etedseveralversionsofthelegend,includiwelfth-turyFrenchcultoftheHolyGreyhound.Oneday,amaneshomeandfindsbloodonthemuzzleofthehoundtrustedtoguardhischild,ehemahedogtodeath,onlylatertofindhisbabyunharmed,erdeadonthefloorbythecrib.Realizinghiserror,themasashrihe"holygreyhound"thatprotectedhissonfromthepoisonoussnake.Aroundthisstrewthelegendthatmotherscouldtakethosebabieswith"childsiess"tosuchshriheforestahemwithahepatronsaintandprotectorofchildren:"ASaintGui,pourlavieoupourlamort."

    "Thisformofinfanticide,thedeliberatekillingofachildbasedonitsslimprobabilityofsurvival,"wroteMes,

    becamepartofthemythandfolklorethatenduredwellintotheeeuryinGermany,theBritishIsles,andotherEuropeantries,andthesuperstitiontraveledwithemigrantstotheNewWorld.Inthe1850s,asmallminingunityiernPennsylvaedthedisappearanceofonedozenchildrenfromdifferentfamiliesintothesurroundinghills.AndinpocketsofAppalachia,fromNewYorktoTennessee,locallegendfosteredafolkbeliefthatthesechildrenstillroamtheforests.Aporarycasethatillustratesthepsychologicalrootsofthelegendsayoungman,"Andrew,"whoclaimedunderhypnosistohavebeenabductedby"hobgoblins."Theretunexplaineddiscoveryofanuifiedchild,founddrownedinanearbyriver,wascreditedastheworkoftheseghouls.Hereportedthatmanyofthemissingchildrenfromtheareawerestolenbythegoblinsandlivedunharmedinthewoodsnearby,whileagelingtookeachchildspladlivedoutthatchildslifeintheunity.Suchdelusions,liketheriseofthegelingmyth,areob