Dogs of Myth

It’s just what the title says- a collection of dog stories sourced from many different cultures. The species featured include basenji, akita, husky, bloodhound, saluki, shar-pei, curly-coated retriever, spaniel, rottweiler and wolfhound. Most of the dogs are in a supportive role- or at least friendly to humans. There are origin stories of the beginning of the world, where dog brings fire to man, or introduces death. In one tale it is a coyote whose mistakes bring about good things. There are dogs who help young men meet and marry their loves, and dogs who steal the wife or earn the princess’ hand. There’s a desert dog who guards young men fleeing war. A dog and cat who retrieve a magic ring, a poodle who can shapeshift, and so many more. I didn’t expect so many of the dogs to be magic workers. These are all old tales but they were new to me. I liked the additional little explanations following each story, that had something about the origins of the myth, or history and characteristics of the dog breed. The artwork by Barry Moser is beautifully rich in color and expression.