The Questing Beast in Arthurian Legend

The questing beast is a creature that appears in the literature about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Described as the strangest beast that Arthur ever saw, it has a head like a serpent, a body like a leopard, hindquarters like a lion, and hooves like a stag. The questing beast gets its name from the noise it makes, resembling 30 or 60 dogs baying. Its origin is traced back to Thomas Mallory's book, 'The Death of Arthur,' and it is often associated with knights on a mission to catch it, such as King Pelinor and Sir Palomides. Despite its mystical qualities, there is a theory suggesting that the questing beast was possibly inspired by giraffes, as they share similar characteristics, such as a long, serpent-like neck, leopard-like spots, lion-like hindquarters, and cloven hooves.