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40 Animals that Changed History

Tim Flight November 5, 2019 26 min

Medieval Dogs - Dog — King John of England with his dogs, England, c.1307-27. British Library

31. A greyhound helped cause the English Reformation

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, whose naughty dog bit the pope’s foot, York, c.1585-1596. Wikimedia Commons

King Henry VIII of England wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon because she couldn’t give him a male heir. In Catholic England, this posed a delicate challenge. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey traveled to petition Pope Clement VII, and for some reason took his beloved greyhound, Urian, with him. Unfortunately, when Clement extended his foot for Wolsey to kiss, Urian leaped forward and bit him. Wolsey didn’t want to put his lips on Urian’s slobber, and refused the gesture. Whether this insolence determined Clement’s decision or not, he refused Wolsey’s request, and Henry later broke with Rome altogether to get his divorce.

Written by

Tim Flight

I am a freelance historical and literary writer based in West Yorkshire, UK. I read for a funded PhD in English at the University of Oxford (Magdalen College) and graduated in 2016. I am a former lecturer in Medieval English Literature at Royal Holloway, University of London. My publications include peer-reviewed articles in academic publications, and pieces in mainstream magazines such as History Today and Fortean Times. For more information, please see www.drflight.co.uk