Yale or Centicore
The Yale, also known as a centicore, is a creature often found in medieval European mythology and heraldry. The Yale is described as a large, goat-like beast with long horns capable of swiveling to any point it chooses. It would even fold the forms up when not in use. It is also said to have a long tail.
The first descriptions of the Yale were written by Pliny in Natural History. He described the Eale as a creature found in Ethiopia. He described: “it is the size of the river-horse, has the tail of the elephant, and is of a black or tawny colour. It has also the jaws of the wild boar, and horns that are moveable, and more than a cubit in length, so that, in fighting, it can employ them alternately, and vary their position by presenting them directly or obliquely, according as necessity may dictate.”
So what inspired this horned creature?
The name Yale is believed to be derived from the Hebrew word יָעֵל (Yael), meaning “mountain goat” or “ibex.”
An ibex is a wild goat, distinguished by the male’s large recurved horns. They are found in Eurasia, North Africa, and East Africa. The animals can grow over 1 m tall and weigh up to 120 kg. They live around 20 years.
The walia ibex is an endangered species of ibex, living in the mountains of Ethiopia. These animals live in herds ranging from 5 to 20 animals. Older mature males are more solitary, though they return to the herds for breeding purposes.
The herds live in very steep, rocky cliff areas between 2,500 and 4,500 m high. Their diet includes bushes, herbs, lichens, shrubs, and grasses. They can often be seen standing on their hind legs to get young shoots of trees.
Like many other animals that have inspired mythological creatures, the walia ibex is endangered. Its population has been severally reduced due to habitat loss, poaching, and restricted range. Only around 500 individuals survived in Ethiopia in 2004.
While the Walia Ibex is struggling to survive, the myth they inspired is still going strong. The yale has been used in European heraldry for centuries. The yale represents characteristics of bravery in action and peace. Its image has been used by England’s House of Beaufort (Margaret Beaufort was the mother of King Henry VII, first Tudor of England).
Today the image of the Yale can be found in coat of arms on and around the campus of Yale University. While their official mascot is a bulldog named Handsome Dan, the mythical beast represents intellectual curiosity and inquiry and is carried during commencement.
Sources:
Amin, Nathen. “The Wars of the Roses: York v Beaufort?”, History Extra, The official website for BBC History Magazine and BBC World Histories Magazine. Accessed 25 October 2018.
Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth, (2000) New York City: W.W. Norton.
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). IBEX. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved January 7, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/animal/ibex
Selamta.net. (n.d.). Walia Ibex. Walia ibex. Retrieved January 7, 2023, from http://www.selamta.net/ibex.htm
Themonsterblogofmonsters. (2014, March 11). The monster blog of monsters. Tumblr. Retrieved January 7, 2023, from https://themonsterblogofmonsters.tumblr.com/post/79217003015/yale-or-centicore-enemy-of-the-cockatrice-and
Yale. Monster Wiki. (n.d.). Retrieved January 7, 2023, from https://monster.fandom.com/wiki/Yale
