Parandrus
Also called Parandus, Parander.
The Parandrus is a beast of the medieval bestiaries, ox-sized with a stag's antlers and a bear's shaggy coat, which escapes hunters by taking on the colour of whatever it stands among.
At a glance
- Tradition
- European folklore (general)
- Region
- Africa (place of origin)
- Trait family
- The Lurking Hunters
Near this figure
Symbols
Judged against the description by a model. Meanings are our own paraphrase.
- Bear bears image-domain The bear denotes massive ambivalent strength, at once violent and noble, revered as the fierce nursing mother and fixed in the heavens about the pole.
why
The Parandrus is a beast of the medieval bestiaries, ox-sized with a stag's antlers and a bear's shaggy coat, which escapes hunters by taking on the colour of whatever it stands among.
- Deer bears Deer imagery denotes swiftness, renewal, meditation, gentleness, divine messages, longevity, rank, and wealth, but can also signify lovesickness, solitude, or melancholy.
why
As with most bestiary animals the question of what lies behind it — a reindeer, an elk, an ordinary deer seen through several layers of retelling — is raised by commentators and not settled.
Traits
Read from the figure's description, which a model wrote. Open "why" for the sentence a trait came from.
Form
- Hybrid of multiple animals
why
ox-sized with a stag's antlers and a bear's shaggy coat
Behaviour
- Camouflages with octopus-like abilities
why
It is placed in Ethiopia, given the size of an ox, the branching horns of a stag, the coat of a bear, and a deep colour; and its distinguishing property is that when frightened it changes to match its surroundings, becoming white like snow, green like foliage, or whatever else is near. This puts it in a small group of bestiary animals defined by concealment rather than by ferocity or virtue.
Defensive powers
- Camouflage
why
It is placed in Ethiopia, given the size of an ox, the branching horns of a stag, the coat of a bear, and a deep colour; and its distinguishing property is that when frightened it changes to match its surroundings, becoming white like snow, green like foliage, or whatever else is near. This puts it in a small group of bestiary animals defined by concealment rather than by ferocity or virtue.