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Washington, United States
loves: you win if you guessed "pets" and "museums". Also books, art history, travel, British punk, Korean kimchi, bindis, martinis, and other things TBD. I will always make it very clear if a post is sponsored in any way. Drop me a line at thepetmuseum AT gmail.com !

Sunday, November 16, 2008

possibly everything you needed to know about the guard dog

Today on a leisurely Sunday I have for you a scholarly, but readable discussion of the dog's role as spirit guardian in old cultural ways. In Bob Trushaw's article, "Black Dogs: Guardians of the corpse ways," he examines the ways in which dogs' long and first closeness with humans has given them responsibilities past the earthly.

It's intriguing. Read here.

2 comments:

parlance said...

Thanks for finding this interesting article. I'm interested in mythology and symbolism, so I've saved it up for a careful read when I have more time.

I felt a bit sad on a quick read that dogs had to be killed so they could accompany humans into the next life. (But then again I guess some societies include servants and wives in that nice little ritual on occasion.)

curator said...

Yes, I know - I too think it's a pity that humans found it so easy to dispose of lives as part of their rituals. I hope you enjoy the article!