Greyhounds nearly became extinct
during times of famine in the Middle
Ages. They were saved by clergymen who protected them and bred them for
the nobility. From this point on, they came to be considered the dogs of the
aristocracy. In the tenth century, King Howel of Wales made killing a
greyhound punishable by death. King Canute of England established the
Forest Laws in 1014, reserving large areas of the country for hunting by
the nobility. Only such persons could own greyhounds; any "meane person"
(commoner) caught owning a greyhound would be severely punished and the
dog's toes "lawed" (mutilated) to prevent it from hunting. In 1066 William
the Conqueror introduced even more stringent forest laws. Commoners
who hunted with greyhounds in defiance of these laws favored dogs whose
coloring made them harder to spot: black, red, fawn, and brindle. Nobles by
contrast favored white and spotted dogs who could be spotted and
recovered more easily if lost in the forest. It became common among the
English aristocracy to say, "You could tell a gentleman by his horses and
his greyhounds." Old paintings and tapestries of hunting feasts often
include greyhounds.
Hunting in Europe and Asia with specially bred and trained dogs was
the
sport of nobles and the clergy, in large part because they owned or
controlled much of the land suitable for hunting. There's little evidence
that
the common man in the Middle Ages used dogs to hunt. Hunting with
sighthounds in this era hadn't changed much since the time of Romans like
Arrian. It was a sport, not the serious pursuit of food, which pitted the
hounds against the hare and against each other.
Dogs in general were at times looked down upon in the Middle Ages,
while greyhounds were highly valued. Vincent of Beauvais, in the mid-
thirteenth century, identified three types of dog: hunting dogs, with
drooping ears, guard dogs, which are more rustic than other dogs, and
greyhounds, which are "the noblest, the most elegant, the swiftest, and
the best at hunting."
The greyhound was used as an emblem, often in tombs, at the feet of
the
effigies of gentlemen, symbolizing the knightly virtues (faith),
occupations
(hunting) and generally the aristocratic way of life. Where tombs are
concerned, the greyhound always was associated with knighthood (along
with the lion, symbolizing strength) and never with ladies, who generally
were associated with the little lap-dog (symbol of marital faithfulness
and
domestic virtue).
The greyhound is the first breed of dog mentioned in English literature.
The monk in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th century The Canterbury Tales
reportedly spent great sums on his greyhounds:
We don't know for certain where or when the term greyhound
originated. It probably dates to the late middle ages. It may come from the
old English "grei-hundr," supposedly "dog hunter" or high order of rank.
Another explanation is that it is derived from "gre" or "gradus," meaning
"first rank," so that greyhound would mean "first rank among dogs."
Finally,
it has been suggested that the term derives from Greekhound, since the
hound reached England through the Greeks. A minority view is that the
original greyhound stock was mostly grey in color, so that the name
simply
refers to the color of the hound.
Coursing races, with dogs chasing live rabbits, became popular during
the sixteenth century. Queen Elizabeth I of England (1533-1603) had
Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, draw up rules judging competitive coursing.
These
rules established such things as the hare's head start and the ways in
which
the two hounds' speed, agility and concentration would be judged against
one another. Winning was not neccesarily dependent on catching the hare
(although this did earn a high score). Often the hare escaped. Wagers were
commonly placed on the racing dogs. Read the Renaissance rules of coursing, taken from a sixteenth
century book by Gervase Markham, with my interpretations of their
meanings. These rules were still in effect when the first official coursing
club was founded in 1776 at Swaffham, Norfolk, England. The rules of
coursing have not changed a great deal since this time. See some background information on
the English Renaissance.
Unlike Elizabeth, King James I (1566-1625) preferred hunting to hard
work. He was an avid fan of greyhound coursing. Having heard about the
strength of the local hares, he brought his greyhounds to the village of
Fordham near the border of Suffolk and Cambridge. This was not a public
exhibition, but a private competition between the king's greyhounds
observed by James and his court. He stayed at the Griffin Inn in the
nearby town of Newmarket. He enjoyed the coursing there so much that he
built a hunting lodge in Newmarket. To maintain the quality of hunting, in
1619 he ordered the release of 100 hares and 100 partridges every year at
Newmarket. Races between the horses of his followers became as
important
as the matches between the king's greyhounds. This began the tradition of
competitive racing in Newmarket.
Dr. Caius' notes to the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gesner, written in
1570,
describe the appearance and abilities of the English greyhound ( read an excerpt). In the
late sixteenth century, Gervase Markham wrote that greyhounds
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) mentioned greyhounds in a number
of his plays (read Shakespeare
excerpts at the Adopt A Greyhound website). In Henry V
Henry's speech to his troops just before the Battle of Harfleur compares
people to coursing greyhounds:
By the close of the sixteenth century, the world had changed significantly.
Feudalism had ended allowing commoners freedom of movement unknown
for a thousand years. City dwellers increased in number. By this time many
more people were able to own game dogs such as greyhounds. As the
number of middle class persons expanded, so did the need for cleared land.
Dense forests and swamps were giving way to planting land, pastures, and
towns. These new fields brought infiltration by hares, foxes, and badgers.
The need to exterminate unwanted animals led to breeding of cast-off
greyhounds (and other breeds) of the upper classes.
Image credits:
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Greyhounds he hadde as swifte as fowel in flight;
Of prikyng and of huntyng for the hare
Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.
Edmund de Langley's Mayster of Game, AD 1370, describes the
ideal greyhound ( read an
excerpt). Langley presented this book to the future King Henry V of
England. Henry reportedly was a big fan of greyhounds; perhaps
Shakespeare knew this when, two centuries later, he had Henry speak the
quote below.
Renaissance artists considered the
greyhound a worthy subject. The
works of Veronese, Uccello, Pisanello and Desportes, among others, depict
greyhounds in a variety of setting from sacred to secular, with an
emphasis
on the hunt. The image to the right is "Portrait of the Artist in Hunting
Dress" by Desportes.
are of all dogs whatsoever the most noble and princely, strong, nimble,
swift and valiant; and though of slender and very fine proportions, yet so
well knit and coupled together, and so seconded with spirit and mettle,
that
they are master of all other dogs whatsoever.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start.
The game's afoot.
Desportes:
Francois Desportes, Portrait of the Artist in Hunting Dress
(1699),
Musee du Louvre, Paris Image courtesy of Mark Harden. Reproduced
by permission.
On to 18th and 19th Century History
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