What does Sarah Palin call her dogs?

I had hardly finished posting about the names of the hounds that killed Actaeon in a Latin poem when we had the name of the Republican vice-presidential candidate and her family.

Track, Trig, Bristol, Willow and Piper were, it seemed, the names that the hunting governor, Sarah Palin, had chosen  for her children.

As I'd been saying before this new hunter story arrived, Ovid's list for the canine killers in the story painted by Titian - canvas currently FOR SALE at £50 million to the British public -  also had a Track at the beginning.

It then went on for some thirty additional named animals.

As well as Gnasher and Shag, there were Woodman and Whitefoot, black-coated Sooty and Barker the noisy bitch - all keen to rip apart poor Actaeon for catching the goddess Diana without her clothes on.

See the painting below. A TITIAN BARGAIN. OUGHT TO  BE £150 MILLION AT LEAST.

Ovid was being quite modest in his number of dog names. Eighty five appear in the Greek sources. It was a literary convention, a kind of game, perfect for children as well as dogs when present in large numbers

Every one of the Palin names would fit perfectly this sort of list - trees, birds and shooting terminology preferred.

British kennels kept them too when hunting was still allowed in Britain.

Arctic, Bustle, Canvas, Lapwing, Magpie, Safety, Satchel.

Even the most imaginative kennel-keeper lost imagination after a while.

What does the Governor of Alaska call her own family dogs?

George, Edward, Alice, Emma and Rose?

Given the web-interest in this issue - the names of dogs and children, not the fate of the Titian -  we will doubtless soon learn.

Comments

[debby]

Yes, Mr. Rick Davis, that is what we women do, it is the most important job we have. usually we put the "what not" first, then catch up on our correspondence and calls second. Whew...finally someone gets how hard we work!

[Lord Truth]

I refuse to believe that Sooty was involved

[Dion Per Sona]

Word has it that they're End-Timers, Susan. "Apolloclipse", probably.

[Candadai Tirumalai]

American nomenclature can be a study in itself. Thus there is an Indiana, Pennsylvania. And English last names can be first names in America: Truman, for instance.
Sir Peter: You have the ability to build an essay out of non-portentous elements, in a way characteristic of English essayists.

[Susan Balée]

What will her daughter name the new baby, I wonder!

[Dion Per Sona]

"Obviously it's been quite a whirlwind week for her, so I think it's also a good opportunity for her to catch her breath and catch up on some of the correspondence and calls and what not that she has," McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said in a morning conference call.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-palin2-2008sep02,0,5583385,full.story

Looking forward to reading Germaine Greer on "Dobson cowed."