Thread by @Sotherans

buckle in because we're about to tell the story of the world's Goodest Boy, or The Dog of Montarges

so, way back in c.14th century France, a knight called Richard de Macaire assassinated someone and buried the body in the woods, to which the only witness was the victim's Dog...

we can all agree that Macaire was what is historically known (amongst more scholarly types) as a bit of an evil twat

the Dog stayed by the grave (good boy) for days before wandering back to town and alerting a Friend of the deceased by barking incessantly until someone came to figure out "what the hell the wretched Dog wants"

classic ruse, Dog, you intelligent mutt

this led to the discovery of the body, and you'd think that would be enough for the Dog

but no

the Dog wasn't done

it was barely begun

the dog insinuated its way into the household of the (much inconvenienced) Friend, and proceeded to enter a bloodthirsty rage whenever Macaire (the murderer) entered the room

the Dog being otherwise a 'Goode Boye of Fyne Standynge', the Friend figured out the connection and brought the matter to the King, who pondered it for a moment before declaring a duel between the armed knight and the dog to settle the manner

that's right. the knight entered the listings against a dog, armed with a club, to prove his innocence, and the King seemed to think this was fair

reader, the dog WON

it grabbed nasty old Macaire by the throat and worried him until the King decided that enough was enough and ruled in the dog's favour

Macaire confessed, fearful of what divine presence in the dog might have allowed it to overpower him, and the king erected a statue of the dog in the woods over his master's grave. Presumably it said "Good Boy" but we shall never know.

and that is the legend of the Dog of Montarges, which I found a reference to in a book on duelling we're stocking in

it may or may not be complete hokum, but let's just believe that it's true