The Formulae of St. Eucherius of Lyons


The Formulae of St. Eucherius of Lyons
St. Eucherius of Lyons

IV. On the Animals


The birds are the saints, because they fly to the higher heart; in the gospel: and he made great branches that the birds of the air might live in their shade. [Mark 4:32]

Flying is the death of the saints in God or the knowledge of the Scriptures; in the psalm: I shall fly and I shall be at rest. [Ps.54(55):7 Vulgate]

The wings are the two testaments; in Ezekiel: your body will fly with two wings of its own. [Ez.1:23]

The feathers are the Scriptures; in the psalm: the wings of the silver dove. [Ps.67(68):14(13)]

The nest is the church, the high peace of the blessed; in the psalm: and the turtledove is in its nest where it places its chicks. And likewise, a good conscience is a nest, in which the the fetus of good thoughts is cherished and it is born in good works, that they may be called children afterward; in the psalm: your children are like a new olive around your table. [Ps.83(84):4(3) Vulgate; Ps.127(128):3]

The chicks are the saints; in the psalm as above, and in a bad part of Solomon: and let the fledgelings of eagles devour him. [Prov.30:17]

The eagles are the saints; in the gospel: where a body will be, there shall the eagles gather. And in a bad part: Let the fledgelings of eagles devour him. [Matt.24:28 and Prov.30:17]

The ostrich is a heretic, or a philosopher, because they do not fly with the wings of their wisdom; in Isaiah: and he will be a resting place for the dragon and a pasture for the ostrich. [Is.34:13]

The pelican is the Lord Jesus Christ in his passion or the holy man given to solitude; in the psalm: I have become solitary like a pelican. [Ps.101(102):7 Vulgate]

The crow is the black of the sinner or of the demons; in Solomon: the crows tore him from the valleys. The same in a good part of the Song of Songs about the spouse: his hair is that is passing away is black like the crow. [Cant.5:11]

The partridge is the devil; in the prophet: the partridge has cried, it has gathered that which it has not sown. [Jer.17:11]

The dove is the Holy Spirit; in the gospel: and I saw the spirit of God descending like a dove. The same in another part: in Ephraim, a dove without feeling, without a heart. [John 1:32; Hosea 7:11]

The turtledove is the Holy Spirit or the blessed man or spiritual intelligence; in the Song of Songs: the voice of the turtle was heard in our land. But then the dove is said to be the Holy Spirit; the context of many holy scriptures asserts it: then turtledove is understood to be the Holy Spirit in truth, when high scriptures or hidden mysteries are brought up. [Cant.2:12]

The kite signifies, so I think, rapacity or pride; in the psalm, according to the Hebrew: the kite, once away, is at home. [Ps.103(104):17 (unknown variant)]

The hawk, however, is a saint, so I think, seizing the Kingdom of God; in Job: is not the hawk plumed in Your wisdom? [Job 39:26]

The owl is Christ, or the saint who despices infidels; in the psalm: I am made like an owl in its dwelling. [Ps.101(102):7 Vulgate]

The sparrow sometimes is the Lord or a holy man; in the psalm: indeed the sparrow has found itself a home. And it is another sparrow that is like a holy man: flying across the mountain like a sparrow. [Ps.83(84):4(3); Ps.10(11):2(1) Vulgate]

The cock is the Lord, so I think, or a saint: in Solomon: and the cock is glad as it walks among the hens. And in Job: who gave the cock knowledge? And in another part: and I shall cause you to be carried off as domestic poultry is carried away. [Prov.30:31; Job 38:36; Is.22:17 Vulgate]

The hen is wisdom or the church or the soul; in the gospel: as a hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings. [Matt.23:37]

Bats are considered portents of the idols of darkness; in the prophet: that you may love moles and bats. [Is.2:20]

The beetle in the prophet: and the beetle will cry from the wood, so I think, this means from the wood of the Lord {the cross}. [Hab.2:11]

The locusts are the people; in the gospel: his food, moreover, was locusts. [Matt.3:4]

The bees are the stamp of virginity or of wisdom; in Solomon: go to the bee and learn how to be a worker; and in a bad part of the prophet: and the bee which is in Assyria. [Prov.6:6; Is.7:18]

The fly is the devil; in Solomon: the flies of death have exterminated the oil of sweetness. [Eccles.10:1]

The wild animals are the devil or wild men; in the psalm: You do not take the wild beasts into your trust. [Ps.73(74):19 Vulgate]

The lion is the Lord: the lion from the tribe of Judah conquers; again in another part: let the lion seize my soul at any time. [Apoc.5:5; Ps.7:3(2)]

The leopard is the devil, or the untrustworthy sinner in death; in the prophet: as an Ethiopian cannot change his skin nor a leopard his spots. [Jeremiah 13:23]

The elephant is a great sinner; in Kings: and they led apes and elephants to Solomon. [III(I) Kings 10:22]

The bear is the devil, or the barbarian leaders; in Kings: two bears were brought forth and they ate them. [IV(II)Kings 2:24]

The stag is Christ, or the saints; as a deer longs for the streams of water. [Ps.41(42):2(1)]

The wolf is the devil or heretics; in the gospel: the wolves are inherently rapacious. The same in a good part: Benjamin, meaning the Apostle Paul, is a ravening wolf. [Matt.7:15; Gen.49:27]

The boar is the devil; in the psalm: the boar has driven him from the forest. [Ps.79(80):14(13)]

The tiger is effeminate arrogance; in the book of Job, according to the Hebrews: the tiger dies because it has no prey. [Job 4:11]

The rhinoceros is strength, either in a good or bad part; in the book of Job, according to the Hebrews: whether the rhinoceros wishes to serve you. [Job 39:9]

The one-horned is the unicorn; in the psalm: and my beloved son is like a unicorn, that is, of unique power, or unique among the saints, who wholly keep the word of God. And in another part: and my humility is like the horn of a unicorn. The unicorns having this magnificence or one testimony. [Ps.28(29):6 Vulgate; Ps.21(22):22 Vulgate]

The wild ass is a hermit; in Job: who sets the wild ass free? He can, and I have said that the tribe of Judah is that wild ass, and as follows in the same book: and who has loosed his bonds? The bonds likewise are the law. [Job 39:5]

The fawn is Christ, or the saint because of the multiplicity of his graces; in Solomon: my little brother, you are like a little antelope or like the fawn of a deer. [Cant.2:9]

The antelope is the same as above.

The rabbit is one who fears God; in the psalm: the rocks are a refuges for the hares and the hedgehogs. [Ps.103(104):18 Vulgate]

The hedgehog is as above; and the hedgehogs are a weak nation, who make their homes among the rocks.

The fox is a heretic or the devil or a shrewd sinner; in the gospel: go, tell that fox. [Luke 13:32]

The beast is the man of flesh; in the apostle: the man of flesh does not see those who are in the spirit of God. [I:Cor.2:14]

The beasts of burden lack understanding and intelligence; in the psalm: and I have become the beasts of burden before you. [Ps.72(73):23(22)]

The horse is a holy man; in Habakkuk: he who has risen above your horses; and in a bad part: a deceitful horse into safety. [Hab.3:8; Ps.32(33):17 Vulgate]

The mule is an irrational man; in the psalm: do not wish to become like the horse and the mule who do not understand. [Ps.31(32):9]

The ass is the human body or the people of the gentiles; in the gospel: and they led an ass and its colt to Jesus and they made him sit on the colt. [Matt.21:7]

The female ass is a circle of bystanders, or a people who lack acquaintance with God; in the gospel: the same as above.

The camel is the wealth of a burdened age or the deformation of the dead; in the gospel: it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for the wealthy to enter into the kingdom of the heavens. [Matt.19:24]

The bulls are the leaders of the people; in the psalm: the fat bulls surrounded me. [Ps.21(22):13(12)]

The oxen are the apostles, who take on the yoke of Christ, the gospel, the ploughshare with which they plow the world; in the psalm: I offer to you my oxen with my goats. [Ps.65(66):15]

The cows are those full of fleshly faults; in the psalm: among the cows of the people. [Ps.67(68):31(30)]

The calf is Christ, or the saints; in the psalm: there they shall place calves upon Your altar. And in another part: many calves surrounded me, here it is poetic license. [Ps.50(51):21(19); Ps.21(22):13(12)]

The pigs are unclean sinners; in the epistle of Peter: the pig is washed by rolling in the mud. [II Peter 2:22]

The rams are the apostles or the leaders of the church; in the psalm: bring the sons of rams to the Lord. [Ps.28(29):1 Vulgate]

The sheep are the faithful people; in the gospel: my sheep hear my voice. [John 10:27]

The flocks are the simple ones who have been plundered less of rationality than of keenness; in Solomon: feed the animals of your flock. [Prov.27:23]

The goats are the sinners or the gentiles; in Daniel: behold, a male goat among the she-goats came from the west over the face of the whole land. The same in a good part: I offer you cows with goats. [Dan.8:5; Ps.65(66):15]

The nanny-goats are the just who come from the gentiles; in Solomon: your long hair is like a herd of she-goats, which have appeared in Gilead. [Cant.6:4]

The lambs are Christ, or the apostles, or the saints; in the gospel: feed my lambs. [John 21:15]

The kids are sinners; in the gospel: the kids, however, are on the left. [Matt.25:33]

The moles are idols, or heretics, who do not see the truth; in Isaiah: that you may worship moles and bats. [Is.2:20]

The dog is the devil or Judas or a gentile; in the psalm: and my only life from the hand of the dog. And in another part in Ecclesiastes: a living dog is better than a dead lion. Here they think that the lion is the devil, the dog is a true gentile or a man accepting a sinner because one can come to faith or repentance, while the other cannot. [Ps.21(22):21 Vulgate; Eccl.9:4]

The frogs are demons; in the Apocalypse: and I saw three unclean spirits in the form of frogs come from the mouth of a dragon; they were the spirits of demons. Frogs are also heretics, who do not cease to babble at a meal with vain talkativeness as they dwell in the most vile bodily feelings. [Apoc.16:13-14]

The ant is prudent and hard-working; in Solomon: go to the ant, o sluggard. [Prov.6:6]

The worm is Christ, who took human flesh in humility; in the psalm: I am a worm, not a man. The same in another part of Isaiah: the worm will not kill them, that is either the worm itself or the knowledge of sin. [Ps.21(22):7(6); Is.66:24]

The spider is human frailty; in the psalm: you have made his soul to wither like a spider. [Ps.38(39):12 Vulgate]

The snake is the devil or bad men; in the gospel: snakes are the equals of vipers. The same in another part of the gospel: as Moses raised the snake in the wilderness. [Matt.23:33; John 3:14]

The dragon is the devil, or the overt tormenter; in the psalm: You have broken the head of the dragons, You have given him to the people of Ethiopia for food. [Ps.73(74):14 Vulgate]

The scorpion is the devil or his ministers; in the gospel: I gave you power to crush snakes and scorpions. [Luke 10:19]

The vipers are the same as above; in the gospel: snakes are the equals of vipers. [Matthew 23:33 and Luke 3:7]




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The Formulae of St. Eucherius of Lyons
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