I was going to write about King Matthias Corvinus and his Kuvasz and Vlad the Impaler (also known as Dracula). Matthias Corvinus and Vlad knew each other and at one point were related by marriage. They were also enemies and Matthias Corvinus had Vlad imprisoned (1463-1475).
Supposedly, Matthias Corvinus owned Kuvaszok and I wondered if Kuvasz might have had a role in protecting Matthias Corvinus from Dracula, which would be a good Halloween story.
But as I researched this, I found nothing about Matthias Corvinus owning Kuvasz. And the statues of dogs on King Matthias Corvinus's fountain appear to be hounds, not Kuvasz.
Then I realized that the only place I've heard this claim is in the literature from the Kuvasz Club of America, which writes,
"Hungarian kings circa 1000-1300 AD used the Kuvasz as guardian, hunting dog, drover and banquet hand towel, wiping greasy hands onto the dog’s coat! King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary (1443-1490) famously developed a Kuvasz breeding program in order to surround himself with these loyal guardians whom he trusted more than the people of his court."
Can anyone cite the source of this story? To let me know, please email me with the source(s) of this story at amy@amyelf.com. Thank you!
ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/vlad-impaler-inspiration-behind-count-dracula
Matthias Fountain is a monumental fountain group in the western forecourt of Buda Castle, Budapest.
Click here to see the Kuvasz Klips blog!
