Sighthound Objects

[bunn]

I think sighthounds make very attractive shapes that remind me of Anglo Saxon objects.

For example, isn't this lovely and perfectly greyhound-like?


A late Anglo-Saxon zoomorphic strap-end -   Circa 9th to 11th century
http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/showrecords.php?product=4004&cat=109



This amazing  ninth-century ring bezel  - surely that is a sighthound?  Though one with a plumy tail and feathers so maybe a little more like a saluki.

http://www.fabiandemontjoye.com/rings/middle-age/705-early-medieval-ring-gold-niello-saxon-art-century.html

This awesome silver ring shows a more short-muzzled animal - maybe more like a boxer? But it still has that amazing curve to the chest and those fabulous legs.


Silver ring 775-850, found in the river Thames at Chelsea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BLW_Silver_Anglo-Saxon_ring.jpg

Here are lots and lots of dogs on this brooch:

The Strickland Brooch, mid-9th century.  
These are more doggy dogs - they could almost be exaggerated spaniels with their short bodies, round noses and feathered paws and tails.
The British Museum thinks that 'The Anglo-Saxons did not have pets like we do today, but dogs were used for hunting and protecting the home.'   This strikes me as an extremely dubious statement. How can they possibly know that? *Frowny face*

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/young_explorers/discover/museum_explorer/anglo-saxon_england/birds_and_beasts/the_strickland_brooch.aspx


Does anyone know when this sort of elaborately knotted animal image got the label 'Celtic' stuck on it?  And why?

(I agonised over how to do these links - should I make copies of the images, thus breaking the owner's copyright but preserving their bandwidth, or hotlink so they have control over where they are displayed?)  In the end I hotlinked on the grounds that not many people are likely to be looking at this page -  but if you own one of these images and would like this changed, just let me know).

Comments

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

From the look of these artifacts I would say dogs were held in high regard and I quite agree, who's to say they didn't earn a pat now and then!

[carmarthen.livejournal.com]

I don't know about "when," but I suspect it's because of the Book of Kells. Silly, really, since elaborate knotwork (sometimes including animals) isn't limited to Celtic peoples (or Europe), but there you are.

Probably after the whole "Celtic" lumping, though, which I think was in the 1800s.

[seasight.livejournal.com]

You'd think someone would've come up with a good solid definition of what kind of art is "Celtic" as opposed to art by completely different cultures that sort of reminds us of the Celts (or may have been influenced).

And, of course, "Celtic" art was inspired by Etruscan and Greek art. So...

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I think art probably always crossfertilises a lot? I always wonder a bit about how people can look at a particular design and say stuff like 'oh, that must have been imported from Spain, see the characteristic flanges' rather than 'well, someone who made this had clearly seen the characteristic flanges of the ones that were popular in Spain...'

I suspect 'Celtic' to be used as a sort of marketing label nowadays, which makes googling a bit annoying.

[seasight.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't get me started on the many and varied uses of "Celtic". Seriously.

I can even tell you why people attach so much flibbetygibbet to the Celts. I could write an essay on it. Probably have, at some point.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I know 0 about the 1800s, but perhaps I should read up a bit so it's easier to identify 'celtic lumping' (sounds like an obscure sport like bog-snorkelling... :-D

[carmarthen.livejournal.com]

I *think* it was in the 1800s. But basically for a long time, the Celts were that Gaulish tribe and the Irish were the Irish and the Scottish were the Scottish and so on. And then the Victorians (?) came along and decided to lump all Celtic-speaking peoples together and the whole Celtic romanticism thing was born, iirc.

I am sure Google has the answers!

(Bog-snorkelling sounds...unpleasant.)

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

Oh, that Strickland Brooch is stunning! It really does capture the feel of Spaniels running amok. And even if the Anglo Saxons didn't keep dogs as pets, they must have loved their hunting dogs to have had such pieces created.

Presumably the British Museum's statement on the Anglo-Saxon attitude to dogs is supported by the archaeological evidence and references in surviving Anglo Saxon literature? It would be nice if some of the sources were mentioned though.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

They are very riotous aren't they, you can almost hear the brooch barking!

I am wondering if by 'pets' they are using quite a narrow definition of the word. Even then, I can't see how you could prove it. These are people who had cows inside their houses after all, it seems a leap to say that an entire society over several hundred years never kept the old dog by the fire after his hunting days were over or hung onto the runt pup because he was no good at ratting but had floppy ears and the children loved him. And it's not as though 'working dog' and 'pet' are mutually exclusive... I shall look out for more information about this!

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

Occasionally when excavating the Romano-British graves in this area, the archaeologists will come across a woman or child buried with a puppy...

But I suppose the Anglo-Saxons were a very different culture. Time for me to do some reading up!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I believe Anglo Saxon graves of the 7th and 8th century often contain dogs as well, though I suppose that doesn't necessarily say anything about their relationships with the dogs, other than that they were valued for some reason. One could probably argue that was for their value as hunting tools rather than as companions.

But I think archaeology isn't really very helpful when it comes to understanding how people *felt* which I think is the main question here. For that you need documents, which so far as I am aware, are pretty thin on the ground, particularly in the earlier Saxon period.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

Those are lovely. And I gotta say, sighthounds are by far the most attractive dogs in my book. They're completely in line with my aesthetic sensibilities (I like lean, angular things).

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Okay, so maybe Anglo-Saxon stuff is quite nice...

Still prefer La Tene stuff...

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I came across this Bohemian La Tene thing the other day online and it made me laugh like a drain. It looks like something out of Asterix and the Gauls!

http://www.heritage-images.com/Preview/PreviewPage.aspx?id=2326076&pricing=true&licenseType=RM

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's harsh. That's very harsh...

I like it... It's, erm, vibrant, individual, distinctive... ANd imaginative. Unlike that ghastly Roman stuff...

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Hey, did I say I didn't LIKE Asterix? I kind of love that thing, it has so much personality (and humour?) to it - and the horse is clearly a firey beast with his prancing hooves!

It's VERY unRoman! :-D

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

My horse was a dead ringer for the Roman horses in the Asterix books. Right down to the knobbly knees and the ewe neck...

Oh. nostalgia...