DOG-LORE AND SUPERSTITION 



hare they declared to be eatable ; likewise those domestic 

 animals that have teeth in one jaw only, excepting camels." 

 If a Brahmana " has a strong desire for meat he may make 

 an animal of clarified butter or one of flour (and eat that)." 

 In spite of the prohibition of dogs' flesh, food obtained by 

 begging was always pure, and " Vamadeva, who well knew 

 right and wrong, did not sully himself when, tormented by 

 hunger, he desired to eat the flesh of a dog in order to save 

 his life." " Visvamitra, who well knew what is right or 

 wrong, approached, when he was tormented by hunger, (to 

 eat) the haunch of a dog, receiving it from the hands of a 

 Kandala." 



The dog was one of the five sacrificial animals of the Chinese, 

 and similarly dogs were occasionally sacrificed by the Hindus. 

 " All the gods are concerned in the horse-sacrifice ; when he 

 says ' I sprinkle thee for all the gods,' he makes all the gods 

 take a concern in the horse-sacrifice. But his wicked enemy 

 seeks to lay hold of him who performs the horse-sacrifice, and 

 the horse is a thunderbolt ; having killed the four-eyed dog, 

 he, with ' Undone is the man ! Undone is the dog ! ' 

 plunges it under the horse's feet." * 



The whimsical solemnity with which Chinese officials have 

 been apt to lay down high-sounding and heavily-worded rules 

 and regulations upon the most trivial subjects for the guidance 

 of those desirous of avoiding the stigma of want of culture, 

 and for the glory of the letter of the law, is illustrated by a 

 further quotation from the " Book of Rites " setting forth the 

 procedure in presentation and acceptance of dogs : " When 

 honouring by the gift of a dog, it is to be led with the left 

 hand." The commentator gravely adds : ' The reason for 

 leading with the left hand is that the right may be ready to 

 restrain the dog from biting." f If acceptable, the re- 



* " Sacred Books of the East," vol. xliv, p. 279. f " Book of Rites," vol. i. 



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