Friday, April 23, 2010

Dog Headed Men-- Remember Those St. Christopher Medals?

There are various reports throughout history of dog-headed men. St. Christopher was said to be one. Reports persisted through the ages about races of dog-headed people. One explanation was that St. Christopher was a Canaanite-- get it, Canine. This is how these things worked. Unicorns may have been rhinos. Trees looked like deer, therefore spontaneous regeneration was a fact. All these seemingly nonsense explanations helped define the ancient world. Many ancient travellers spread these rumors.
The kingdom of Prester John is another example of taking proof of dubious value and running with it. In medieval times, when Europe was looking for protection from the hordes of Eastern invaders, suddenly Prester John sprang into existence. A king of possessing fabulous riches and armies, Prester John supposedly lived in the Far East and was a Christian. An expedition was launched to find him. Reports of people who hopped about on feet like a giant tongue and rivers that ran full of gems filtered back to Europe. The church had received a letter from Prester John, so his existence was a fact.
The only problem was-- the letter was a fake.
Who knows the explanation for these dog-faced tribes. If you find a dog-faced man though, I'd like to know about it. Actually, when I think about it, my old boss probably fit the profile. Now that wasn't nice.

I'd still like some three-headed dog photos. Come on. You can do it.

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