The St. Bernards were an important part of life and work in the Great St. Bernard Pass, which sits on the border of Italy and Switzerland (via Mental Floss). They've been a part of the culture since sometime between the 17th and 18th centuries, Mental Floss says, when the pass was home to a hospice center staffed by monks. The monks themselves often ventured forth to rescue stranded travelers caught in the harsh weather conditions of the pass, aided by the special breed of dog, says Smithsonian.

The barrel around the neck came later. In 1820 a young painter named Edwin Landseer created a piece (above) that showed two of the dogs saving a traveler in the pass. The image shows one of the St. Bernards wearing a barrel around its neck, and according to Mental Floss, Landseer said the barrel contained brandy. That painting, "Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveler," is one source of the enduring legend.

St. Bernards haven't been used for snow rescues since the 1950s, according to Smithsonian. But the image of the dogs with barrels around their necks, running through the snow, has stuck around.

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