TheseattractedespecialattentionintheMiddleAges，andthepopularloveofmarvelgeneralizedisolatedphenomenaintorules。
Thusitwassaidthatthelightningstrikestheswordinthesheath，goldinthepurse，thefootintheshoe，leavingsheathandpurseandshoeunharmed；thatitconsumesahumanbeinginternallywithoutinjuringtheskin；thatitdestroysnetsinthewater，butnotontheland；thatitkillsoneman，andleavesuntouchedanotherstandingbesidehim；thatitcantearthroughahouseandentertheearthwithoutmovingastonefromitsplace；thatitinjurestheheartofatree，butnotthebark；
thatwineispoisonedbyit，whilepoisonsstruckbyitlosetheirvenom；thataman’shairmaybeconsumedbyitandthemanbeunhurt。[220]
[220]See，forlistsofsuchadmiranda，anyoftheearlywriters——e。g。，VincentofBeauvais，Reisch’sMargarita，orEck’sAristotle。
Thesepeculiarphenomena，mademuchofbytheallegorizingsermonizersoftheday，wereusedinmorallessonsfromeverypulpit。ThustheCarmelite，MatthiasFarinator，ofVienna，whoatthePope’sowninstancecompiledearlyinthefifteenthcenturythatcurioushandbookofillustrativeexamplesforpreachers，theLumenAnimae，findsaspiritualanalogueforeachoftheseanomalies。[221]