image: elephas
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Elephas et Mandragora

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The story of The Elephant and The Mandrake is adapted from Physiologus Latinus, versio BIs and the text of the Aberdeen Bestiary.

For more information about elephants, including other legends and also proverbs about elephants, visit the Elephas in the Zoo. You can also visit the Elephant page at the bestiary.ca website for a discussion in English, bibliography and other useful references.

   Use this Study Guide to organize your learning activities.

Biennio autem
parturiunt elephantes,
nec amplius quam semel gignunt,
nec plures sed tantum unum.

autem: postpositive

tantum: as often, here in the sense of "only"
Vivunt autem
annos trescentos. 		autem: postpositive
Phisiologus dicit de eo
quoniam intellectum
in se habet magnum,
sed concupiscentiam fetus
in semine non habet.

quoniam: used here like quod ("Physiologus says that...")

image: elephas
In tempore enim suo,
cum voluerit filios procreare,
vadit ad orientem
cum femina sua
usque ad proximum paradisi,
et ibi est arbor
quae dicitur mandragora.

enim: postpositive
voluerit: subjunctive plus cum

quae: relative pronoun, antecedent is arbor

 
Prior ergo femina gustat
de fructu illius arboris,
et sic illa seducit masculum,
ut ille persuasus manducet.

ergo: postpositive

manducet: subjunctive plus ut
Et postquam manducaverint ambo,
tunc conveniunt sibi invicem,
et statim femina
in utero concipit. 		 
Cum autem venerit
tempus illius
ut pariat,
vadit
ubi est stagnum,
et ingreditur in aquam
usque ad ubera sua,
et ibi parit
super aquam
propter draconem,
qui insidiatur illi,

autem: postpositive

venerit: subjunctive plus cum

pariat: subjunctive plus ut

qui: relative pronoun, antecedent is draconem
et si extra aquam peperit,
rapit draco
pecus illud
et devorat. 		image: elephas
Ideo in aquam altam
ingreditur,
ut ibi pariat. 		 
Masculus autem suus
non recedit ab ea,
sed custodit eam parientem,
propter serpentem,
qui inimicus est elephantis.

autem: postpositive

qui: relative pronoun, antecedent is serpentem
Si autem
invenerit serpentem,
occidit eum,
quem conculcat
donec moriatur.

autem: postpositive

quem: relative pronoun, antecedent is eum

moriatur: subjunctive, with donec
© The segmented texts, annotations and audio files at BestLatin.net
are copyrighted by Laura Gibbs, 2007. No copyright is claimed for any images.