Black Dogs of the UK

Black dogs of the UK




Black dogs feature widely in the legends and folk-law of the UK, (although not so much in Scotland), usually appearing at night and reported as being larger then a normal dog with large, glowing eyes. In folk-law the animals are associated with the Devil and their appearance is often taken to be a potent of death. They are also, often associated with crossroads, ancient tracks or places of execution.



It’s difficult to determine whether the ‘culture’ of the black dog originated in the Celtic or the Germanic elements in Britain mythology, but throughout Europe dogs have usually been associated with death, (such as Cerberus guarding the entrance to the Underworld in Greek mythology).



Black dogs are almost always thought of as malevolent, and a few are even regarded as directly dangerous to those who are unfortunate enough to see them.





Every ‘traditional’ county in England has reports, or legends associated with black dogs, with just two exceptions; Rutland and Middlesex, and there are numerous local names used to describe them, such as;

Hairy Jack, Skriker, Padfoot, Churchyard Beast, Shug Monkey, Cu Sith, Galleytrot, Capelthwaite, Mauthe Doog, Hateful Thing, Swooning Shadow, Bogey Beast.





Some of the best-known black dogs from the UK -



Devon:

A legend tells how a huntsman, Squire Cabell, sold his soul to the Devil, and when he died in 1677 black hounds appeared at his grave. His ghost is now said to ride with the hounds on a nightly ‘wild hunt’.



Several versions of the legend exist and a Devon word, ‘Wishthounds’, (Wisht being a local word for ghost), is sometimes used to describe this hunt.



Another version is the Yeth Hound, said to be the spirit of an un-baptised child, which rambles through the woods at night making wailing noises.





Arthur Conan Doyle used the legend of the black dog of Dartmoor as the inspiration for one of his best-known works, The Hound of the Baskervilles, in which it is described as;



an enormous coal-black hound, but not such a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen – with fire in his eyes and breath





Kent:

A black dog has occasionally been sighted in the woods on Bluebell Hill, an area renowned for ghostly haunting and unexplained events.





Hertfordshire:In the town of Tring, a ferocious black dog with red eyes is said to haunt the middle of the road where the gibbet once stood. It is known locally as The Lean Dog, and legend describes it as the spirit of a chimney sweep executed for murder. If anybody approaches the dog it disappears into the ground.



Somerset:The Gurt, or Great, Dog, is an example of a benevolent dog. It was said that mothers would allow their children to play unsupervised on the Quantock Hills because they believed that the Gurt Dog would protect them. It would also accompany lone travelers in the area, acting as a protector and guide.





London:

A black dog has been said to haunt the site of Newgate Prison for over 400 years, and would appear just before an execution. According to the most popular story, in 1596 an academic was sent to the prison accused of witchcraft. However, he was murdered and eaten by the starving prisoners before his trail and the dog was said to have appeared soon afterwards. The prisoners killed their guards and escaped, but the dog was supposed to have haunted each one of them for the rest of their lives.





Bedfordshire:

In Luton, in the 18th century lightning struck the gallows and set it alight; the site has been haunted by a black dog ever since.





Surrey:

Betchworth Castle is haunted by a large black dog that prowls the ruins during the night.









Suffolk:

In Suffolk, Norfolk and the northern parts of Essex, a dog, called Black Shuck, or Black Shug, is believed to be benign and is said to accompany women on their way home in the role of protector.





Wiltshire:

There is even a railway station, Black Dog Halt, named for a ghostly dog said to haunt the area.





Isle of Man

Mauthe Dhoog (Black Dog in Manx), is alleged to haunt Peel Castle. Locals believe that anyone who sees the animal will die soon afterwards. Sir Walter Scott makes mention to the dog in his novel, ‘The Lay of the Last Minstrel’;



"For he was speechless, ghastly, wan

Like him of whom the Story ran

Who spoke the spectre hound in Man."





Channel Islands:

On Guernsey, there are two well-known dogs, Tchico is headless, and is supposed to be the phantom of a past Bailiff of Guernsey, Gaultier de la Salle, who was hanged for falsely accusing one of his vassals.



The other dog is called Bodu or tchen Bodu, His appearance, usually in the Clos du Valle, predicts the death of the witness, or someone close to them.



There are also several other tales of black dogs on the island, usually associated with place-names that derive from bête, a Norman word for ‘Beast’.





On the island of Jersey, ‘The Black Dog of Death’ or ‘Tchico’ is said to appear before a storm, and predict death. However, this tale may have been spread by smugglers who wanted to discourage too many people from going out at night and who might stumble across their activities.





Wales:

The ‘gwyllgi’, or ‘Dog of Darkness’, is a frightful apparition of a mastiff with blazing red eyes and a baleful breath.



There is also Cŵn Annwn, who is believed to live in Annwn, the afterlife of Welsh mythology. Although he is reported as being a dazzling white, rather than black.