St Martha's tarasque
The fearsome tarasque - a mythical animal belonging to the Golden Legend tale of St Martha of Tarascon. The beast was gradually consuming members of the population when they strayed into the local woods but, according to the story, St Martha ventured into the wood alone, refused to kill the animal and , instead, fastened her girdle round its neck and tamed it.
The original tale in the Golden Legend describes it as being, 'half beast, half fish, greater than an ox, longer than a horse... a head like a lion, tail like a serpent'.
A rather different version was presented in Charles Causley's poem, 'Martha and the Dragon' in which,
'It's head is a tiger
A lion its jaw
On six human feet
Are nailed the bear's claw
As strong as a jail
Are the spikes on its shell
Its tail a stout timber
No woodman can fell'.
Take your pick or invent your own version - it seems to be infinitely transmutable.
St Martha's tarasque
The fearsome tarasque - a mythical animal belonging to the Golden Legend tale of St Martha of Tarascon. The beast was gradually consuming members of the population when they strayed into the local woods but, according to the story, St Martha ventured into the wood alone, refused to kill the animal and , instead, fastened her girdle round its neck and tamed it.
The original tale in the Golden Legend describes it as being, 'half beast, half fish, greater than an ox, longer than a horse... a head like a lion, tail like a serpent'.
A rather different version was presented in Charles Causley's poem, 'Martha and the Dragon' in which,
'It's head is a tiger
A lion its jaw
On six human feet
Are nailed the bear's claw
As strong as a jail
Are the spikes on its shell
Its tail a stout timber
No woodman can fell'.
Take your pick or invent your own version - it seems to be infinitely transmutable.