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The Holy Greyhound: Guinefort, Healer of Children Since the Thirteenth Century

The legend of a dog which is unjustly killed by its master in error, after it has defended his child from attack by a snake or wolf, appears in several popular cultures of Indo-European origin. This book concentrates on one local manifestation of the legend: a cult among the peasants of the Dombes, north of Lyons, who brought their sick child to the grave of 'Saint Guinefort', the martyred greyhound, for preservation from disease. Providing a rare access to the underlying cultural traditions of Europe, all too often submerged in the survivals of literate culture, this book will be welcomed by a wide range of historians and anthropologists.

  • Format
  • hardcover
  • Pages
  • 225
  • Language
  • english
  • ISBN
  • 9780521244343
  • Genres
  • history, medieval, france, christianity, religion
  • Release date
  • 1983