krinsbez:

vintagegeekculture:

In Orthodox imagery, St. Christopher is commonly shown as having a dog’s head. This is meant to be a literal representation of the saint, not metaphorical. Due to medieval confusion and lack of knowledge about geography, St. Christopher was said to be from Lycea, a region of Africa (or Asia) where men have dog’s heads. due to the Curse of Cain, and are ruled by their passions as beasts are. It may also be due to the fact that the term “Canaanite” was mistranslated as “Canine.” 

Dog-headed men were also believed, in the Orthodox tradition, to be among the beastly Roman guards who captured and brutalized Christ. 

Dog-headed men were among the many races believed to inhabit the Medieval world. If you enjoy this topic, read Umberto Eco’s extraordinary Baudolino, about the world in the jump from the middle ages to the Age of Exploration. 

Aww, yeah Cynocephali!