Reproduction of apes from the bestiary Ashmole 1511, folio 18v. Made on vellum, using white egg tempera, mineral pigments and 24 karat gold leaf for the background. It depicts the story about the nature of apes.

This particular scene depicts a mother — who bore twins — fleeing a hunter. She carries her most loved child in her arms, while the one she hates clings to her back. However, when she becomes tired, she will drop the one she loves to run on all fours.

The ape in medieval literature

Apes rarely appear to feature in medieval literature. Mónica Ann Walker Vadillo confirms this, writing that “from the 13th to the 16th centuries, most of the representations of apes appeared in the margins of manuscripts” (source). This leaves us limited to the descrption of apes that we can read from the few passages on them in Bodley 764:

“Their nature is such that if a mother bears twins, she will love one and hate the other. If she happens to be pursued by hunters, she will clasp the one she loves in front of her and carry the one she hates on her back. But when she is weary of running upright, the willingly drops the one she loves, and unwillingly carries the one she hates on her back.”

“Barber, Richard; “BESTIARY”, The Boydell Press, 1993 (p.49)”

The Bible doesn’ t provide any additional information, which only contains a single reference of them. And, in this case, it is specific to luxury goods imported by king Somon:

“as being made of gold, silver, ivory and peacocks among precious things imported by Solomon”

1 Kings 10:22; or 2 Chronicles 9:21