To the Music of Hounds : An Anthropological Account of Foxhunting

by Garry Marvin

Foxhunting is one of the most infamous spectacles of Englishness. Full of excitement, pagentry, etiquette and ritual, its dramatic celebration of the English countryside flings man and animal together in a series of close and fascinating encounters. To many, the hunting ceremony is so significant and necessary that it is seen as a fundamental right to be defended at all costs. Why? What special meaning does foxhunting contain? Anthropologist and investigative film maker Garry Marvin was so curious that he learned to ride with three of Britain's most famous hunts, looking for the cultural sense that hunting makes for its participants - the fox, hounds and horses included. For several years he 'hunted' the huntsmen, riding with them, sharing their lives and interviewing senior figures in their controversial establishment. The result is this eye-opening book, which opens up the hidden and tightly-knit world of the hunting fraternity and explains why what is pursued in the ride to hounds is not just a fox, but ideals of nature, civilisation, fair play, identity and Englishness.

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2005