Bear
Like the stag, the bear in the medieval period was seen as both fun to hunt and a potent symbol of God’s message. Medieval man was fascinated by bears because of their bipedal nature, which made them almost like people, since a distinguishing feature of beasts was their habit of walking on four legs. Indeed, some writers saw them as malformed humans, and thus important in the hierarchy of the animal kingdom. There was also a respect, bordering on fear, of the bear’s natural strength and aggression, drawn from experience of living alongside the creatures and hunting them for sport.
Bears are born as amorphous lumps without eyes or fur, and are licked into the shape of a bear by their mother (this is the origin of an idiomatic expression still used today, ‘to lick into shape’). They are born only in winter, and for this reason they must also be kept warm by their mother, much like a bird incubating an egg. Male and female bears separate when the female is pregnant, and spend the winter in separate caves or separate themselves with a deep trench. The male bear will not even touch the female when she is pregnant.
Much of the bear’s alleged behaviour is anthropomorphic. They are said to mate by embracing one another, like people. They are also said to hunt bulls, and to kill them by grabbing their horns and attacking the snout. When they hibernate through the winter, bears are so soundly asleep that even deep wounds cannot rouse them from their slumber. They are born headfirst, meaning that their head is the weakest part and their strength is in their limbs, which accounts for their ability to stand upright like a person. Bears can survive poisoning by touching phloem or mullen (herbs).
Allegorically, bears are like the church. Often described in terms of a mother, the Catholic Church placed great emphasis on the instruction and chastisement of children and so, like mother bears, licked its young into shape. This was also a reminder to parents about the need for disciplining and instructing their offspring. The male bear’s refusal to touch a pregnant female also carried a didactic message, for sex with a pregnant woman was seen as a sinful taboo, and dangerous for the fetus. This message is reinforced by the description of bears having sex in the missionary position, like people.