Of Beasts and Saints: The Taming of Wild Animals Through Theosis
Of Beasts and Saints: The Taming of Wild Animals Through Theosis
A collection of stories of great saints and their animal companions.
There are many stories throughout the lives of the Saints which tell of the most dangerous beasts being tamed as companions. Whether it be lions, bears or birds, these beasts tamed themselves before the great saints who achieved a spiritual state which restores man’s relationship with the created order. This is what the Church Fathers refer to as theosis or deification, a transformational process that goes beyond simply restoring people to their state prior to the fall, because Christ united the human and divine nature through the incarnation. By partaking in the Eucharist as the fruit of the tree of life, man is able to become even more like God than Adam and Eve. Vladamir Lossky wrote that Christ would have become incarnate for this reason alone, even if Adam and Eve had not sinned.1
The concept of theosis is very prevalent throughout patristic writings, found as early as St. Iranaeus (130-202) where he wrote in his famous Against Heresies, “the Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who did, through His transcendent love, become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself."2 Similarly, St Athanasius of Alexandria famously wrote in his work On the Incarnation, “God became man so that man might become god”. Justin Martyr insisted that in the beginning men "were made like God, free from suffering and death," and that they are thus "deemed worthy of becoming gods and of having power to become sons of the highest."3
But what is it about achieving a state of theosis that causes wild animals to become docile at the feet of of these holy people? Perhaps it is because the animals not only do not fear those in theosis, but perceive them as benefactors in a pre-fallen state. Here are just some of the great saints and their animal companions.
St Seraphim of Sarov and his bear Misha
St. Seraphim is famous for his close relationship with wild bears. On one occasion the Abbess Alexandra and a nun named Anna went to visit the Elder. “Without stopping at the Monastery we went straight to the hermitage, and on approaching it, we saw Father sitting on a log. Suddenly an enormous bear walked out of the wood on its hind legs.
“Our hands became clammy, our eyes grew dim. Then Father said, ‘Misha, why do you frighten my orphans? Better go back and bring us some kind of consolation, as I have nothing to offer them.’ The bear turned around and went off into the forest. About two hours had passed with the nuns having a wonderful conversation with Father Seraphim in his cabin, when the same bear suddenly appeared again, and scrambled clumsily into the cell and growled. Father Seraphim went up to him and said, ‘Well, well, Misha, show me what you have brought us?’ The bear rose on its hind legs and gave Father something wrapped in leaves. The contents of the parcel turned out to be a fresh honeycomb. The Elder took the honey and silently pointed to the door. The beast seemed to make a bow and the Elder, taking a bit of bread out of his bag, gave it to him, and the bear wandered off into the forest.”4 Saint Seraphim showed the nuns that he who is sanctified lives in peace with all creation, just as Adam did before the Fall.5
St. Paisios and his frog Bayum
St Paisios had a pet frog, Bayum, and together they would "sing psalms" and do prostations together in front of a large wooden cross every evening. Metropolitan Amfilohije, then hieromonk at Athos, tells a story of his encounter with Elder Paisios and Bayum:
Then Elder Paisios said to me "Are you a monk? Then, be obedient. Here, my Bayum is more obedient than you." I asked him in surprise who Bayum was, because I knew that there was not a single person there. Then he showed me a rose bush, which he planted there. He went there, stood in front of the bush and said: "Come, Bayum, show this distrustful Amfilohije what true obedience is."
As the ground around the bush was freshly dug and soft, it began to rise and suddenly a frog came out. Then he said to the frog: "Now return, Bayum, to your place, and in the evening go to pray." I was surprised and asked him how Bayum was praying. He explained to me that the frog goes in front of a large wooden cross in the evening, which was there, to "sing psalms".
On the same day, as soon as the sun set I saw a frog in front of the cross croaking: "Krekeke, krekeke". He came jumping and stood next to the Elder. Doing his prostrations, the Elder would get up, and the frog would get up too, and they did their prostrations before the Cross of Christ.6
St. Porphyrios and his parrot
Father Porphyrios had a small parrot that he taught to pray in order to illustrate the absurdity of some Christians’ empty repetition of the words of prayer, as well as the ridiculousness of the opinion commonly presented in Eastern religions that someone can make moral advances by physical exercises of breathing techniques. Every so often, the parrot would mechanically say, “Lord, have mercy.” The elder would respond, “Look, the parrot can say the prayer, but does that mean that it is praying? Can prayer exist without conscious and free participation of the person who prays?”7
St. Gerasimos of Jordan and his lion
One day while he was walking along the Jordan, Gerasimos came upon a lion roaring in agony because of a large splinter imbedded in one paw. Overcome by compassion for the beast, Gerasimos removed the splinter and cleaned the wound, bounding it up, expecting the lion to return to its cave. Instead the creature meekly followed him back to his monastery and became his devoted pet. The whole community was amazed at the animal's conversion to a peaceful nature, life and devotion to the abbot; living on bread and vegetables.
The lion was given the special task of guarding the communities donkey, which grazed along the Jordan. One day, it happened that, while the lion was napping, the donkey strayed and was stolen by a passing trader. After searching, without success, the lion returned to the monastery, it head hanging low. The brothers concluded that the lion had been overcome and had eaten the donkey and as punishment, gave the lion the job of the donkey; to carry water each from the river to the monastery in a saddle pack with four earthen jars.
Months later, it happened that the trader was passing through the Jordan with the stolen donkey and three camels. The lion recognized the donkey and roared so loudly that the trader ran away. Taking its rope in his jaws, the lion led the donkey back to the monastery with the camels following behind. The monks realised that they had misjudged the lion; this is how the lion earned his name "Jordanes" from the Elder Gerasimos.
For a further five years, the lion "Jordanes" was part of the monastic community. When the elder fell asleep in the Lord and was buried, Jordanes lay down on the grave, roaring in his grief and beating its head against the ground. Finally Jordanes rolled over and died on the last resting place of Gerasimos.8
St Cuthbert and the miracle of otters
As told by St. Bede: Now one night, a brother of the monastery, seeing [St Cuthbert] go out alone followed him privately to see what he should do. But he when he left the monastery, went down to the sea, which flows beneath, and going into it, until the water reached his neck and arms, spent the night in praising God.
When the dawn of day approached, he came out of the water, and, falling on his knees, began to pray again. Whilst he was doing this, two quadrupeds, called otters, came up from the sea, and, lying down before him on the sand, breathed upon his feet, and wiped them with their hair after which, having received his blessing, they returned to their native element. Cuthbert himself returned home in time to join in the accustomed hymns with the other brethren.
The brother, who waited for him on the heights, was so terrified that he could hardly reach home; and early in the morning he came and fell at his feet, asking his pardon, for he did not doubt that Cuthbert was fully acquainted with all that had taken place. To whom Cuthbert replied, " What is the matter, my brother ? What have you done? Did you follow me to see what I was about to do? I forgive you for it on one condition, that you tell it to nobody before my death." In this he followed the example of our Lord, who, when He showed his glory to his disciples on the mountain, said, " See that you tell no man, until the Son of man be risen from the dead."
When the brother had assented to this condition, he give him his blessing, and released him from all his trouble. The man concealed this miracle during St. Cuthbert's life; but, after his death, took care to tell it to as many persons as he was able.9
In the Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian to the Most Holy Spirit, we ask for forgiveness of all our sins we committed “not only humanly, but even worse than a beast”. Because of our fallen state, in that sense we behave worse than these wild beasts, who suffer from the consequences of our sin.
As we begin this Great Lent, let us tame our passions much like the wild beasts are tamed through theosis, by drawing closer to unity with Christ through fasting, almsgiving and prayer.
Lossky, Vladimir (2002) [1957]. The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church. Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.
Against Heresies (book V, preface) CHURCH FATHERS: Against Heresies, Book V (St. Irenaeus). Available at: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103500.htm (Accessed: February 28, 2023).
Dialogue with Trypho (chapter 124) CHURCH FATHERS: Dialogue with Trypho, Chapters 109-124 (Justin Martyr). Available at: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/01288.htm (Accessed: February 28, 2023).
An Orthodox Monk, St Seraphim of Sarov, St Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Cathedral. Available at: https://saintseraphim.com/pdf/St-Seraphim.pdf (Accessed: February 27, 2023).
The Living God: A Catechism for the Christian Faith (1989). Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, p. 90.
Metropolitan of montenegro Amfilohije Radovich and Saint Elder Paisios of Mount Athos, Orthodox Christian, Available at: https://orthochristiantools.com/metropolitan-of-montenegro-amfilohije-radovich-and-saint-elder-paisios-of-mount-athos/ (Accessed: February 28, 2023).
Farasiotis, D., Trader, A. and Navarro, P. (2019) The Gurus, the Young Man, and Elder Paisios. Platina, CA: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood.
OrthodoxWiki contributors, "Gerasimos of the Jordan," OrthodoxWiki, , https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Gerasimos_of_the_Jordan&oldid=122153 (accessed February 27, 2023).
Internet Medieval Sourcebook, “Bede: The Life and Miracles of St. Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindesfarne (721)”, Chapter 10, Fordham University, https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/bede-cuthbert.asp (accessed February 27, 2023).
Very interesting. I had a dog that would come and sit with me during my quiet time. She was very sensitive to prayer. I love how there is a heritage of animal response to spiritual ways