10 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



celebrated Bran, the companion of Fingal. 

 " White-breasted Bran " was the best of 

 the " nine great dogs," and the " nine smaller 

 game-starting dogs " which always accom- 

 panied Fingal on his hunting expeditions 

 in Ireland and Scotland. The " surly strength 

 of Luath " — another of Fingal's dogs — is 

 duly celebrated in Gaelic tradition, but he 

 was not so perfect or graceful as Bran, 



" With his hind legs like a hook or bent bow, 

 His breast like that of a garron (hunting pony), 

 His ear like a leaf." 



In the early ages in England the hounds 

 entered greatly into the superstitions of 

 the people. They were believed to be 

 quick to detect the presence of invisible 

 spirits, and in connection with this aptitude 

 for seeing into the spirit-world they were 

 often the outward objects through which 

 devils and demons made their appearance. 

 There are persons — Mr. Rider Haggard 

 among the number — who still aver that 

 dogs can reappear as ghosts, and in many 

 remote places it is said that the Hounds 

 of Gabriel can be heard at night racing 

 in full cry above the gables, foreboding 

 trouble to those within. This belief in 

 the Wild Huntsman and his train of clam- 

 orous hounds is one of the most widespread 

 superstitions in Europe. It probably origin- 

 ated in the gabble of migrating geese. 



Mention of the melancholy story of the 

 " peerless hound," Gelert, ought not to be 

 omitted. Tradition has it that King John 

 gave Gelert in 1205 to Llewellyn, who was 

 his son-in-law, and there is a village called 

 Bedd Gelert, near Snowdon, where the 

 faithful hound's grave is pointed out. But 

 the incident of a dog being killed in mis- 

 take for the wolf which was supposed to 

 have slain his master's heir dates from 

 much earlier times. It appears through 

 all the folk-tales, and was probably 

 derived from ancient Hindostan.* And 



* "This famous tale is told at Haidarabad, 

 Lucknow, and Kashmir. In its more usual form, 

 as in the Panchatantra and the collection of 

 Somadeva, the mongoose takes the place of the 

 dog and kills the cobra on the baby's cradle." — 

 W. Crookc, B.A., " Popular Religion and Folk- 

 lore of Northern India." 



this reference reminds one of the extent 

 to which dog-worship prevailed in India 

 from prehistoric times, and which is 

 still continued, especially in connection 

 with the god Bhairon. The temple of 

 Bhairon, in Benares, is the only sacred 

 building into which the dog is privileged 

 to enter. Throughout India the dog is 

 held in respect, as it is in all Moham- 

 medan lands. In no country where this 

 was not the case could there have originated 

 so beautiful a legend as that of Yudishthira, 

 who, on appealing to Indra for entrance 

 into heaven, asked that his dog might 

 accompany him. Indra replied that his 

 heaven had no place for dogs. Whereupon 

 Yudishthira responded : " Then I go not 

 into heaven, for to abandon the faithful 

 and devoted is an endless crime, like the 

 murder of a Brahmin. Never, therefore, 

 come weal or woe, will I abandon that 

 faithful dog that hath trusted in my power 

 to save it." Or that other equally beau- 

 tiful story, re-told by Sir Edwin Arnold, 

 of the woman who, while being led to her 

 death, caught sight of a helpless dog lying 

 at the wayside exhausted by the fierce heat, 

 glaring upon the water that was out of his 

 reach. The woman in compassion paused 

 and drew off her embroidered shoe, and, 

 making a cup of the heel's hollow, dipped it 

 in the neighbouring well and gave a draught 

 to the parched hound, which fawned upon 

 her in gratitude. The King who had con- 

 demned her marked the merciful act, and 

 in sudden clemency bade the woman go 

 free, saying, " Thou hast shown pity to 

 this brute beast in its misery. I dare not 

 show less pity unto thee." 



In Western countries, as in Oriental, the 

 dog has had its special protecting deities 

 and its patron saints. St. Eustace is the 

 patron of dogs in the South of Europe. In 

 the North it is St. Hubert, who presides 

 over the chase and the destinies of dogs. 

 He is said to have been so inordinately fond 

 of the chase that he neglected his religious 

 duties for his favourite amusement ; till 

 one Good Friday, when hunting in the forest 

 with his famous hounds of the breed which 

 has since borne his name, he was confronted 



