Читать книгу The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A–Z of Fantastic Beings from Myth and Magic - John Matthews - Страница 359

The Charadrius is a bird, a kind of white, unspotted plover. According to the Physiologus, it symbolizes the sinless incarnation of Christ. If one were brought to the bed of an invalid, it was able to predict life or death. It had the ability to look into the face of the sick and draw out illness by flying up to the sun with the residue of the disease so that it might be melted by the solar flames. In the late Middle Ages, it was associated with jaundice, which was considered to be a royal or courtly disease caused by too much rich living. In missals and Psalters, the Charadrius was often depicted as the bird that cures spiritual blindness or indifference, such as in the case of Saul, who was smitten with temporary physical blindness and spiritual illumination on the Damascus road, after which he changed his name to Paul, later becoming St Paul.