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| Haley the Dagger and Shipwreck Sydney Sue |
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Throughout the Renaissance period, greyhounds were a favorite among Europe’s royalty, They were the most common dog used for heraldry and are seen on the coats of arms of Charles V of France and of Henry VIII of England. Old paintings and tapestries showing hunting feasts often include greyhounds in the scenes. In the middle ages and the renaissance period the white greyhound represented power and majesty. The greyhound is the only breed of dog mentioned in the bible (Proverbs 30: 29-31):
Four things stately
29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going
30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
31 A greyhound; and a goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
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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 in the center is "Portrait of the Artist in Hunting Dress" by Desportes. 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. 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 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.
The English sport of coursing -- hunting by sight instead of scent -- has roots in ancient Greece, and is a sport valued for the contest more than the catching of the prey. The Greek historian Arrian wrote more than 1800 years ago: "For coursers, such at least as are true sportsmen, do not take their dogs out for the sake of catching a hare, but for the contest and sport of coursing, and are glad if the hare meets with an escape." 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.
In the late sixteenth century, Gervase Markham wrote that greyhounds 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. William Shakespeare (1564-1616) mentioned greyhounds in a number of his plays. Henry V's speech to his troops just before the Battle of Harfleur compares people to coursing greyhounds:
"I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, Straining upon the start. The game's afoot."
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 of the upper classes.
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