"Abstract: The Names of All Manner of Hounds is a unique list of 1065 names for hunting dogs (running hounds, terriers and greyhounds) found in a fifteenth-century manuscript that has recently been sold into a closed private collection. The present article offers a critical edition of this unusual text, which has never been published before, preceded by an introduction that contextualizes its contents in terms of the hunting culture and the milieu to which they belong. ..."
Xenophon, the author of Anabasis, also wrote a treatise on hunting, which includes suggestions for naming hounds:
> Give the hounds short names, so as to be able to call to them easily. The following are the right sort: Psyche, Thymus, Porpax, Styrax, Lonchê, Lochus, Phrura, Phylax, Taxis, Xiphon, Phonax, Phlegon, Alcê, Teuchon, Hyleus, Medas, Porthon, Sperchon, Orgê, Bremon, Hybris, Thallon, Rhomê, Antheus, Hebe, Getheus, Chara, Leusson, Augo, Polys, Bia, Stichon, Spudê, Bryas, Oenas, Sterrus, Craugê, Caenon, Tyrbas, Sthenon, Aether, Actis, Aechmê, Noes, Gnomê, Stibon, Hormê.
Ye dog O'Toole, who hath
not work at love, nor art,
nor goeth school, sayeth
with fart at golden rule.
Be it bitch or biscuit
or platter stew,
ye palate alone shall guide you.
Ye dog Hodain forgoeth bone,
nor doth disdain to moan.
For wind and rain, ye snow
and ye seasons, sun, and world roll on.
But ye days a dog are not long.
Brothers two, ye slim Hodain
and fat O'Toole, beneath fence,
diggeth hole.
Into ye world ye brothers dance.
Nor would return, ye fat
O'Toole and slim Hodain.
Sooner is report, brothers two
doth run amok in neighborhood.
Cautions O'Toole,
'Hodain, ye may bark,
may scowl, and be rude.
But do not bite ye hand
what giveth dog food.'
Though all complain of brothers
two, no wind nor rain doth drive them home.
Then sayeth Hodain to brother,
'O'Toole, though we have been
friends through thick and thin,
dog needeth some love from man.'
So end ye song of brothers two.
Away they had flown,
and back they flew.
Reclineth ye yard
through seasons and sun,
through wind and
rain, ye snow, ye fog.
O'Toole, Hodain,
ye brothers dog.
Hodain (or Husdant ) was the name of Tristan's hound from the 12th century legend of Tristan and Isolde. I'm surprised neither is in the list - or maybe it is and I didn't see it.
Linking researchgate is always a step back. If we want the original source link the location of the doi. If not then an imgur album is preferable to that parasitic company trying to insert itself in scholarly communication.
Ok, I can't seem to access the entire paper (anymore? not sure) so have switched back to the originally submitted URL. Other users have posted usable workarounds elsewhere in the comments.
It looks like it's names for individual dogs, broken down by letter then by the type of dog. Houndis and braches, male and female hounds respectively. Tereris I'm guessing is terrier.
Greyhoundis and greybicches. I don't know why that's so hilarious to me. I think it's just the archaic spelling forced me sound it out and it took a second to process.
I've started grouping dog names according to a common pattern. For example: Blonde dogs named after thunder gods. My apartment complex has three: a Jupiter, a Zeus, and a Thor. Or, goldendoodles whose names can be followed with "Jack cheese". My complex has two: Colby and Pepper, and they seem to have identical goldendoodle personalities as well.
If we assume the names were pronounced with Middle English, they would sound quite a bit different compared to Modern English. You can hear a few words here.
I wonder if people didn't train their dogs "by name" at that time. I imagine that many of these dogs were working dogs in some sense, and maybe they were more like horses in that their names were useful labels but not actually used to address the animal.
It would be interesting to know the answer to this.
I find it hard to believe that a favourite dog or horse, working not, wouldn’t get talked to and named by it’s owner. At a minimum, it’s useful, as you can get a particular dog to do something when it’s addressed individually.
https://sci-hub.ru/10.1484/j.viator.1.103488