Very similar art this week, which kind of can't be helped because the entry does specifically say that it looks like a wolf with spots. There's some range here, though.
If you're not sure what this is about, you can find an explanation and previous posts here: https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting.
The entry artists are working from this week can be found here:
As a reminder, all previous entries in this series can be found at https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting .
It is a beast marked with
And if you want to participate in the next round, here's that entry:
As a reminder, all previous entries in this series can be found at https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting .
In Asia an animal is found
...huh. I didn't realize which one was up next until I went looking for the link just now. That'll be an interesting artistic experience, I'm sure.
(Pursuant to some previous speculation on the "-bael" morpheme in the Dikebael and Dirubael, now I'm wondering if the "-at" morpheme in our randomly-generated words might have something to do with bodily waste.)
Anyway, this week's art is below the cut:
@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) notes that their version ended up quite fluffy, which I have also noted and enjoyed. For some additional detail, which includes some interesting animal facts, click on the linked post.
@doodlebethel (link to post here) is joining us for the first time, and has drawn an excellent not-quite-a-wolf. I feel the depiction of it aggressively guarding that sparkly sand is very well-executed.
@cheapsweets (link to post here) has made the decision that the urine in question solidifies into a jewel basically immediately, which I think raises a lot of interesting questions (complimentary). Also, thank you for providing alt text.
@citrvsdrake (link to post here) observes that the creature hiding its urine sounds like cat behavior, so they leaned a little harder towards the leopard side than the wolf one. I think it came out well; an animal that is both relatively wolf-shaped and clearly feline has an interesting look to it.
@coolest-capybara (link to post here) decided to base theirs on the maned wolf, which I think came out really well in this art style. I also like the decision to make the spots look like eyes -- together with the color scheme and the long limbs, it really has a fascinating (and slightly sinister?) effect. I kind of love this design, really. I want to know more about this creature. (Also, thank you for including alt text.)
@wendievergreen (link to post here) also decided to mix it up a bit animal-wise, and also landed on the maned wolf as an interesting non-wolf wolf option. It's also got ocelot features rather than leopard. I just really like the vibes here -- something about this art style is very charming to me. I'm not an art critic, so I can't elaborate on that. I would recommend clicking on the linked post, which has more information and also some tags I find quite funny.
On to the Aberdeen Bestiary!
... or not, actually. This is one of the folios missing from that manuscript, so the text actually came from Bodley MS 764, and we'll be taking the illustration from the Ashmole Bestiary.
That illustration doesn't help a whole lot, though it does also lean more feline, so we can get something there -- but I saw a number of comments saying that people had recognized it in the process of drawing, so it's probably no surprise that this is the lynx.
No, I don't know why people thought its urine turned into gemstones. Ask Pliny the Elder. (The supposed gemstone in question is called ligurius, by the way.)
I also don't know why the lynx in the Ashmole illustration appears to be having a staring contest with a ram... hold on, let me see something...
... okay, bestiary.ca doesn't have anything that explains that. It might just be an artistic decision. Things I did learn from bestiary.ca just now, though:
Ovid (yes, that Ovid) specified that the lynx's urine solidifies on contact with air, which means that those interesting questions (mostly along the lines of what is in that stuff) raised by CheapSweets's drawing are definitely still on the table.
Thomas of Cantimpre also says that the lynx has the hilarious combination of comic-book-style x-ray vision and a total inability to remember anything it's not currently looking at. So it can see through walls but just immediately forgets what it saw. I love that.
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So, the first thing me and my siblings did was look up animals that are called wolf, but are not actually wolves. Ideally one that medieval people would not have known about, so there's no chance I accidentally draw the exact animal. Sibling looked around and discovered that the maned wolf is known for having urine that smells like weed. Also, THC forms crystals.
Weed knowers may notice that my medieval marijuana does not have the right kind of flowers. The fruit and flowers are based on the wolf-apple, a belladonna cousin that makes up a very prominent percentage of the maned wolf's diet.
For the fur, I referenced the ocelot. Their range overlaps with the maned wolf, and their scientific name, Leopardus pardalis, suggests they might be the most pard of all.
A bit late again, but here's the Maniculum Bestiaryposting entry of the week: The Wimchlat!
This is what we learn about it:
"It is a beast marked with spots on its back like those of a pard, but it resembles a wolf: its urine is said to harden into a valuable jewel called [redacted]. The Wimchlats know that this is valuable, as is proved by the exceptional care with which they cover it with sand: they are naturally jealous, and cannot bear it to fall into the hands of man. Pliny says that Wimchlats only bear cubs once."
For this entry, I chose my favorite kind of wolf (not really a wolf, it's actually its own species): The maned wolf, or chrysocyon brachyurus. I added the pattern based on the bestiary entry, but they really do have the longest legs and the fluffiest ears!
This might be stretching the description a bit, but their urine is famous for smelling like weed, so I guess that would interest humans? Also, they have a plant named after them (the wolf apple), because they like to eat vegetables and spread the seeds around in their excrement. Close enough, I hope!
I am very excited to see what this one turns out to be; I would have guessed a hyena if we hadn't started this challenge with the Wutugald.
Hmmm a wolf like creature with spots on its back. I might know what animal it is...
At first, I thought of spotted hyenas, but the covering pee thing didn't make sense. And then it came to my mind that cats usually hide their excrements. After drawing big cat with wolf features, I realised what big cat it is but didn't want to change the drawing XD
Also, I never heard of the piss gemstone thing
This weeks description:
"It is a beast marked with spots on its back like those of a pard, but it resembles a wolf: its urine is said to harden into a valuable jewel called [redacted]. The Wimchlats know that this is valuable, as is proved by the exceptional care with which they cover it with sand: they are naturally jealous, and cannot bear it to fall into the hands of man. Pliny says that Wimchlats only bear cubs once."
My response to this weekβs BestiaryPosting challenge from @maniculum - thank you again for running these challenges!
Pencil sketch, then lines in Pentel brush pen. Another quick one this week, but I'm pretty happy with it :)
Reasoning below the cutβ¦
"It is a beast marked with spots on its back like those of a pard, but it resembles a wolf: its urine is said to harden into a valuable jewel called [redacted]. The Wimchlats know that this is valuable, as is proved by the exceptional care with which they cover it with sand: they are naturally jealous, and cannot bear it to fall into the hands of man. Pliny says that Wimchlats only bear cubs once."
We don't have a lot to go on, apart from that it resembles a wolf. I could have spend some time making it more 'wolf-like' but in the interest of expediency what we have here is mostly a wolf. We do have some rosette spots, like a leopard, which were really fun to draw, and one of the reasons I picked the brush pen again (plus I feel like I'm getting better at controlling the lines!).
Here we see a Wimchlat mid-creation of a valuable jewel :)
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On @pomrania's suggestion I've decided to start participating in The Maniculum's weekly Beastiaryposting, where they post entries from historical beastiaries with names and key details removed. This week:
"It is a beast marked with spots on its back like those of a pard, but it resembles a wolf: its urine is said to harden into a valuable jewel called [redacted]. The Wimchlats know that this is valuable, as is proved by the exceptional care with which they cover it with sand: they are naturally jealous, and cannot bear it to fall into the hands of man. Pliny says that Wimchlats only bear cubs once."
I have a suspicion I know what animal this is referring to but stuck to the description as much as I could.
It wasn't until I started putting on the spots that I realized I think I know what this week's Bestiary Posting creature is. It is funny how I went in blind and then through drawing it thought 'oh, it actually kind of looks like a creature I know'. Gonna be very curious if my guess is correct. I did change the spot pattern after realizing this, but everything else I left as it was.
The Wimchlat is said to resemble a wolf but has spots. The only other info given is that it's urine hardens into a jewel, which they cover in sand. That last bit put me in mind of hyraceum - the petrified urine of the hyrax. I don't think it looks much like a jewel, but as it's used in perfume making, it's valuable to some extent. So I decided to make my wimchlat a hyrax-type creature that has evolved into a more wolf-like form. Considering the hyrax's closet relatives are elephants and dugongs, why not throw a wolf-like cousin in there and round out that whole wacky family tree. So he's got little hoof-claws and big padded feet, as well as the hunched posture you see in hyraxes. For the wolf-ness, I looked at bushdogs, since that was the most hyrax-looking canine I could think of. He turned out quite a bit more fierce and wolf-like when I decided to draw him snarling though. Rest assured though, he is very dopey looking when not baring his tusks. Lastly for spots, I decided to look at mountain lion cubs for inspiration. Between the spots and the grippy hyrax-toes I think they look pretty suited for living in the mountains, sort of like a snow leopard. I also inadvertently made them very fluffy, because I like making things fluffy.
As a reminder, all previous entries in this series can be found at https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting .
It is a beast marked with spots on its back like those of a pard, but it resembles a wolf: its urine is said to harden into a valuable jewel called [redacted]. The Wimchlats know that this is valuable, as is proved by the exceptional care with which they cover it with sand: they are naturally jealous, and cannot bear it to fall into the hands of man. Pliny says that Wimchlats only bear cubs once.
Remember to tag posts with #Wimchlat so folks can find them.
