Peace and Wrath: the Beaver and the Bear
Two bestiary allegories on making peace and on self-defeating rage
A mirror-script page of Leonardo's moral bestiary with two allegories. Peace is figured by the beaver, which, hunted for its medicinal testicles and unable to flee, bites them off with its sharp teeth and leaves them to its pursuers to buy peace. Wrath is figured by the bear robbing a beehive, which, stung by the bees, abandons the honey and tries to avenge itself on all of them, avenging itself on none, until its anger turns to helpless rage.
On this page
Pace: the beaver that surrenders its prize for peace
Of the beaver one reads that when pursued, knowing the chase is for the virtue of its medicinal testicles and being unable to flee further, it stops and, to have peace with the hunters, bites off its testicles with its sharp teeth and leaves them to its enemies. Sacrificing the coveted prize secures its safety.
Ira: the bear whose vengeance turns to rage
When the bear goes to the houses of the bees to take their honey, the bees begin to sting it, so it leaves the honey and runs to take revenge. Wishing to avenge itself on all that bite it, it avenges itself on none, so that its wrath turns into rage, and it throws itself on the ground flailing hands and feet, defending itself in vain.
