van der Stradanus, Cranes Catching Snakes, n.d., engraving on paper, 8 1/16 in. x 10 11/16 in. (20.4 cm. x 27.2 cm.), Two hunters shielded by a tree witness a fierce battle of storks against snakes. Royal menageries in 16th century Europe featured bloody spectacles of interspecies fights to the death between exotic beasts, such as tigers and elephants. The bird and snake combat recorded in 1st c. Roman Pliny's Natural History, book 10, is described as taking place in Thessaly, Greece, where laws protected storks because of their snake-slaying potency. The Latin verse on the print locates the scene in Apulia, the 'heel' of the boot of Italy:'Vast Appulia nourishes the scaly snakes.The crane and the stork attack their offspring.Here they wage a bitter war with beak and bite....'In modern day Puglia, the common leopard rat snake bears spots like those seen in the print.In ancient times storks were seen as models of parental devotion, and in northern Europe a stork nesting on one's chimney (seen on the right) is sign of good luck.
Keywords:
van der Stradanus, Cranes Catching Snakes, n.d., engraving, paper, 8 1/16 . x 10 11/16, 20.4 cm. x 27.2 cm., Two hunters shielded, tree witness, fierce battle, storks, snakes. Royal menageries, 16th century Europe featured bloody spectacles, interspecies fights, death, exotic beasts, tigers, elephants., bird, snake combat recorded, 1st c. Roman Pliny's Natural History, book 10, described, taking place, Thessaly, Greece, laws protected storks, snake-slaying potency., Latin verse, print locates, scene, Apulia, 'heel', boot, Italy, 'Vast Appulia nourishes, scaly snakes. crane, stork attack, offspring., wage, bitter war, beak, bite....' modern day Puglia, common leopard rat snake bears spots, print. ancient times storks, models, parental devotion, northern Europe, stork nesting, 's chimney, right, sign, good luck
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