Where Did the Term 'Dog Days of Summer' Come From

Why is this time of year, approximately forty days from early July to early September, referred to as the 'Dog Days' of summer?We have all heard the myths about Dog Days, most of which focus around our canine friends, which is why the old folks say this time of year is called Dog Days. Some of the myths that I have heard are-hunting dogs will not hunt, dogs go mad and foam at the mouth for no apparent reason, snakes go blind at strike at anything that comes near them, (dogs in particular), no use in going fishing because the fish will not bite, wounds and sores will not heal, if it rains on the first day of Dog Days, it will rain every day for the next 40 days, or the opposite-if it does not rain on the first day of Dog Days then it will not rain for 40 days, and the list of myths goes on.The above mentioned myths are just that, myths. Handed down from generation to generation, but the real origination of this time of year being dubbed Dog Days, is based on a partial myth also.The term Dog Days was coined in ancient Rome, and was named after the star Sirius, the Dog Star, which is the brightest star besides the sun. It was thought that due to the rising and setting of Sirius at around the same time of the sun each day this time of year, that Sirius added it's heat to the sun's heat, thereby making the days hotter. Hence the term Dogs Days.Other ancient cultures had their own myths about Dog Days, all centering around the rising and setting of the Dog Star. Some cultures even sacrificed a dog on the first day of Dog Days in an attempt to appease Sirius' wrath, which in their opinion, was the cause of the intense heat during this time of year.

Our modern day usage of the term has little to do with Sirius or his alleged wrath. We use the term Dog Days to refer to anything that is slow, lazy or languishing.I like Marion Webster's second definition for the term Dog Days-a period of stagnation. We are in the middle of Dogs Days now, I think the best way to appease the wrath of Sirius is to gather up my canine friends and go stagnate on the couch in front of the air-conditioning for awhile.


By Big Momma