Are you familiar with the St. Bernards who rescued hikers in the snowy Alps? One of the things you know about them is actually a myth. This is the story of the most famous St. Bernard dog who was not even a St. Bernard. And the two most famous stories about him are also myths. So, here is the truth about the St. Bernards and the most famous one. Barry was born in the Great St. Bernard Hospice located in Switzerland near the Great St. Bernard Pass. The pass is a 50-mile pass through the Alps connecting Switzerland and Italy. It was used by many pilgrims making their way to Rome back when people made pilgrimages. It was a very dangerous trip through deep snow. The elevation of the hospice is 8,000 feet above sea level. The hospice was located where St. Bernard de Menthon fought a devil and chained him above the pass. This happened around 1000 A.D., but the use of dogs to rescue travelers did not begin until around 1660 when the monks decided dogs could help search for lost hikers because of their outstanding sense of smell. They took in large dogs from the surrounding area. They were a variety of breeds. The dogs sniffed out people trapped in the snow and also guided travelers. Over a 200-year period, it is estimated the monks and their dogs rescued 2,000 people. In 1800, the monks and some of their dogs guided Napoleon’s army over the pass. So much for pacificism. Barry was born that year. He was smaller than the St. Bernards that we know today, like in the movie “Beethoven”. Barry’s full name was Barry der Menschenretter which means Barry the People Rescuer. He set the record of more than 40 people saved in his career. There were two famous stories about him that turned out to be myths. He supposedly once located a 4-year-old boy. He licked him to warm him up and then carried the boy to the hospice. The fact is Barry was not big enough to have done this. The other myth involved his supposed last rescue. He located a French soldier who was unconscious from the freezing conditions. When Barry woke him up, the soldier panicked thinking Barry was a wolf and stabbed him with his bayonet. Actually, Barry died a natural death. He was stuffed and is on display in the Natural History Museum in Bern, Switzerland. He died before the monks were able to breed the iconic St. Bernards we all know so well. This happened a few years after his death when several severe avalanches killed most of the dogs. The monks decided to take the survivors and breed them with Newfoundland dogs. This resulted in a larger and fluffier dog. A gentle giant. What people do not know is that the breed turned out not to be good for the job of rescuing. They were too heavy and snow clung to their fur causing them to freeze. Another myth has to do with the brandy casks around their necks. They never carried these. Partly because you would not want to give brandy to a freezing person. Barry would have carried a saddle pack containing bread and water. The brandy cask myth has been traced to a painting by a 17-year-old artist named Edwin Landseer. He added the cask in his painting “Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveler.” Barry was a St. Bernard who bravely helped brothers sniff out snowbound seekers of saintliness.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_(dog)
https://www.nmbe.ch/en/exhibitions/barry
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2017/01/10/saint-of-saints/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Bernard_(dog_breed)
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