Lecturer discusses biblical dogs

STAFF REPORT

Why aren’t dogs holy enough to be depicted in drama?

This was a question posed by guest lecturer Rob Wakeman, whose presentation “Peaceable Kingdom: The Place of the Dog in the Living Nativity Scene” sought to ascertain why the dog is not represented in most Biblical plays and living nativity scenes.

Staff photo: Eamon Scarbrough

Guest lecturer Rob Wakeman, currently pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland, delivers the presentation “Peacable Kingdom: The Place of the Dog in the Living Nativity Scene,” about the representation of canines in Biblical art and literature, at Eastern New Mexico University’s Jack Williamson Liberal Arts Building on Thursday evening.

Wakeman debated the place of the dog in Biblical stories in a public presentation Thursday at Eastern New Mexico University.

Wakeman said that many scholars consider the roles of animals in Medieval culture to be in “blood sports like staged hunts, dog fighting, public executions of animals that did something wrong."

"Part of what I want to do here is think past that and think about the ways that animals played roles in the lives of Medieval people that were good, that were collaborative, that were even holy in some sense,” he said.

He warned that there was a great risk of reducing the cultural significance of dogs in assuming that they were primarily used for torture in medieval culture. Instead, Wakeman sought to defend the animals by using the relationship between dogs and shepherds as an example.

“Dogs are essential as mediators between humans and other animals,” he said. “Herding dogs allow humans to manage large flocks that they could never manage on their own while also providing protection.”

Wakeman said that the collaboration between human and dog gave shape to the flock, and that medieval English communities used dramatic performances in a similar way to give shape to their communal faith. He noted that dogs played a prominent role in two of the most famous English Biblical plays called "Shepherd’s Plays."

In one of the two plays, the "Chester Shepherd’s Play," the shepherd’s dog plays a very prominent role. According to Wakeman, the dog plays an emotional role as well, particularly with the shepherd’s son. The two develop a close relationship, and the son begins to act like the dog, even to the point of lifting up his leg and marking his territory at one point.

While Wakeman said that there was no clear interpretation of how the dog was portrayed during the birth of Jesus Christ, he did present several paintings that showed dogs during the announcement of the birth.

“In all of these scenes of the annunciation of the shepherds, the dogs seems to be cowering or hiding, but then when you go to the manger, the dog has disappeared.”

One such example showed a dog hiding behind an ox while another painting depicted a dog almost entirely obscured by darkness.

Wakeman also read the poem “Jolly Wat the Shepherd,” which described a shepherd on his way to Bethlehem leaving instructions for his dog to tend the crops while he is away.

“As the multi-species flock gathers together at Jesus’ manger, the adoration ultimately subordinates animals to humans, just as humans are subordinated to God,” he said. “The herding dog is pushed to the distant margin.”

Wakeman said that a reason for dogs being excluded from the nativity scene is due to a lack of humbleness compared to other animals that are common in living nativity scenes.

“Today it’s common to see camels and kids and all sorts of animals who appear humble, but the herding dog threatens to provoke unexpected audience reactions or to disrupt the established script,” said Wakeman. “Nothing is meant to be uneasy about the nativity scene. It is a promise that is meant to rid the world of hardships. But without the shepherd’s dog, one wonders whether the peaceable kingdom to come will be the product of peace with the animals, or the product of a new system that separates humans from animals.”