200
• Harvard University, Houghton Library MS Typ 101
• Leningrad, Gos. Publ. Biblioteka Saltykova-Shchedrina lat. Q.v.III,1
• Leipzig, Universitätsbibl. Paul. fol. 351
• Leipzig, Universitätsbibl. Paul. 4° 1305
• Linz, Studienbibl. Cod. ms. Cc.II.15
• London, British Library Sloane MS 278
• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 536
• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 2655
• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 3221
• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 5613
• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 5921
• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 6908
• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 9600
• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 14216
• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 14348
• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 14693
• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 16189
• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 19648
• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 23787
• New York, Morgan Library MS M. 832
• Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal lat. 394
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 10448
• Uppsala, Universitetsbibliotek C 145
• Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 303
• Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 1010
• Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 2511
• Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 4609
• Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 13378
• Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibliothek 35a Helmst. (Manuscript digitized)

Single Author manuscripts

Many Manuscripts contain portions of bestiaries that can be atrtibuted to a single author. These include works by Isidore of Seville's Etymologiae, Thomas de Cantimpré's Liber de Natura Rerum, and Hugues de Fouilloy's De avibus

Bestiaire in Verse by Philippe de Thaon

• Copenhagen, Kongelige Bibliotek Gl. kgl. S. 3466 8º
• London, British Library Cotton Nero A.v
• Oxford, Merton College MS. 249

Bestiaire of Gervaise

• London, British Library Additional MS 28260^[1]

Bestiaire of Guillaume le Clerc

• Cambridge, Fitzwilliam McLean 123
• Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Mus. J.20
• Cambridge, Trinity College O.2.14
• London, British Library Cotton Vespasian A.vii
• London, British Library Egerton MS 613
• London, British Library Royal 16.E.viii
• Lyon, Palais des Arts 78
• Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Bodley 912
• Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Douce 132
• Paris, Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 2691
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 902
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 1444
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 2168
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 14964
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 14969
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 14970
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 20046
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 24428
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 25406
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 25408
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale Rothschild IV.2.24
• New Haven, Beinecke Library MS 395 (formerly Phillipps 4156)
• Vatican, Apostolic Library Regina 1682
• In a Psalter, the Queen Mary Psalter, British Library Ms. Royal 2B, vii
• In a psalter, the Isabelle Psalter, State Library, Munich

Bestiaire of Pierre de Beauvais

• Malines, Bibliothèque du Séminaire 32
• Montpellier, Bibliothèque de la Faculté de Médecine H.437
• Paris, Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal fr. 3516
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 834
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 944
• Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale nouv. acq. 13251
• ex-Phillipps 6739 [C, M]
• Vatican, Apostolic Library Reg. 1323