Fox
As today, the fox was seen in the medieval period as a cunning and wily beast. One of the most popular literary characters was Reynard the Fox, a trickster-archetype who used his intelligence and slyness to overcome larger adversaries. Though deer (and other big-game, depending on what was available in the country) were the preferred medieval quarry, foxes were occasionally hunted for sport, and details of their ingenious methods of escape are found throughout medieval literature. Chiefly, however, in everyday life the fox was seen as vermin, and a scavenging, livestock-plundering nuisance that had to be slain for its habits.
Foxes never run in a straight line, but only in circles, because their right legs are shorter than the left. They are fond of fruit, and a particular nuisance to vineyard owners, as the Bible states: ‘take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes’ (Song of Songs 2:15). They have a brush-like tail so that hounds cannot seize them by it. They can also climb trees, and will fool hounds pursuing them by climbing where they cannot be scented, waiting for them to pass, and running off in the opposite direction.
The most cunning ploy of the fox is pretending to be dead. A fox will roll in red mud to mimic blood, then hold its breath and lie belly-up as if deceased. Foolish birds will soon come to roost on the supposed corpse, and are instantly devoured. Though smaller than badgers, foxes compete with them for burrows, and usually come out on top because of their superior cunning. The Latin name for a fox, vulpis, translates to covetousness, evoking the creatures’ overwhelming desire for food. Its beautiful red fur also strongly suggests the fox’s sly and cunning nature.
The fox’s proverbial cunning made it a symbol of Satan in the Middle Ages. One 13th-century bestiary explains that ‘the fox is the symbol of the devil, who appears to be dead to all living things until he has them by the throat and punishes them’. The foolish birds represent the unwary Christians who fall for the devil’s snares and are punished by damnation. Its trickery of the birds was also adapted in other literature and art to represent false preachers who beguile their flock into sin whilst appearing to be pious. Running in circles also suggests Satan’s trickery.