Page 29 - The Sloughi Review - Issue 9
P. 29
T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 2 9
Althiburos, Tunisia, end of 3rd century AD, detail, the hare is
pinned by two forerunners of Sloughis © M. Ayeb, G. Mermet
Vertragus (11) or Vertragos - the Celtic Arrian describes in great detail the
sighthound, after the Celtic word vertraha, Vertragus and how best to use it, namely
ae f (= the swift-footed, according to Gratt. with two dogs pursuing a hare:
cyn. 200). Arrian defines it as a sighthound
as follows: "A hunting dog capable of "He who has good bitches should not untie
catching the hare on the run." This them close to the hare, nor more than two
definition was valid for many centuries. at a time ...." (14).
Arrian literally writes: "But the Celts also And so on. The more one dives into this
hunt without using nets, as long as they do text, and it would be advisable for
not live from hunting, but only do it for the everyone to get a good up-to-date
sake of its beauty." (12). translation, the more one will have in mind
sighthounds and hunting in today's Spain
Yes, he even speaks of a competition at the coursing events in the open field
between the hare and the sighthound with the Galgos españoles.
(Vertragus):
The riders are possibly sitting on
"The right hunters do not lead the bitches on Andalusians or Carthusians, the
the hunt to catch the game but to fight and descendants of the Berber horses of North
compete in the run; they are satisfied when Africa, which Arrian also describes as the
the hare happily reaches the place of rescue." fastest horses known at the time.
(13).
