An unnamed Newfoundland is credited for saving Napoleon from drowning in 1815 when he fell overboard in rough seas whilst trying to escape from exile on the island of Elba. The fisherman's dog jumped into the sea and kept Napoleon afloat until he could reach safety.Little did this poor dog know that he changed the course of history by saving the French Emperor. Without him my country, Belgium, would probably not exist neither would the European Union as we know it today nor Waterloo station nor the movie Waterloo Bridge with Vivien Leigh nor some lost village on Bodmin Moor named Waterloo. Not to mention the implementation of the Civil Code ( le code Napoléon ) which strongly influenced the legal infrastructure in many countries and which historians have called “one of the few documents which have influenced the whole world”. All this because of a dog.
9 comments:
Cute picture! Who would have guessed?! And I bet there would have been no "Waterloo" song from ABBA either, & would they have won the Eurovision without it? Gosh, one wonders what would have been ;@)
So this dog not only changed history but geography as well...
They are amazing creatures.
Crystal xx
Well those are interesting thoughts Eurodog.
These are wonderful dogs, we have a pair near us. A bit too large for housedogs however. Huge gallumpers.
It was probably called Josephine
I do love a Newfie.
What an interesting slice of history!
I think dogs are the true 'Unsung Heroes' of the world!
So , its not just Lassie and Rin Tin Tin who are note worthy. thanks you for the piece of history!
Post a Comment