ABSTRACT
ACCORDING to Jorath, the whale’s land characteristics predominate over those of water, for when it becomes old it gathers roots, shrubs, and trees on its back, which grow and propagate there. 1 In this connection the blessed Jerome says that whales and turtles rise up so prominently through their vast size that they can serve as islands where ships may ride at anchor. 2 This last statement is confirmed by the sea-voyage of St Brendan, the British abbot, which lasted a whole seven years. In the lives of the saints it is remembered how he and his companions came upon a giant fish called Jason. Persuading themselves that this was an island, they disembarked and kindled a fire on it, but as soon as they perceived the fish move, they promptly flew to their boat and just managed to save their lives the moment the creature dived. At Brendan’s bidding all the other fish rose above the sea’s surface and praised God in a resounding chorus. 3 In case anyone in hasty judgment should reject such accounts as unlikely, he should pay attention to Plato’s words: ‘We ought not to cast doubt on the writings set out in books belonging to holy shrines,’ as Albertus, too, suggests in Bk XXIII when dealing with the Arabian phoenix. 4
