Dominicans and Dominici Canis: A Medieval Artifact from Trim, Co. Meath, Ireland, Analysed in its Ecclesiastical Context

Katie Hoag Durham University Department of Archaeology

I. Site Background

Founded in 1263, the Dominican friary located just outside the town of Trim was among the largest and most influential mendicant order sites in medieval Ireland (Lafaye 2021). After falling into disuse in the 16th C., friary buildings were systematically dismantled and salvaged for materials in the 18th C; today, no aboveground structures remain. Since 2010, excavation at the site has been undertaken by the Blackfriary Community Heritage and Archaeology Project with the intent of defining the original footprints of buildings and features and analysing skeletal evidence from the churchyard (O Carroll et al. 2018).

II. Artifact Overview

In 2017, excavation of medieval deposits in a room located just north of and adjacent to the Chapter House (see Fig. 3) yielded the unique bone artifact pictured at right. Broken along its length and measuring approximately 8 cm x 1 cm, it was fashioned from carved and polished bone into a gently rounded rod topped with a carving of an animal perched on a pedestal of some kind. The figure was identified as a domestic dog, while the sloped and decorated plinth it sits atop was interpreted as a lectern. The object likely functioned as a page turner or pointer involved in the processes of ecclesiastical learning and teaching. Apart from its morphology, support for this interpretation of the has been dra n from the object s association ith other artifacts elated to scholarship (see Fig. 2) as well as the presence of a possible fireplace and east- and north-facing windows would have provided the dry heat and strong lighting needed for book storage, reading, and and writing (O Carroll et al. 2018).

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III. Discussion of Symbolism

The elements of the artifact s carving, dog and lectern, each symbolize central aspects of Dominican life and work. The Dominicans were a mendicant order, relying on charity for survival in exchange for ministering directly to laypeople; the Blackfriars of Trim would have therefore come into regular contact with townsfolk as they preached the Gospel, tended the sick, and presided over religious sacraments and ceremonies (Cornelison et al. 2016). As a long-established symbol of Christian preaching and fierce and protective ministry, dogs became associated with the clergy in general and the Dominicans in particular during the medieval period. St. Dominic (1170- AD the order s fo nder and namesake as said to have been born after his mother had a vision of a dog emerging from her belly carrying a flaming torch (Mandonette 1944). The lectern, meanwhile, has dual significance as a symbol of both study and teaching (Lafaye 2021), making it a fitting decoration for a page turner or pointer.

Who was the dog of the Lord whose tongue frightened the dangerous wolves with most powerful barking?

- Pope Gregory IX, 1233

Dominicans sounds a lot like the Latin dominici canis, or dog of he Lord Did this inspire the symbolism?

In short, no. Though this remains a persistent myth, dogs have served as symbols for preachers since at least the 5 th C., well before the establishment of the Dominican order (Gibson 2016). Additionally, though their connection to St. Dominic was foundational, the order were originally known as the Friars Preachers and not the Dominicans. The wordplay was likely a retroactive association rather than the original impetus for their adoption of canine imagery (Mandonnet 1944).

References

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Book Clasps

Debby, N.B.-A. and Howard, P.F. (eds) (2016) Mendicant Cultures in the Medieval and Early Modern World: Word, Deed, and Image . Turnhout: Brepols Publishers (Europa sacra, Volume 19).

Gibson W S Metaphorical Dogs in the Later Middle Ages The Dogs of God and the Ho nds of Hell in L D Gelfand ed .) Our Dogs, Our Selves: Dogs in Medieval and Early Modern Art, Literature, and Society . Boston: Brill (Art and Material Culture in Medieval and Renaissance Europe, volume 6), pp. 363 386. Lafaye A.-J. (2021) Dominican Friaries in the Medieval Landscapes of Britain and Ireland: A Comparative Study .

Prosthesis In Ancient Egypt

A prosthesis is defined as an appendage that can substitute the missing body part(s) of the user It is a medical remedy that restores some of the functionality of the missing organ and is tailored to the user ’s aesthetic appeal (Draycott, 2019).

For the ancient Egyptians, the afterlife was attained by uniting the ka and the ba spirits with the deceased’s body. The mummification process thus meant preserving the corpse in the pristine representation of the departed so that the spirits can recognize the body (Davies, 1999; Taylor, 2001). Perhaps, this led to the development of Prosthetics in Ancient Egypt. Furthermore, It was expected of the deceased to cultivate and harvest in the "Field of Reeds" to ensure their survival for eternity (Taylor, 2001, p. 34). Prosthetics, therefore, also had functional implications here as it helped the amputated deceased with the ability to perform these tasks in the afterlife (Taylor, 2001)