Draconcopedes

The medieval Latin term draconcopedes is a beast mentioned in some medieval zoologies.

Vincent of Beauvais (c.1190–1264) describes this beast as a vast serpentine creature with the head, face and breasts of a woman.^[1] In the Speculum naturale:^[2] Draconcopedes serpentes magni sunt, et potentes, facies virgineas habentes humanis similes, in draconum corpus desinentes.

Albertus Magnus (c.1200-1280) in his On Animals:

DRACONCOPEDES: The draconcopedes are what the Greeks call a large serpent of the third class and of the dragon genus which, they say, has the maidenly face of an unbearded man.

Charles Dickens, in his Household Words, Volume 12, 1855, cites Bede as his source that this is the describes this is "the serpent with a women's head which tempted Eve."

References

Notes

1. ^ Matthews, John & Caitlin (2005). The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures. Harper Collins. p. 173. ISBN 0007208731. 
2. ^ Speculum naturale, XX.33 (Vol. I, Col. 1478 in the Douai edition of 1624, noted by J.K. Bonnell, "The Serpent with a Human Head in Art and in Mystery Play", American Journal of Archaeology 1917; see also J.M. Steadma,n "'Sin' and the Serpent of Genesis 3 'Paradise Lost', II, 650-53", Modern Philology, 1957.