The Manticore
The manticore was a legendary creature from ancient Persian mythology which featured strongly in medieval bestiaries and heraldry (MB 2025). The name is derived from the old Persian word meaning ‘man eater’ as it was believed that it avidly hunted human flesh (White 1954:52). It was believed that it possessed the body of a lion with the face of a man and a tail ending in a scorpion’s sting (MB 2025). It was said to have three rows of teeth and its call was described as a shrill trumpeting. In some examples, the thick-maned and long-bearded manticore was depicted wearing a Phrygian cap.
Manticore depicted wearing a Phrygian cap and holding a severed human leg in its mouth (c13th century). Bodlelian Library MS. 764, fol. 25r. Public domain. Wikicommons.
‘The Manticore may have had a supernatural ancestry, derived from an eastern hieroglyphic, god or sculpture, such as the man-headed bulls of Assyria’ (known as the Lamassu) (White 1954)
Lamassu sculpture, Museum of Lost Objects: The Winged Bull of Nineveh © BBC News
Ctesias, Indica 5th century BC
The earliest account of the manticore comes from Ctesias, a Greek physician and writer of the 5th century BC, who worked at the Persian court during the Achaemenid dynasty. Ctesias based his report on the testimonies of his Persian-speaking informants who had travelled to India. Originally from Knidos, a Greek city in what is now south-western Turkey, it is likely that he practiced medicine as an Asclepiad (AM 2019).
Indica was the first Greek-language description of the lands, people, animals and plants east of Persia, almost a century before reports would come back from Alexander’s expedition. The book circulated widely. It contained fantastic tales about the strangeness of the lands to the east at the end of the earth. The bestiary he introduced to the Greek world and ultimately to ours, included his description of the manticore and the unicorn (AM 2019).
Aristotle, History of Animals (mid-4th century BC)
Originally thought to be a ‘true’ account of the fauna of distant lands, Aristotle thought that Ctesias’ account was somewhat dubious,
“Animals differ according to place. In certain places, some animals do not exist at all; in some places, they do exist, but they are smaller, or shorter-lived, or they do not thrive. And in India, as Ctesias — who isn’t worth believing — says, there are neither wild nor tame pigs, but massive bloodless [animals] all covered in scales.”
Aristotle, History of Animals 8.28, 605b22-606a10
Regarding the Manticore itself,
“There is such a thing, if we must trust Ctesias. He says that the beast among the Indians, whose name is ‘martichora,’ has triple-rows of teeth on both sides. In size, he says it is as big as a lion, equally hairy, and having smaller feet. Its face and ears are human-like, its eyes shining blue, its colour like cinnabar. Its tail is similar to that of a land-scorpion, and in it, it has a stinger and it can shoot the spines like arrows. Its cry is like the sound of a shepherd’s-pipe and a war-trumpet at the same time, and it runs as quickly as a deer. It is savage and a man-eater.”
Aristotle, History of Animals 2.1, 501a24-b1
(AM 2019).
Scaliger’s edition of History of Animals with his commentary, published by Raymond Colomiez, Toulouse, 1619. Public domain, Wikicommons.
Paradoxically, it was Aristotle’s sceptical entry which aided and perpetuated the legend to travel into medieval Europe, despite his misgivings of the veracity of Ctesias’ claims.
By the time of Pliny’s ‘Aethiopian Beasts’ in Naturalis Historia (c. AD 77) the belief that the beast could be found in Africa only confused the picture further. It only the Greek traveller and geographer Pausanius (c. AD 110-180) who believed that Ctesias had greatly exaggerated an eye-witness account of a tiger being brought from India to a Persian court.
Medieval Bestiaries
During the Middle Ages, the manticore was a favourite feature of bestiaries, sometimes symbolising the doom-predicting Hebrew prophet Jeremiah (c.650-570 BC). Depictions of the manticore can be found on the Hereford Mappa Mundi (a medieval map of the known world), where it is shown facing a tiger. A mural in Runkelstein Castle (located in Tyrol, Italy) features a mural that depicts one of King Arthur’s knights confronting a manticore and another animal (a lion or leopard) (Miate 2022).
The Rochester Bestiary (c. AD 1230) is a richly illuminated manuscript copy of a medieval bestiary, describing a large number of familiar and exotic animals, both real and legendary. The manuscript is usually assumed to have been made at St. Andrew’s Priory at Rochester Cathedral (Maceletti 2025).
The Rochester Bestiary (London, British Library, Royal MS 12 F.xiii). Detail of a miniature of a manticore, with the head of a man and the body of a lion; folio 24v. Public domain, Wikicommons.
In medieval bestiaries, the animals’ characteristics were frequently allegorised to allow for the insertion of a Christian moral as it reflected the belief that the world itself was the Word of God. Therefore, the bestiary contained the symbolic language of animals in Western Christian art and literature. In the medieval moral code, ‘the manticore represented envy, tyranny and the embodiment of evil but also sinful desires: its insatiable appetite for human flesh was interpreted as a symbol of sinful desires and the dangers of giving in to hedonistic or immoral behaviour. This allegory emphasized the importance of resisting such temptations’ (Maceletti 2025).
The manticore’s hybrid nature, combining features of different creatures, was sometimes seen as a symbol of moral confusion or lack of a clear moral foundation. It served as a cautionary tale about the consequences of straying from virtuous paths (Maceletti 2025).
Descriptions of the legendary beast persisted into the early modern period in Europe.
In 1607, Edward Topsell’s description of the manticore in ‘The History of Four-Footed Beasts & Serpents’ had not varied much from Ctesias’:
….’bred among the Indians, having a treble rowe of teeth beneath and above, whose greatnesse, roughnesse, and feete are like a Lyons, his face and eares like unto a mans, his eies grey, and collour red, his taile like the taile of a Scorpion of the earth, armed with a sting, casting forth sharp pointed quills, his voice like the voice of a small trumpet or pipe, being in course as swift as a Hart; His wildnes such as can never be tamed, and his appetite is especially to the flesh of man. His body like the body of a Lyon, being very apt both to leape and to run, so as no distance or space doth hinder him,.. ‘
The Manticore from Edward Topsell’s ‘The History of Four-Footed Beasts & Serpents’ 1607.
It was published more than thirty years after its author’s death and is considered to be the first major illustrated work on animals printed in English. It is an epic treatise on zoology which exceeds a thousand pages, exploring ancient and fantastic tales of real animals, as well as those at the more legendary end of the spectrum, including the “Hydra” the “Lamia” and the “Mantichora” with a lion’s body and mane, man’s face and hair, and a grotesque grin, filled with multiple rows of teeth (PDR 2000).
Manticore or “Martigora”.Johannes Jonston (1650) Historiae Naturalis Copperplate engraving by Matthäus Merian. Courtesy of The Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering & Technology. Public domain, Wikicommons
Heraldry
The image of the manticore (sometimes referred to as mantiger) were used in heraldry, from the late High Middle Ages and well into the modern period. It is claimed that the manticore first appeared in English heraldry in c. 1470, as the badge of William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings, through to the 16th century
Manticore badge of William, Lord Hastings, c.1470 English: Heraldic badge of William Lord Hastings. Source from a collection of ink drawings, c.1466–70, of heraldic badges Unknown author. Public domain, Wikicommons.
Manticora were usually depicted with the head of a man and the body of a heraldic lion, or as an old man’s head with flowing beard and hair and two spiral horns. However, on Lord Fitzwalter’s badge the feet are human feet and there are no horns. The supporters of Lord Huntington’s arms have no horns and had evolved into man-lions (Brooke-Little 1973: 143).
Two Graffiti Manticores at All Saints, North Cerney, Gloucestershire
It is unusual to find graffiti of mythical beasts, perhaps due to the tools often used by graffitists – usually an ordinary pointed metal blade or small paring knife which do not lend themselves to incising complex shapes or small details. Much of the known church graffiti utilises geometric shapes (achievable through strokes of slashes) or via circles, executed using a set of dividers.
There are allegedly two manticores incised into the walls of All Saints’ Church in North Cerney Gloucestershire. At least that is what they have become recognised as, even by Historic England. One of the manticores is etched into the masonry on the exterior of the 15th century Lady Chapel and there second is on the exterior of the tower. The date of this manticore is not known, but it may be from the 15th or 16th century, perhaps represents masons’ graffiti (Historic England 2025a).
The first of the two appears to have a human head and hands (rather than lion’s paws) and may be wearing a hat of some sort – possibly an attempt to replicate the Phyrigian cap (?), unless it is meant to represent hair or a mane. Its face appears human. It’s rear legs (much like that of a horse) end in what look more like hooves, giving it the look of a Centaur. The tail is flat and wide like that of a beaver.
Manticore of the exterior of the Lady chapel, All Saints, North Cerney, Glos. Photo: © W Perkins 2024.
Although much weathered it is just possible to trace the Manticore of the exterior of the Lady chapel, All Saints, North Cerney, Glos. Photo: © W Perkins 2024.
Detail of the face on the Manticore of the exterior of the Lady chapel, All Saints, North Cerney, Glos. Photo: © W Perkins 2024.
The form still represents a ‘composite’ creature and bears some of the traits associated with bestiary Manticores. There is nothing to suggest that the graffito has anything whatsoever to do with the stone masons as suggested in the Historic England entry but it has to post-date (terminus post quem) the building of the Lady Chapel, as the design cuts through several blocks and mortar beds.
The use of a Centaur in what we have to presume was an allegorical context would not be so unusual, as 14th-century Italian poet Dante used them as guardians in the Seventh Circle of Hell of his Inferno (Canto XII, Ring 1: Against neighbours), shooting arrows into any who move to a shallower spot than their allotted station.
Anonimo fiorentino, Dante e Virgilio osservano i centauri che uccidono i tiranni nel Flegetonte (Inferno XII), ca. 1390-1400, Vat.lat. 4776, B.A.V., Città del Vaticano. Public domain, Wikicommons, photo: Sailko
Another possible interpretation to entertain – given that the creature depicted at North Cerney possesses hind legs (but lacks the front ones) – is that the creature is an onocentaur.* There is something unsettlingly awkward about the gait and posture about this creature. As it lacks the centaur’s front legs which provide a sense of stability and symmetry, there is something unfeasibly off-balance about the onocentaur.
The beast was said to have had the upper body of a man and the lower part of an onager (wild ass), that it had an ashen colour and possessed large teats which stood out on its chest (Meyboom 1994). Its hybrid form belied its two-part nature of the hypocrite. It was sometimes depicted alongside a siren in Christian bestiaries and in this context it symbolised lust (Badke 2025).
The depiction of a second possible Manticore at All Saints, North Cerney shares some of the artistic traits of the former, so is likely to have been created by the same artist. Both depict the body in profile but with the head face-on to the viewer. However, in this version the front legs end in what appear to be claws and the tail looks more like that of a tiger’s or a leopard (unlike the lion’s tail which ends in a hairy tuft, a characteristic which may have led to it being interpreted as a scorpion’s sting).
The main departure for this rendering is its attitude which resembles the passant guardant of heraldic lions with its tongue extended, right paw raised. However, no attempt has been made to include any leonine features and it is unusual in that the tail curls up under the hind quarters.
Second possible Manticore at All Saints, North Cerney, Glos. Photo: © W Perkins 2024.
The second Manticore bears more resemblance to the conventions employed when depicting a heraldic lion. All Saints, North Cerney, Glos.
Example taken from Fox-Davies, A C (1909) A Complete Guide to Heraldry.
‘The true heraldic lion, according to French authors, is always to be represented in profile, or, as the ancient heralds say, showing but one eye and one ear. His attitude, also, should always be rampant or ravaging. When passant and full-faced, they blazoned him a leopard, vide Lion Leopardé: in England, however, the lions in the royal and other achievements have always been blazoned as lions, however depicted since the time of Henry III, in whose reign they were called “Leopards”. Lion Leopardé … is a French term for what the English call a Lion passant gardant. The word leopard is always made use of by the French heralds to express in their language, a lion full-faced, or gardant. Thus, when a lion is placed on an escutcheon in that attitude which we call rampant gardant, the French blazon it a Lion Leopardé. When he is passant only, they call him leopard lioné’ (Clark 1829: 156).
Example taken from the Archaeological Resource website.
Lions, in Christian art, typify the resurrection of the Redeemer; because, according to an oriental fable, the lion’s cub was born dead, and in three days its sire licked it into life. The lion also typifies solitude, and is therefore the attribute of hermits; and as the type of fortitude and resolution it was placed at the feet of martyrs. In Heraldry, the lion couchant represents sovereignty; rampant, magnanimity; passant, resolution; guardant, prudence; saliant, valour; seiant, counsel; and regardant, circumspection (AR 2025).
The Manticore at the church of St Margaret of Antioch’s in Lower Halstow, Kent
The mythical creature cut into the plaster of the south pier in the church of St Margaret of Antioch’s in Lower Halstow, Kent is also depicted in profile as with the second example at North Cerney. The head is also turned face-on to the viewer, suggesting that both the depictions were at least derived from heraldic examples. However, much of the design is different to the two at North Cerney.
Plan of St Margaret’s from Victoria County History © British History online.
The church of St Margaret of Antioch, Lower Halstow, Swale, Kent. Photo: © W Perkins 2024.
An attempt has been made to show the hair and possibly a flowing beard, although the marks could easily be interpreted as ‘scales.’ Unfortunately, the front legs have been almost obscured by plaster patching. The tail curves back along the back and is raised like the ‘passant’ version of heraldic lion.
The Manticore at Lower Halstow which is cut into the plaster of the south pier. Interestingly, it is part of a much larger palimpsest of motifs, many of which are apotropaics. The are a number of devotional crosses (in blue), the profile of a male head (in red), a saltire (in blue) and a ‘faux’ daisy wheel where someone has attempted to draw a six- petal rosette without a compass. Of even greater interest is the huge six-petal rosette (bottom right) along with a couple of ‘satellite’ circles. Photo: © W Perkins 2025.
A large six-petal rosette (known also as a daisy wheel) c.60cm in diameter! Note two simple, Type 1a circles top left and a devotional Latin cross cut into the quoin on the right. Photo: © W Perkins 2025.
The Manticore design is part of a much more complex palimpsest of graffiti symbols which includes the profile of a human face, several devotional crosses and a number of compass-drawn circles. Of the latter, there are two simple circles (Type 1a) which are overlapping a huge six-petal rosette (formerly referred to as a daisy wheel or hexafoil). The circles are normally interpreted as possessing an apotropaic function (Perkins 2022). It asks the question as to whether the Manticore was believed to have played a similar role.
In conclusion, it is difficult to say why a Manticore was chosen as the subject by the graffitist at Lower Halstow as there is no suggestion in the panel to suggest that it was part of the official decoration. Elsewhere, the church has a number of vivid wall paintings on a variety of religious subjects. Although pictorially it features some of the conventions of heraldry, it does not sufficient detail to suggest that that was its intended function. It appears as part of much greater range of graffiti motifs, some apparently devotional and the motivation for the others is much harder to fathom. It is located within other, known apotropaic motifs so it may have been added to ward off evil but that was not the over-riding characteristic (or purpose) of the image of the Manticore. Perhaps, then, it is rendering of a half-remembered creature from a bestiary which was meant to function as a reminder and as a ‘moral lesson’ for those members of the congregation who may have been prone to sinful desires or indulging in immoral behaviour.
Wayne Perkins BA, ACIfA
London, 9th August 2025
* Thanks to my good friend Jeremy Harte for making this excellent suggestion. Jeremy is a folklorist, writer and a gentleman.
P.S. I will be talking on the subject of the Manticore – along with the graffiti found in the churches in the Lower Halstow area – on the 26th August 2025
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