3 The Dracontopede

A female-headed serpent commonly seen in medieval depictions of the biblical Fall of Man. Described as virgin-faced by the twelfth-century theologian Peter Comestor, the dracontopede was often shown sporting a crown or elaborate hairstyle, which reflected Eve’s pride and pursuit of sovereignty. The beautiful head was also used to explain how the Edenic serpent could talk. It represented the wiles of the devil and the danger of pride.

4 The Centaur

Another popular creature acquired from Classical mythology. In addition to representing the astrological sign of Sagittarius, the centaur symbolised a paradoxical range of ideas from intelligence, healing and strength, to lust and duplicity. Its hybrid form captured the struggle between rational and base behaviour. Centaurs and onocentaurs (part-human, part ass) often look the same in medieval art, but the allegory of the onocentaur was more limited in its association with lust and hypocrisy.