I posit that the greyhound destined to kill the she-wolf is actually an Irish wolfhound. (I am looking at the literal meaning of the poem here.)
A greyhound is incapable of dispatching a wolf. But the Irish wolfhound is renowned for its wolf killing prowess. (Hence, the name wolfhound.) So efficient was it that, during intensive hunting in the 17th century, this breed extirpated the wolf completely from its native land.
The term wolfhound only came into use during the mid-19th century. Before that, this dog was called the wolfdog. But, even more commonly, it was referred to as the long greyhound, the greyhound of Ireland, or simply greyhound. For example, in the 1571 Historie of Ireland, Edmund Campion describes hounds used for hunting wolves. He says: "They [the Irish] are not without wolves and greyhounds to hunt them, bigger of bone and limb than a colt.” Three other natural history treatises I tracked down from the 16th century refer to this dog as a greyhound, too.
The wolfhound was found nowhere on earth but Ireland, so it was exceedingly rare. By Brehon law, this breed could be kept only by kings, chieftains, and filidh (the highest rank of bard.) Owning such a dog enhanced one’s esteem enormously. Hence, Irish wolfhounds became a much sought after commodity. Many were exported to Europe and even farther. Any nobleman could have a jewel-encrusted bauble; only a few owned the magnificent Irish wolfhound.
The Irish wolfhound’s reputation as a dog of singular prestige and majesty was well established throughout Europe, including in Italy. In fact, the very first written record of an Irish wolfhound was a letter composed in Rome in 391 AD. Consul Quintus Aurelius Symmachus wrote to thank his brother “for your gift of seven Irish dogs. All Rome viewed them with wonder.” Phyllis Gardner in The Irish Wolfhound, 1931, relates some history of these dogs in Italy: “A Florentine painting shows a young rider in pursuit of a deer [wolfhounds hunted the large red deer, wild boar, and wolves] following an enormous dog of greyhound type. There is also a drawing by Canaletto, showing a brace of very large and powerful greyhounds held in leash. Early Italian pictures quite frequently show this type, as well as the usual smaller and slimmer greyhounds.”
As a high ranking nobleman, Dante would have been familiar with this breed and its cachet. The greyhound in his poem is a creature of exceptional power and grandeur. These qualities were associated with the Irish wolfhound. I believe Dante was referring to this breed and not to the smaller greyhound we think of today because the term was used interchangeably for both.
So, that’s my original Dante scholarship. References and notes on request. Interested publishers, contact me.
A greyhound is incapable of dispatching a wolf. But the Irish wolfhound is renowned for its wolf killing prowess. (Hence, the name wolfhound.) So efficient was it that, during intensive hunting in the 17th century, this breed extirpated the wolf completely from its native land.
The term wolfhound only came into use during the mid-19th century. Before that, this dog was called the wolfdog. But, even more commonly, it was referred to as the long greyhound, the greyhound of Ireland, or simply greyhound. For example, in the 1571 Historie of Ireland, Edmund Campion describes hounds used for hunting wolves. He says: "They [the Irish] are not without wolves and greyhounds to hunt them, bigger of bone and limb than a colt.” Three other natural history treatises I tracked down from the 16th century refer to this dog as a greyhound, too.
The wolfhound was found nowhere on earth but Ireland, so it was exceedingly rare. By Brehon law, this breed could be kept only by kings, chieftains, and filidh (the highest rank of bard.) Owning such a dog enhanced one’s esteem enormously. Hence, Irish wolfhounds became a much sought after commodity. Many were exported to Europe and even farther. Any nobleman could have a jewel-encrusted bauble; only a few owned the magnificent Irish wolfhound.
The Irish wolfhound’s reputation as a dog of singular prestige and majesty was well established throughout Europe, including in Italy. In fact, the very first written record of an Irish wolfhound was a letter composed in Rome in 391 AD. Consul Quintus Aurelius Symmachus wrote to thank his brother “for your gift of seven Irish dogs. All Rome viewed them with wonder.” Phyllis Gardner in The Irish Wolfhound, 1931, relates some history of these dogs in Italy: “A Florentine painting shows a young rider in pursuit of a deer [wolfhounds hunted the large red deer, wild boar, and wolves] following an enormous dog of greyhound type. There is also a drawing by Canaletto, showing a brace of very large and powerful greyhounds held in leash. Early Italian pictures quite frequently show this type, as well as the usual smaller and slimmer greyhounds.”
As a high ranking nobleman, Dante would have been familiar with this breed and its cachet. The greyhound in his poem is a creature of exceptional power and grandeur. These qualities were associated with the Irish wolfhound. I believe Dante was referring to this breed and not to the smaller greyhound we think of today because the term was used interchangeably for both.
So, that’s my original Dante scholarship. References and notes on request. Interested publishers, contact me.