Toledo Rapier Info

[Philip]

Jim,
Thanks for some very interesting points. There could well be something to the suggested connection between all this lupine / canine / vulpine imagery that you cite. The Passau wolf symbol is so stylized, and is often depicted with fairly short legs and extremely pointed snout that the result can be said to resemble a fox.

Re Julian del Rey and his "dog". As Hoffmeyer and other writers point out, he was a Moor who originally practiced his craft for the Nasrid Dynasty at Granada. After the conquest of 1492 and the expulsion of Muslims, he took Catholic baptism and went to work for the court of Ferd and Izzie in Toledo. Hoffmeyer reports in her article "From Medieval Sword to Renaissance Rapier" that his decision was the result of a discovered love of the Christian faith, but there may be other motives. At the least, if he wished to remain in Spain (and get on a royal payroll to boot), becoming a Catholic was pretty much expected.

In Islam, dogs are almost as maligned as are swine. New converts to Christianity in Spain, and later Portugal, were typically mistrusted by the "old Christians" and had to be ready to prove their attachment to the new faith (the fires of the Inquisition, which began in the 15th cent. in Spain, were a strong incentive). Thus, many former Muslims and Jews went out of their way to repudiate the quotidian, outward practices and taboos of the old religion. So they avoided indulging in excessive washing and bathing, and took up eating all manner of "treyf" -- the forbidden foods like pork, blood, and shellfish. (note that Portuguese cuisine is one of the few that have so many dishes combining pork and non-kosher seafood). The term "marrano" was applied to these new converts because so many carried a piece of ham in their pockets, as proof that their new identity was genuine. So Julian's decision to use a dog as a trademark can be seen in this light.