Heaps of rice fill the threshing ground, carts brim with grain. Every home rings with chickens and dogs, and m…
Heaps of rice fill the threshing ground, carts brim with grain. Every home rings with chickens and dogs, and mulberries decorate the fields.
Dog breeding was quite popular during the Song Dynasty. Breeds like the Yulin dog and the Luojiang dog were especially beloved by the people. Among the general populace, a body of canine-related knowledge even emerged. One curious example was "dog dream omens," which interpreted human dreams involving dogs and reflected Song-era beliefs about dreams. The Menglin Xuanjie records: "To be bitten on the head by a dog in the marketplace is auspicious." This means that dreaming of being bitten on the head by a dog in a market signifies a great fortune, such as achieving top honors in the imperial exams.