image: elephas
BESTIARIA LATINA BLOG - Latin Via Fables - Zoo - Legenda 		 

Elephas et Venator

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The story of The Elephant and The Hunter 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.

Haec est natura eius,
si ceciderit
non potest surgere. 		surgere: complementary infinitive with potest
Cadit autem
cum se inclinat
in arborem
ut dormiat.
Non enim habet
iuncturas geniculorum.

autem: postpositive

inclinat:the i is long, so penultimate stress

dormiat: subjunctive introduced by ut

enim: postpositive

Venator autem
incidit arborem modicum,
ut elephas
cum se inclinaverit,
similiter cum arbore
cadat.

autem: postpositive

arborem: the o is long, so penultimate stress

inclinaverit: subjunctive introduced by cum

cadat: subjunctive introduced by ut

Cadens autem
fortiter clamat,
et statim
magnus elephas exit,
et non potest
eum levare.

autem: postpositive
levare: complementary infinitive with potest

image: elephas
Tunc clamant ambo
et veniunt
duodecim elephantes,
et non possunt
levare eum
qui cecidit.

levare: complementary infinitive with possunt
qui: relative pronoun, antecedent is eum

image: elephas
Deinde clamant omnes,
et statim venit
pusillus elephas,
et mittit os suum
cum proboscide
subtus magnum elephantem,
et elevat eum. 		image: elephas
Habet autem
pusillus elephas
hanc naturam,
ubi incensum fuerit
de capillis et ossibus eius,
necque aliud mali
accidit
neque draco.

autem: postpositive
incensum fuerit: subjunctive (the ubi functions something like cum here, and something like a conditional)
aliud mali: partitive genitive

 
Nam et ossa et pellis
de elephante,
in quocumque loco vel domo
fuerint incensa,
statim odor
corum expellit inde
ac fugat serpentes;
vel si qua fuerint
noxia venenosa reptilia,
non ibi accedunt.

fuerint incensa: see comment
re: incensum fuerit above

si qua = si aliqua

qua...noxia venenosa reptilia: split phrase

accedunt: the e is long, so penultimate stress

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are copyrighted by Laura Gibbs, 2007. No copyright is claimed for any images.