Animalia Paradoxa
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Animalia Paradoxa[1] (Latin for "contradictory animals"; cf. paradox) are the mythical, magical or otherwise suspect animals mentioned in the first five editions of Carl Linnaeus's seminal work Systema Naturae under the header "Paradoxa". It lists fantastic creatures found in medieval bestiaries and some animals reported by explorers from abroad and explains why they are excluded from Systema Naturae. According to Swedish historian Gunnar Broberg, it was to offer a natural explanation and demystify the world of superstition.[2] Paradoxa was dropped from Linnaeus' classification system as of the 6th edition (1748).[3]
Paradoxa
These 10 taxa appear in the 1st to 5th editions:
- Hydra: Linnaeus wrote: "Hydra: body of a snake, with two feet, seven necks and the same number of heads, lacking wings, preserved in Hamburg, similar to the description of the Hydra of the Apocalypse of St.John chapters 12 and 13. And it is provided by very many as a true species of animal, but falsely. Nature for itself and always the similar, never naturally makes multiple heads on one body. Fraud and artifice, as we ourselves saw [on it] teeth of a weasel, different from teeth of an Amphibian [or reptile], easily detected." See Carl Linnaeus#Doctorate. (Distinguish from the small real coelenterate Hydra (genus).)
- Chondropterygii and Plagiuri." In the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, Linnaeus named the species Rana paradoxa, though its genus name was changed in 1830 to Pseudis.[4]
- Monodon of Artedi[= narwhal] has the same manner of horn, but the other parts of its body are very different."
- Pelecanus: Linnaeus wrote "Pelican: The same [sources as for the previous] hand down fabulously [the story] that it inflicts a wound with its beak on its own thigh, to feed its young with the flowing blood. A sack hanging below its throat gave a handle for the story." This source[5] writes: "Linnaeus thought [pelicans] might reflect the over-fervent imaginations of New World explorers." This claim is incorrect; pelicans are widespread in Europe and Linnaeus was merely doubting the legendary behavior.
- Satyrus: Linnaeus wrote "with a tail, hairy, bearded, with a manlike body, gesticulating much, very fallacious, is a species of monkey, if ever one has been seen."[6]
- says: "Linnaeus [...] had seen a faked vegetable lamb taken from China to Sweden by a traveler."
- Phoenix: Linnaeus wrote: "Species of bird, of which only one individual exists in the world, and which when decrepit [arises?] from [its] pyre made of aromatic [plants?] is said fabulously to become again young, to undergo happy former periods of life. In reality it is the date palm, see Kæmpf".
- Linnaeus wrote: The Bernicla or Scottish goose & Goose-bearing Seashell: is believed by former generations to be born from rotten wood thrown away in the sea. But the Lepas places seaweed on its featherlike internal parts, and somewhat adhering, as if indeed that goose Bernicla was arising from it. Frederick Edward Hulme noted: "[The] barnacle-goose tree was a great article of faith with our ancestors in the Middle Ages."[8]
- .
- Automa MortisLinnaeus wrote "Death-watch: It produces the sound of a very small clock in walls, is named Pediculus pulsatorius, which perforates wood and lives in it".
The above 10 taxa and the 4 taxa following were in the 2nd (1740) edition and the 4th and 5th editions (total 14 entries):[9]
- Manticora: Linnaeus wrote merely: "face of a decrepit old man, body of a lion, tail starred with sharp points".
- Antilope [sic]: Linnaeus wrote merely: "Face of a "wild animal", feet [like those] of cattle, horns like a goat's [but] saw-edged".
- Lamia: Linnaeus wrote merely: "Face of a man, breasts of a virgin, body of a four-footed animal [but] scaled, forefeet of a "wild animal", hind[feet] [like those] of cattle".
- Siren: Linnaeus wrote: "Art. gen. 81 Syrene Bartol: As long as it is not seen either living or dead, nor faithfully and perfectly described, it is called in doubt".
- Linnaeus's reference is to ichthyologist, who could examine this animal, as to whether it is a fable, or a true fish? About something which has not been seen it is preferable not to judge, than boldly to pronounce something.". Among references and quotations from other authors Artedi quoted that "some say that it is a manatee and others say completely different."[10]
- Linnaeus's reference is to
References
- ^ von Linné, C. (1744). Caroli Linnæi medic. & botan. in acad. Upsaliensi professoris ... Systema naturæ: In quo proponuntur naturæ regna tria secundum classes, ordines, genera & species. Sumptibus Michaelis-Antonii David. p. 102. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
- ISBN 0-7112-1841-2.
- S2CID 44480097. Also available on Scribd Archived 2012-11-04 at the Wayback Machine. Linnaeus remarked in edition 6 (as translated) as at this link: "I have come to these conclusions by personally leading my pupils on wanderings through the tangled web of nature, in order that I can spur others on to an examination and explanation of nature rather than the reiteration of perceived ideas ... I shall take exception to the tales of actors and the barkings of dogs with equal measure.".
- S2CID 86511142.
- PMID 18695218.
- ^ a b Carl Linnaeus, Systema naturae (1735; facsimile of the first edition), trans. M. S. J. Engel-Ledeboer and H. Engel (Nieuwkoop, Netherlands: B. de Graaf, 1964), 30. via [1]
- ISBN 978-0-8014-3609-3.
- ^ Hulme, F.E. (1886). Myth-land. S. Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington. p. 168. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
- ^ von Linné, C. (1740). Systema naturae in quo naturae regna tria: secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, systematice proponuntur. Apud G. Kiesewetter. p. 66. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
- ^ Peter Artedi, 1738, Philosophia Ichthyologica, p. 81.
External links
- Gunnar Broberg (2008). "The Dragonslayer". Tijdschrift voor Skandinavistiek. 29 (1): (29)36–37(43).