deorce-grǣg

deorce-grǣg, adj: dark grey. (DEH-or-chuh-GRAIE / ˈdɛɔr-tʃə-ˌgræːj)

Medieval manuscript image of a dark grey elephant in profile, realistically detailed with a wrinkled trunk and a skin flap partially covering the tusk, with one of its forelegs tied to a stake in the ground; beside the elephant is the outline of a disembodied second trunk, as if the artist made a first attempt and then started again.
Matthew Paris, Liber additamentorum; England (St Albans), 1250s; British Library, Cotton MS Nero D I, f. 169v. [bl.uk]

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.