How strange the description of an 'exotic' animal can be in a medieval text and which properties or proprietates are here especially stressed, depends on the respective discourses and presentations. Are there any global patterns of perception, understanding and interpretation in medieval literature that can be found in all descriptions of 'exotic' animals and can be traced back to a cross-cultural and cross-epochal tradition? Are there also any properties which are specific to certain medieval discourses? These issues will be addressed in the context of an interdisciplinary study in which not only fictional texts of the 12th to 16th century, (pseudo)historical travel reports of the 14th, 15th and early 16th century but also pictures of 'exotic' animals will be analysed.