King François 1er, the dominant figure in France at the time of the Renaissance, saw the amphibian called la salamandre as the symbol of his role as a monarch. The salamandre was seen as a magical and legendary creature. It lives in water. It lives on land. And it was thought to feed on fire and escape easily from it without getting burned. Below my photo is an explanation in French that I found here.
Au Moyen Âge, la salamandre investit le bestiaire des animaux magiques et légendaires. En plus de pouvoir vivre aussi bien sur terre que dans l'eau, on lui donnait également la faculté de résister aux flammes. La salamandre maîtrisait donc tous les éléments et prenait un caractère mythique.
Cette croyance surnaturelle a pourtant une explication bien rationnelle.
La salamandre hiberne souvent dans des souches d’arbres. Lorsque ceux-ci étaient débités pour servir de bois de chauffage ou de cuisine, la salamandre réveillée par la chaleur jaillissait du feu. Protégée quelques instants par la couche humide de sa peau, elle ne s’enflammait pas.
Ainsi sont nés les pouvoirs magiques de la salamandre !
That's crazy about how salamanders can escape the burn of the flames, at least if they move quickly enough!
ReplyDeleteIt was all legend, superstition, and supposition in the Middle Ages, I guess.
DeleteI once found a salamander in creek near my house and brought it home. My mother wasn't happy about that! They are unusual creatures, their slime must offer some protection from fire.
ReplyDeleteWe had salamanders in the back yard at one place where we lived in San Francisco. I don't think I had ever seen one before then.
DeleteI've seen them growing up - but I never brought one home! Now I know souches d'arbres!
ReplyDelete