|
Over
millennia, in a harsh desert environment, nature and the
selective hand of man forged the Azawakh/idi, a race of hounds
possessing a rare combination of physical and mental characteristics;
exotic, beautiful hounds uniquely adapted to serve three distinct
yet inextricably interrelated functions: protector,
hunter, and status symbol.
|
|
Indigenous
to the Sahelian zone of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, they are bred by the
various ethnicities of the Kel Tamajaq, literally, those who speak Tamasheq.
Historically it was the Tuareg Imuchagh, the noble caste of the Kel
Tamajaq, and specifically the Imuchagh of the Azawakh region, who bred the hounds to their highest expression. The
word imuchagh is derived from the Arabic "imageren", a word denoting
the qualities of freedom, pride, purity, and independence.
|
|
For
centuries the Tuareg were the undisputed lords of the
desert, controlling the great caravan routes along which
flowed salt, gold, and slaves destined for the New
World. But colonization and nationalization wrested from
them the very things they once ruled -- their land,
their freedom to move, their slaves. In recent
decades their existence has primarily been one
of poverty and drought. Yet their life, like the
desert in which they dwell, retains a severe beauty.
They are one of the last remaining nomadic cultures of
the earth and the hounds remain an integral element of
their society and culture. |
|
The
Azawakh resemble the Middle Eastern
and North African sighthounds but there are striking and subtle
distinctions. For example the unique vertical format of the
Azawakh is austere and architectural and sharply contrasts the
arabesque loveliness of the Saluki or the rather stern dignity
of the Sloughi. All are almond eyed, lean, and graceful, but the
appearance of the Azawakh is more sere, more abstract---a
reflection of the cultural aesthetic of the Kel Tamajaq. Superior specimens are of noble type;
elegant attenuation fused with a temperament of feral
intensity; with movements that are
collected, elastic, and articulate; with an arrogant, untamed glance
and a guarded and mysterious demeanor.
|
|
They are highly intelligent
but primitive underpinnings are clearly discernible in actions
often decidedly more lupus than familiaris.
Fiercely loyal, they form an exclusive attachment to one
master. In their own home they are independent, playful,
and gentle but in unfamiliar situations they
can be extremely reserved, even unapproachable by strangers.
Socialization can never completely over-ride their primordial suspicion of anything
strange or new.
|
Adignaz,
one of the original Sahelian bred imports to France in
the early 1970's
|
The
Sahelian Azawakh face an increasingly precarious future in
Africa and their
western bred relatives are already being adapted to the artificial criteria of the show ring. However, conscientious
preservationist breeding can contribute positively towards their
future, perhaps ensuring the survival of the authentic
"idi n'illeli", the "hound of the free
people".
click
here for the Sahelian
Azawakh photo galleries
All
images of Azawakh in the Sahel are courtesy of ABIS unless
otherwise indicated.
·
^
·
|
¦