Bestiary: the Eagle and the Lumerpa
The renewing eagle and the ever-shining bird Lumerpa (fame)
Two bestiary entries occupy this page of Notebook H. The eagle, grown old, flies so high it burns its feathers and renews its youth by plunging into a little water; it tests its young by making them gaze at the sun and always leaves part of its prey. The second entry describes the Lumerpa, emblem of fame, born in Greater Asia, which shines so strongly that it casts away its own shadows and keeps its light even in death. The page carries only Leonardo's mirror-script prose, with no drawing.
On this page
The eagle that renews its youth
When old, the eagle flies so high that it burns its feathers, and nature lets it renew its youth by falling into a little water. It will not feed young that cannot hold their gaze on the sun; animals fear it greatly, yet it harms them not, and it always leaves the remainder of its prey.
The Lumerpa: emblem of fame
The Lumerpa is born in Greater Asia and shines so strongly that it removes its own shadows. In dying it does not lose that light, its feathers never fall, and any feather plucked from it shines no more.