Satyrus (also known as callitrix or cericopithicus) is a species of ape described in some medieval bestiaries. It is said to always give birth to twins. Of these twins, it hates one, but loves the other. The ape is also described as lively and having a pleasant face. The satyrus was one of many creatures from folklore included in early editions of

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, ...

' ''

Systema Naturae ' (originally in Latin written ' with the ligature æ) is one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) and introduced the Linnaean taxonomy. Although the system, now known as binomial nom ...

'', alongside other

legendary creature A legendary creature (also mythical or mythological creature) is a type of fictional entity, typically a hybrid, that has not been proven and that is described in folklore (including myths and legends), but may be featured in historical accou ...

s, under the

wastebasket taxon Wastebasket taxon (also called a wastebin taxon, dustbin taxon or catch-all taxon) is a term used by some taxonomists to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically define ...

of ''

Animalia Paradoxa ' ( Latin for "contradictory animals"; ''cf.'' paradox) are the mythical, magical or otherwise suspect animals mentioned in the first five editions of Carl Linnaeus's seminal work ' under the header "''Paradoxa''". It lists fantastic creature ...

''. In translation, Linnaeus is quoted as saying that the satyrus is "hairy, bearded, with a manlike body, gesticulating much, very fallacious, is a species of monkey, if ever one has been seen."

Sources

bestiary.ca
''The medieval bestiary''

References

Medieval European legendary creatures Legendary mammals Fictional apes Mythological monkeys {{legendary-creature-stub