Saint guinefort
After adopting a galgo, I came across the story of Saint Guinefort, a faithful greyhound turned folk saint from the 13th century. This illustration was my entry for Premio Illustratori Tarantasio 2023, a contest with the theme: outside of the ordinary.
Contest
Premio Illustratori Tarantasio 2023: Fuori dall’ordinario
Medium
Digital
Year
2023
According to the myth, in Lyon there was a castle whose lord had a baby son from his wife. When the child was left alone in his cradle, a very large snake entered the house.
Their greyhound, Guinefort, dashed under the cradle in pursuit, knocking it over, and attacked the snake. The dog killed the snake and threw it far away from the child’s cradle, which was now covered in blood, snake and dog alike.
When the parents returned, they thought the child had been killed and eaten by the dog and so the knight drew his sword and killed him. Only then did they approach the cradle to find the child unharmed and sleeping.
After discovering their fatal error, and ashamed and embarrassed by what they had done, they buried Guinefort outside the castle walls. After some time the castle was destroyed and the land left deserted, some say as divide punishment for their crime, but the local peasants, hearing of the dog’s noble deed and innocent death, began to visit the place and honor the dog as a martyr.
