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The sleuth hound (from Old Norse ''slóð'' "track, trail" + hound)〔''The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology''〕 was a breed of dog. Broadly, it was a Scottish term for what in England was called the bloodhound, although it seems that there were slight differences between them. It was also referred to as a 'slough dog', (or 'slewe dogge'), and a 'slow hound', the first word probably representing a mispronuciation of 'slough' rather than a reference to the speed of the hound. The sleuth hound first appears in poems about the Scottish patriots Robert the Bruce 〔John Barbour ''The Bruce'' 1375〕 and William Wallace.〔Henry the Minstrel (Blind Harry) ''The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace'' 1470〕 These poems depict their heroes tracked by sleuth hounds. Bruce escapes by crossing water, and Wallace by killing one of his party, whom he suspects of treachery, and leaving the corpse to distract the hound. The poems are romances, not histories, but there is no implausibility about the use of sleuth hounds. John Barbour, who wrote ''The Bruce'', was born before his hero died, and the year in which the Bruce was supposedly pursued was 1307. Thus we can be sure that the inclusion of the sleuth hound in the story was no anachronism, hence that the dogs existed in Scotland as early as c.1300, and that their use as man-trailers was fully established. The earliest description of the sleuth hound is in ''The history and croniklis of Scotland'' 1536, a translation by John Bellenden of a Latin text by Hector Boece, ''Historia Gentis Scotorum'' (History of the Scottish People), originally published in 1526. The sleuth hound is described as one of three kinds of dog unique to Scotland. It is said to be red or black with small spots. Its special quality is its marvellous scenting power and determination in pursuing thieves (known as Border Reivers). The law of the borders between Scotland and England required that he who denies entry to the sleuth hound when in pursuit of stolen goods is held an accomplice to the theft. John Caius (translated from Latin by Fleming 1576)〔John Caius tr Abraham Fleming ''Of Englisshe Dogges'' 1576〕 describes very similar uses of the English bloodhound on the borders, leading us to think that the bloodhound and sleuthhound were the same animal. In a book published in Switzerland in 1554 the sleuth hound is also called 'blüthund' and 'canis Scoticus furum deprehensor' ('Scottish dog, thief catcher').〔Conrad Gesner(1554): ''Historiae Animalium''〕 It is confirmed here and in other texts of the time that the two animals were the same, except that the bloodhound was somewhat larger, and had a greater variety of coat colours than the sleuth hound.〔Edward Topsell ''The History of Four Footed Beasts'' 1607〕 Generally, references to the sleuth hound appear in a man-trailing context, whereas the bloodhound may appear either as a man-trailer or as a seeker of beasts in the hunting field. Probably from around 1700 any differences between to two types disappeared. "Bloodhound" becomes the usual term even in Scottish sources such as Sir Walter Scott. The Scottish term survives in its metaphorical use from the beginning of the nineteenth century as a detective, now usually shortened to sleuth.〔''The Oxford English Dictionary''〕 ==Hector Boece's Account of the Sleuth Hound==
In Scotland ar doggis of meruellous nature, For abone the commoun nature and condition of doggis, quhilkis ar sene in al partis, ar thre maner of doggis in Scotland, quhilk ar sene in na vthir partis of the warld.... The thrid kynd is mair than ony rache Rendered into modern English: In Scotland there are dogs of a marvellous nature, for above the common nature and condition of dogs which are seen in all places, there are three sorts of dogs in Scotland which are seen in no other parts of the world..... The third kind is larger than any pack-hound, red coloured or else black with small streaks of spots, and they are called sleuth-hounds by the people. These dogs have such a marvellous cleverness that they seek for thieves, and follow them only by the scent of the goods that are taken away. And not only find the thief but attack him with great cruelty. And though the thieves often cross the water, where they pass to make the hound lose the scent of them and the goods, yet he searches here and there with such diligence that by his foot (ie by the foot-scent of the thief) he finds both the trace of the thief and his goods. The marvellous nature of these hounds will not be believed by ignorant people. Nevertheless, the same hounds are very frequent and common on the borders of England and Scotland. In addition it is established by the laws of the border that he that denies entry to the sleuth-hound on an occasion of pursuit and searching for goods shall be held as an accomplice to the crime and theft committed. *''Bellenden's translation says that the sleuth hound is larger than a rache (pack hound); Boece's Latin original says it is not larger. Whether this is an error by Bellenden, or a deliberate correction, is uncertain.'' 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「sleuth hound」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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