Black dog (folklore)

Theblack dogis a supernatural, spectral, or demonichellhoundoriginating fromEnglish folklore,and also present in folklore throughout Europe and the Americas. It is usually unnaturally large with glowing red or yellow eyes, is often connected with theDevil(as an English incarnation of the hellhound), and is sometimes an omen of death.^[1]It is sometimes associated withelectrical storms(such asBlack Shuck's appearance atBungay,Suffolk),^[2]and also withcrossroads,barrows(as a type offairyhound), places ofexecutionand ancient pathways.^[1]^[3]^[4]

Black dogs are generally regarded as sinister or malevolent, and a few (such as theBarghestand Shuck) are said to be directly harmful.^[5]Some black dogs, however, such as the Gurt Dog inSomerset,are said to behave benevolently as guardian black dogs, guiding travellers at night onto the right path or protecting them from danger.^[5]^[6]^[7]The black dog is a recognised folkloricmotif.^[8]

Origins

The origins of the black dog are difficult to discern. It is uncertain whether the creature originated in theCelticorGermanicelements ofBritish culture.ThroughoutEuropean mythology,dogs have been associated with death. Examples of this are theCŵn Annwn(Welsh),^[9]Garmr(Norse)^[10]andCerberus(Greek),^[11]all of whom were in some way guardians of theUnderworld.This association seems to be due to thescavenginghabits of dogs.^[12]It is possible that the black dog is a survival of these beliefs.

Examples

Title page of the account of Rev. Abraham Fleming's account of the appearance of the ghostly black dog "Black Shuck"at the church of Bungay, Suffolk in 1577

Black dogs have been reported from almost all thecounties of England,the exceptions beingMiddlesexandRutland.^[13]

Some of the better-known black dogs are theBarghestofYorkshireandBlack ShuckofEast Anglia.Other names are Hairy Jack,^[14]Padfoot,^[14]Skriker,^[15]Churchyard Beast,^[16]Shug Monkey,^[17]Capelthwaite,^[18]Moddey Dhoo(or Mauthe Doog),^[19]Hateful Thing,^[20]Swooning Shadow,^[21]Bogey Beast,^[22]Gytrash(or Guytrash).^[23]Although theChurch Grimis not a Barghest or Shuck, it can also take the form of a large black dog.^[24]

OnDartmoorin southernDevon,the notorious squireRichard Cabellwas said to have been a huntsman who sold his soul to the Devil. When he died in 1677, black hounds are said to have appeared around his burial chamber. The ghostly huntsman is said to ride with black dogs; this tale inspiredArthur Conan Doyleto write his well-known storyThe Hound of the Baskervilles.^[25]
InLancashire,the black hound is called Barguist, Grim, Gytrash, Padfoot, Shag, Skriker or Striker, and Trash.^[26]^[27]^[28]
Stories are told of a black dog inTwyford,nearWinchester.^[29]
Galley Hill inLuton,Bedfordshire,is said to have been haunted by a black dog ever since a storm set the gibbet alight sometime in the 16th or 17th century.^[30]
Betchworth CastleinSurreyis said to be haunted by a black dog that prowls the ruins at night.^[31]^[32]
Black Dog Hill andBlack Dog Halt railway stationinWiltshireare named after a dog which is said to be found in the area.^[33]
A black dog is said to haunt Ivelet Bridge nearIveletinSwaledale,Yorkshire. The dog is allegedly headless, and leaps over the side of the bridge and into the water, although it can be heard barking at night. It is considered a death omen, and reports claim that anybody who has seen it died within a year. The last sighting was around a hundred years ago.
A black dog inHertfordshirehaunts the town ofStevenagenear theSix Hills(a collection of Romanbarrows) and Whomerley Wood.^[34]
Cannock ChaseinStaffordshirehas long since had rumours of a Black Dog. TheHednesfordHellhound and theSlitting MillBastard to name but two. Paranormal societies have investigated the phenomenon, particularly in the 1970s.^[35]
A black dog is said to have appeared towrestlersat Whiteborough, atumulusnearLaunceston.^[36]
A black dog was once said to haunt the main road betweenBodminand Launceston nearLinkinhorne.^[37]
During the 1800s, a Cornish mining accident resulted in numerous deaths and led to the local area being haunted by a pack of black dogs.^[38]
The parish ofSt Teathis haunted by a ghostly pack of dogs known as Cheney Hounds that once belonged to an old squire named Cheney. It is uncertain how he or the dogs died, but on "Cheney Downs" the dogs are sometimes seen or heard in rough weather.^[39]
From the Isle of Man is a tale of a guardian black dog that prevented the deaths of several men. A fishing boat was waiting in Peel Harbour for itsskipperto command the crew on a night's fishing. They waited all night but the skipper never came. In the early morning a sudden storm sprang up in which the boat might have been lost. When the skipper rejoined his crew he told them that his way had been blocked by a great black dog, and whichever way he turned it always stood before him until he finally turned back.^[40]
There are numerous unnamed black dogs inGuernsey,usually associated with placenames derived frombête(beast).^[41]
The Gallytrot (or Galleytrot) ofNorthern Englandand Suffolk is notable for not being black, though otherwise fulfilling the archetype. It is described as a large white dog with a shadowy or indeterminate outline, and will chase anyone who runs away from it. The word is derived fromgally,to frighten.^[42]^[43]

Barghest

A Barghest (or Barguest) is said to roam theSnickelwaysand side roads ofYork,preying on passersby, and has also been seen nearClifford's Tower.To see the monstrous dog is said to be a warning of impending doom.^[44]

Black Dog of Aylesbury

A man who lived in a village nearAylesburyinBuckinghamshirewould go each morning and night to milk his cows in a distant field. One night on his way there he encountered a sinister black dog, and every night thereafter until he brought a friend along with him. When the dog appeared again he attacked it using the yoke of his milk pails as a weapon, but when he did so the dog vanished and the man fell senseless to the ground. He was carried home alive but remained speechless and paralytic for the rest of his life.^[45]

Black Dog of Bouley

InJersey,theTchian d'Bouôlé(Black Dog of Bouley) tells of a phantom dog whose appearance presages storms.Le Chien de Bouleyis described as a monstrous black hound with eyes the size of saucers and (in some versions of the legend) a chain which it drags behind it, the sound of which is often the first warning victims have of its presence. Although terrifying, it never does physical harm. Its appearance is said to herald a storm.^[46]

The real reason for the superstition of the Black Dog of Bouley Bay is thought to be due to smugglers. If the superstition was fed and became 'real' to the locals, then the bay at night would be deserted and the smuggling could continue in security. The pier at Bouley Bay made this an exceptionally easy task. A local pub retains the name the "Black Dog".^[47]Another theory has it thatLe Tchan( "The Dog" ) is an aural corruption ofLe Chouan,a Jèrriais term for a French Royalistémigré(many of which took refuge in the Island during theFrench Revolution), and the legend took off from there.^[48]

Black Dog of Lyme Regis

Near the town ofLyme RegisinDorsetstood a farmhouse that was haunted by a black dog. This dog never caused any harm, but one night the master of the house in a drunken rage tried to attack it with aniron poker.The dog fled to the attic where it leaped out through the ceiling, and when the master struck the spot where the dog vanished he discovered a hidden cache of gold and silver. The dog was never again seen indoors, but to this day it continues to haunt at midnight a lane which leads to the house called Haye Lane (or Dog Lane). Dogs who are allowed to stray in this area late at night have often mysteriously disappeared.^[49]^[50]^[51]Abed and breakfastin Lyme Regis is named The Old Black Dog, and part of the legend states that the man who discovered the treasure used it to build an inn that originally stood on the site.^[52]

Black Dog of Newgate

The Black Dog of Newgate has been said to haunt theNewgate Prisonfor over 400 years, appearing before executions. According to legend, in 1596 ascholarwas sent to the prison for witchcraft, but was killed and eaten by starving prisoners before he was given a trial. The dog was said to appear soon after, and although the terrified men killed their guards and escaped, the beast is said to have hunted them down and killed them wherever they fled.^[53]Grim (or Fairy Grim) is the name of a shapeshifting fairy that sometimes took the form of a black dog in the 17th-century pamphletThe Mad Pranks and Merry Jests of Robin Goodfellow.He was also referred to as the Black Dog of Newgate, but though he enjoyed frightening people he never did any serious harm.^[54]

Black Dog of Northorpe

In the village ofNorthorpein theWest Lindseydistrict ofLincolnshire(not to be confused withNorthorpein theSouth Kestevendistrict) the churchyard was said to be haunted by a "Bargest". Some black dogs are said to be human beings with the power ofshapeshifting.In another nearby village there lived an old man who was reputed to be a wizard. It was claimed that he would transform into a black dog and attack his neighbours' cattle. It is uncertain if there was any connection between the barghest and the wizard.^[55]

Black Dog of Preston

The Black Dog ofPrestonis said to be a guardian of the city gates, appearing when danger threatens the town.^[56]It is a headless boggart, who could howl nevertheless, and whose howl meant death, as also did its lying down upon a doorstep to someone who dwelt within that special house.^[57]

Black Dog of Tring

In the parish ofTring,Hertfordshire,achimney sweepnamedThomas Colleywas executed by hanging in 1751 for the drowning murder of Ruth Osborne whom he accused of being awitch.Colley's spirit now haunts the site of thegibbetin the form of a black dog, and the clanking of his chains can also be heard.^[58]^[34]In one tale a pair of men who encountered the dog saw a burst of flame before it appeared in front of them, big as aNewfoundlandwith the usual burning eyes and long sharp teeth. After a few minutes it disappeared, either vanishing like a shadow or sinking into the earth.^[59]^[60]^[61]

Black Shuck

InNorfolk,Suffolk,Lincolnshireand the northern parts ofEssex,a black dog known as Black Shuck (also Old Shuck or Shock) is regarded as malevolent, with stories ranging from terrifying people (or killing them outright) to being a portent of death to themselves or a person close to the victim. There are tales that in 1577 it attacked the church in the market town of Bungay, killing two people and appearing on the same day at the church in the nearby village ofBlythburgh,taking the lives of another three and leaving claw marks which remain today.^[62]^[63]In the parish ofOverstrandis a lane known as Shuck's Lane from its frequent appearances there. According to urban legends, if the spot where it was just seen is examined then one may find scorch marks and the smell ofbrimstone.^[64]There are also less common tales of a similar dog said to accompany people on their way home in the role of protector rather than an omen of misfortune.^[65]Among other possible meanings, the name Shuck is derived from a provincial word meaningshaggy.^[64]

Bodu

InGuernseyisBoduortchen Bodu(tchenbeingdoginDgèrnésiais). His appearance, usually in theClos du Valle,foretells death of the viewer or someone close to him.^[41]

Capelthwaite

InWestmorlandand adjacent parts of Yorkshire there was a belief in Capelthwaite, who could take the form of anyquadrupedbut usually appeared as a large black dog. He took his name from the barn in which he lived called Capelthwaite Barn, nearMilnthorpe.He performed helpful services for the people on the farm such as rounding up the sheep, but toward outsiders he was very spiteful and mischievous until one day he was banished by avicar.^[18]As both a helper and a trickster the Capelthwaite behaved more like a domestichobgoblinthan a typical black dog.^[66]

Church Grim

Church Grim

The Church Grim guards a local Christianchurchand its attachedchurchyardfrom those who would profane them including thieves, vandals, witches, and warlocks.^[67]For this purpose, it was the custom to bury a dog alive under thecornerstoneof a church as afoundation sacrifice.Sometimes, the grim will toll thebellsat midnight before a death occurs. At funerals, the presiding clergyman may see the dog looking out from thechurchtowerand determine from its "aspect" whether the soul of the departed was bound forHeavenorHell.Another tradition states that when a new churchyard was opened, the first man buried there had to guard it against the Devil. To save a human soul from such a duty, a black dog was buried in the north part of the churchyard as a substitute.^[68]^[42]^[69]

Dando's Dogs

The area aroundSt Germansis haunted by a pack of hunting dogs known as Dando's Dogs. Dando was an unrepentantly sinful priest and an avid huntsman who was carried off to Hell by the Devil for his wickedness. Since then, Dando and his hounds are sometimes heard in a wild chase across the countryside, especially on Sunday mornings.^[70]

The Devil's Dandy Dogs are another Cornish version of the Wild Hunt. They are often conflated with Dando's Dogs but are much more dangerous. The huntsman is the Devil himself and his dogs are not just ghosts but true hellhounds, black in color with horns and fiery breath. One night a herdsman was journeying home across the moors and would have been overtaken by the Dandy Dogs, but when he knelt and began praying they went off in another direction in pursuit of other prey.^[71]^[72]

Freybug

Freybugis the name of an alleged Black Dog.^[73]

Gabriel Hounds

Gabriel Hounds are dogs with human heads that fly high through the air, and are often heard but seldom seen. They sometimes hover over a house, and this is taken as a sign that death or misfortune will befall those who dwell within. They are also known as Gabriel Ratchets (ratchet being a hound that hunts by scent), Gabble Retchets, and "sky yelpers", and like Yeth Hounds they are sometimes said to be the souls of unbaptised children. Popular conceptions of the Gabriel Hounds may have been partially based on migrating flocks of wild geese when they fly at night with loud honking. In other traditions their leader Gabriel is condemned to follow his hounds at night for the sin of having hunted on Sunday (much like the Cornish Dando), and their yelping cry is regarded as a death omen similar to the birds of folklore known as the Seven Whistlers.^[74]^[75]^[76]

Guardian Black Dogs

Guardian Black Dogs refer to those relatively rare black dogs that are neither omens of death nor causes of it. Instead they guide lost travellers and protect them from danger. Stories of this type became more widespread starting around the early 1900s. In different versions of one popular tale a man was journeying along a lonely forest road at night when a large black dog appeared at his side and remained there until the man left the forest. On his return journey through the wood the dog reappeared and did the same as before. Years later two convicted prisoners told thechaplainthat they would have robbed and murdered the wayfarer in the forest that night but were intimidated by the presence of the black dog.^[7]^[5]

Gurt Dog

The Gurt Dog ( "Great Dog" ) of Somerset is an example of a benevolent dog. It is said that mothers would allow their children to play unsupervised on theQuantock Hillsbecause they believed the Gurt Dog would protect them. It would also accompany lone travelers in the area, acting as a protector and guide.^[6]

Gytrash

The Gytrash (or Guytrash) is a black dog and death omen ofNorthern Englandthat haunts solitary ways and also takes the form of a horse, mule and cow. It was popularised in folklore by its mention in the novelJane EyrebyCharlotte Brontë.^[23]^[77]

Hairy Jack

There are many tales of ghostly black dogs inLincolnshirecollected byEthel Rudkinfor her 1938 publicationFolklore.Such a creature, known locally as Hairy Jack, is said to haunt the fields and village lanes aroundHemswell,and there have been reported sightings throughout the county fromBriggtoSpalding.Rudkin, who claimed to have seen Hairy Jack herself, formed the impression that black dogs in Lincolnshire were mainly of a gentle nature, and looked upon as a spiritual protector.^[78]Hairy Jack was also said to haunt lonely plantations, byways, and waste places where it attacked anyone passing by.^[79]

Moddey Dhoo

In theIsle of Manis the legend of theModdey Dhoo,'black dog'inManx,also styled phoneticallyMauthe DoogorMawtha Doo.It is said to haunt the environs ofPeel Castle.^[19]People believe that anyone who sees the dog will die soon after the encounter with the dog. It is mentioned bySir Walter ScottinThe 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.

Padfoot

InWakefield,^[14]Leeds,Pudseyand some areas ofBradfordthe local version of the legend is known as Padfoot. A death omen like others of its type, it may become visible or invisible and exhibits certain characteristics that give it its name. It is known to follow people with a light padding sound of its paws, then appearing again in front of them or at their side. It can utter a roar unlike the voice of any known animal, and sometimes the trailing of a chain can be heard along with the pad of its feet.^[80]It is best to leave the creature alone, for if a person tries to speak to or attacks it then it will have power over them. One story tells of a man who tried to kick the Padfoot and found himself dragged by it through hedge and ditch all the way to his home and left under his own window. Although usually described as black, another tale concerns a man who encountered a white Padfoot. He attempted to strike it with his stick but it passed completely through, and he ran home in fear. Soon afterward he fell sick and died.^[80]

Skriker and Trash

The Skriker (or Shrieker^[15]) of Lancashire and Yorkshire is a death omen like many others of its type, but it also wanders invisibly in the woods at night uttering loud, piercing shrieks. It may also take visible form as a large black dog with enormous paws that make a splashing sound when walking, like "old shoes walking in soft mud". For this reason the Skriker is also known as Trash, another word fortrudgeorslog.^[15]^[81]^[82]The name Skriker is also derived from a dialect word forscreechin reference to its frightful utterances.^[83]

Tchico

InGuernsey,Tchico(Tchi-cohtwoNormanwords for dog, whencecur), is headless, and is supposed to be the phantom of a pastBailiffof Guernsey,Gaultier de la Salle,who was hanged for falsely accusing one of his vassals.^[41]

Yeth Hound and Wisht Hounds

The Yeth Hound (or Yell Hound) is a black dog found inDevonfolklore. According to Brewer'sDictionary of Phrase and Fable,the Yeth Hound is a headless dog, said to be the spirit of anunbaptisedchild, that rambles through the woods at night making wailing noises. It is also mentioned in theDenham Tracts,a 19th-century collection of folklore byMichael Denham.It may have been one inspiration for the ghost dog inThe Hound of the Baskervillesby Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 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 (Hausman 1997:47).^[84]

The Wisht or Wish Hounds (wishtis a dialect word for "ghostly" or "haunted" ) are a related phenomenon^[85]and some folklorists regard them as identical to the Yeth Hounds.^[86]^[87]Wistman's Woodon Dartmoor in southern Devon is said to be the home of the Wisht Hounds as they make their hunting forays across the moor.^[88]The road known as the Abbot's Way and the valley of theDewerstoneare favoured haunts of the hounds.^[86]Their huntsman is presumably the Devil,^[87]and it is said that any dog that hears the crying of the hounds will die.^[86]One legend states that the ghost ofSir Francis Drakesometimes drove a black hearse coach on the road betweenTavistockandPlymouthat night, drawn by headless horses and accompanied by demons and a pack of headless yelping hounds.^[89]Charles Hardwicknotes that black coach legends are "relatively modernised versions" ofWild Huntand "Furious Host" traditions.^[90]Robert Huntfurther defineswhishorwhishtas "a common term for that weird sorrow which is associated with mysterious causes".^[88]

In Scotland and Wales

Though English, black dog folklore has spread to other parts of the British Isles. In Scotland the "Muckle Black Tyke" is a black dog that presides at theWitches' Sabbathand is supposed to be the Devil himself, whilst near the village ofMurthlyis astanding stone,and it is said that the person brave enough to move it will find a chest guarded by a black dog.^[5]

InWalesthe black dog counterpart was theGwyllgior "Dog of Darkness", a frightful apparition of amastiffwith baleful breath and blazing red eyes.^[9]^[91]Another ghostly black dog is said to hauntSt Donat's Castle,with some witnesses claiming it to have been accompanied by thehag,Gwrach y Rhibyn.^{[citation needed]}

Other British examples of spectral or supernatural dogs exist which fulfil the broader hellhound archetype, and which may have influenced black dog folklore, but which are not themselves black dogs. These include fairy hounds, such as the WelshCŵn Annwn,connected with theotherworldrealm ofAnnwnand referred to in theFour Branches of the Mabinogiand elsewhere, whiche are described as dazzling white hounds.^[92]TheCù Sìthof theScottish Highlandsis dark green in color and the size of a stirk (a yearling calf). They were usually kept tied up in the brugh (fairy mound) as watchdogs, but sometimes they accompanied the women during their expeditions or were allowed to roam about alone, making their lairs among the rocks. They moved silently, had large paws the size of adult human hands, and had a loud baying sound that could be heard far out at sea. It is said that anyone who heard them bark three times was overcome with terror and died of fear.^[93]The dogs belonging to the ferrishyn or Manx fairies can be found in a wide variety of colors. They are sometimes described as white and wearing red caps^[94]or may be found in all colors of the rainbow.^[95]

Outside of Britain

Variations of theHellhoundare known throughout world mythology and folklore, some of which may have influenced or been influenced by the English black dog.

Mainland Europe

The earliest known report of a black dog was inFrancein AD 856, when one was said to materialize in a church even though the doors were shut. The church grew dark as it padded up and down the aisle, as if looking for someone. The dog then vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.^[96]On mainlandNormandytheRongeur d'Oswanders the streets ofBayeuxon winter nights as a phantom dog, gnawing on bones and dragging chains along with it.^[97]

Oude Rode Ogen( "Old Red Eyes" ) or the "Beast of Flanders"was a spirit reported inMechelen,Belgiumin the 18th century who would take the form of a large black dog with fiery red eyes. InWallonia,the southern region of Belgium, folktales mentioned theTchén al tchinne( "Chained Hound" inWalloon), a hellish dog bound with a long chain, that was thought to roam in the fields at night.^[98]InGermanyand theCzech landsit was said that the devil would appear in the form of a large black dog.^[99]^[100]

According to Catholic legend, a black dog attempted to steal Italian mysticBenedetta Carliniwhen she was a child in the 17th century, but her screams frightened him away. By the time her mother arrived, the dog had disappeared, and Benedetta and her parents interpreted this incident as the work of a devil disguised as an animal.^[101]

Latin America

Black dogs with fiery eyes are reported throughoutLatin AmericafromMexicotoArgentinaunder a variety of names including the Perro Negro (Spanish for black dog),Nahual(Mexico),Huay Chivoand Huay Pek (Mexico) – alternatively spelled Uay/Way/Waay Chivo/Pek,Cadejo(Central America), thedog Familiar(Argentina) and theLobizon(Paraguay and Argentina). They are usually said to be either incarnations of the Devil or a shape-changing sorcerer.^[102]

North America

Black dog folklore likely spread with the English diaspora after the colonising of America. The legend of a small black dog has persisted inMeriden,Connecticutsince the 19th century. The dog is said to haunt theHanging Hills:a series of rock ridges and gorges that serve as a popular recreation area. The first non-local account came from W. H. C. Pynchon inThe Connecticut Quarterly,in which it is described as a death omen. It is said that, "If you meet the Black Dog once, it shall be for joy; if twice, it shall be for sorrow; and the third time shall bring death."^[103]

A New England black dog tale comes from southeasternMassachusettsin the area known, by some, as theBridgewater Triangle.In the mid-1970s, the town ofAbingtonwas, reportedly, terrorized by a large, black dog that caused a panic. A local fireman saw it attacking horses. Local police unsuccessfully searched for it, at first they didn't see the black dog. But eventually, a police officer sighted the dog walking along train tracks and shot at it. Apparently, the bullets had no effect on the animal and it walked off, never to be seen again.^{[citation needed]}

In theSouth Jersey Pine Barrens,there is alocal legend told by Pine Barren residentsdescribing a ghostly black dog that is said to roam the beaches and pine forests in the area roughly from Absecon Island to Barnegat Bay. Unlike most British or Germanic “black dog” legends, the black dog of the Pine Barrens is generally considered a harmless or even benevolent spirit. According to folklore, pirates onAbsecon Islandattacked a ship and killed its crew. Among those killed were the cabin boy and his black dog, and the spirit of this black dog supposedly roams the beaches and pines searching for his owner.^[104]

From sparsely populated centralDelaware(specifically the towns ofFredericaandFelton) comes the myth of the Fence Rail Dog, said to be a ghost that is as tall as a fence and races cars alongRoute 12but is wholly harmless. There are three variants of the myth; one is that it is the ghost of a cornered outlaw who committed suicide, another is that it is that of a slave killed by his master and looking for a place to be buried, while a third one says it is that of a dog murdered along with its owner, and looks to avenge both of them.^[105]

In the rural backroads of upstateSouth Carolinadwells another frequent spotting site of a black dog haunting travelers. The Ghost Hound of Goshem Hill is said to aggressively prowl around Old Buncombe Road in Sumter National Forest; legend claims his master had been unjustly killed for a crime.^[106]

In the lore of long-haul truckers, seeing a black dog with red eyes in your peripheral vision is a sign of a fatal crash being imminent, and that you should pull off immediately. Some think the "dog" is just the eyes beginning to subconsciously close, causing a black spot in the corner of the eye.^{[citation needed]}

In popular culture

The legend has been referenced many times in popular culture. One of the most famous ghostly black dogs in fiction appears inSir Arthur Conan Doyle'sThe Hound of the Baskervilles,where a large dog-like creature haunts a family estate.Sherlock Holmesis brought in to determine if the dog is in fact real or supernatural. This story makes use of folktales where black dogs symbolize death.^{[citation needed]}

Another famous ghostly black dog may be found inJ.K. Rowling'sHarry Potter series:the "Grim", a "giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards"^[107]is "the worst omen of death"^[107]according to Harry Potter's divination teacher,Professor Trelawney.Another reference to the legend can be found in the same book,Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban,Padfoot being the nickname ofSirius Black,ananimaguswho can turn into a large black dog and who is mistaken for the Grim by Harry.

English rock bandLed Zeppelin's song "Black Dog"is loosely inspired by the trope of the black dog, incidentally, as well as a reference to a nameless blackLabrador Retrieverthat wandered around theHeadley Grangestudios during recording.^[108]

American singer-songwriterTaylor Swiftreleased a bonus track entitled "The Black Dog" on a special edition of her studio albumThe Tortured Poets Department.^[109]The song is slow and has a sad theme, but the black dog is referenced as a London pub with the same name.^[110]

In theDungeons & Dragonsrole-playing game, black hound is another name for the intelligentmoon dog,which counter to expectations is a helpful creature bent on hunting evil.^[111]^[112]The game also features evil yeth hounds as "massive, human-faced dogs that serve as the hunting dogs of powerfulfey".^[113]

References

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^^a ^bRickard & Michell 2000, pp. 286–287.
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^"Englands Black Dog Legends".
^Deane & Shaw 2003, p. 82.
^Deane & Shaw 2003, p. 44; also Semmens, Jason. ' "Whyler Pystry": A Breviate of the Life and Folklore-Collecting Practices of William Henry Paynter (1901–1976) of Callington, Cornwall. "Folklore116, No. 1 (2005) pp. 75–94.
^Thiselton-Dyer 1893, p. 108.
^Hunt 1865, p. 151.
^Briggs 1976, p. 301.
^^a ^b ^cde Garis, Marie (1986) Folklore of Guernsey, The Guernsey Press,ASIN B0000EE6P8
^^a ^bWright 1913, p. 194.
^Briggs 1976, p. 183.
^Henderson, William (1879). "Ch. 7".Notes on the folk-lore of the northern counties of England and the borders(2nd ed.). Folk-Lore Society. p. 275.
^Hartland 1906, pp. 235–236.
^"Folklore – The Black Dog of Bouley Bay".BBC. 27 November 2014.
^Jersey Maritime Museum for references to the folklore of the Black Dog
^Hilsdon, Sonia.Jersey Witches, Ghosts & Traditions.Norwich: Jarrold Colour Publications, 1984. Print.
^Hartland 1906, pp. 238–241.
^Udal 1922, pp. 167–168.
^Briggs 1977, pp. 138–140.
^The Old Black Dog"The Black Dog Legend"
^Clark 2007, pp. 86–87.
^Collier 1841, p. 43.
^Gutch and Peacock 1908, p. 54.
^"The Paranormal Database".
^The Preston Guardian, 17 December 1887
^Hertfordshire's Last Witch HuntArchived3 March 2016 at theWayback MachineCh. 3.
^Thiselton-Dyer 1893, pp. 106–108.
^Hartland 1906, p. 237.
^Briggs 1977, p. 137.
^"1577, August 4: Suffolk Black Dog"Anomalies.
^Rickard & Michell 2000, p. 287.
^^a ^bHartland 1906, pp. 237–8.
^"The Tollesbury Midwife"Shuckland.
^Briggs 1976, p. 223 ( "Hobgoblin" ).
^Simpson, Jacqueline (1994).Penguin Book of Scandinavian Folktales.15. Penguin Books.ISBN 978-0140175806.
^Henderson 1879, p. 274.
^Briggs 1976, pp. 74–75.
^Hunt 1865, pp. 247–251.
^Hunt 1865, pp. 251–252.
^Hartland 1906, p. 244.
^Rose, Carol (2001).Giants, Monsters, and Dragons.New York:W. W. Norton & Company.ISBN 0-393-32211-4.
^Hardwick 1872,pp. 153–154.
^Henderson 1879, pp. 129–132.
^Wright 1913, pp. 195–197.
^Wood, Juliette."The Gytrash"
^Codd, Daniel.Haunted Lincolnshire.Tempus Publishing Ltd (2006) pp. 75–78.ISBN 0-7524-3817-4
^Gutch and Peacock 1908, p. 53.
^^a ^bHenderson 1879, pp. 273–274.
^Wright 1913, pp. 194–195.
^Harland and Wilkinson 1867, pp. 91–92.
^Hartland 1906, p. 238.
^Brewer. Hausemen & Hausemen 1997.
^"The Dark Huntsman".Legendarydartmoor.co.uk. 28 October 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 19 October 2013.Retrieved18 June2012.
^^a ^b ^cHunt 1865, p. 150.
^^a ^bBriggs 1976, p. 440.
^^a ^bHunt 1865, Introduction p. xix.
^Hunt 1865, p. 260.
^Hardwick 1872,p. 192.
^Gantz 1976, pp. 46–47.
^Pugh 1990, pp. 19, 67
^Campbell 1900, pp. 30–32.
^Gill 1932Ch. 6 Sec. 2.
^Morrison 1911, p. 29.
^McNab, Chris "Mythical Monsters: The scariest creatures from legends, books, and movies" in Scholastic Publishing 2006, pp. 8–9.
^Wright 1846,p. 128.
^Warsage, Rodolphe deSorcellerie et Cultes Populaires en Wallonie,Noir Dessein, 1998.
^Varner, Gary R.Creatures in the mist: little people, wild men and spirit beings around the world: a study in comparative mythologyin Algora Publishing 2007, pp. 114–115.
^Stejskal, Martin (1991).Labyrintem tajemna, aneb Průvodce po magických místech Československa[The Labyrinth of Mystery, or Guide to the Magical Places of Czechoslovakia] (in Czech). Prague: Paseka. p. 36.ISBN 80-85192-08-X.
^Brown, Judith C.(1986).Immodest acts: the life of a lesbian nun in Renaissance Italy.New York:Oxford University Press.ISBN 0-19-503675-1– viaInternet Archive.
^Burchell 2007, pp. 1, 24.
^"The Connecticut Quarterly".19 May 2008.Retrieved18 February2019.
^Homer, larona C.; and Bock, William Sauts.Blackbeard the pirate and other stories of the Pine Barrens,pp. 90-92. Middle Atlantic Press, 1979.ISBN 9780912608105.Accessed September 24, 2015.
^Benedict, Adam (18 November 2018)."Cryptid Profile: The Fence Rail Dog".THE PINE BARRENS INSTITUTE.Retrieved20 June2023.
^Jarvis, Robin (7 October 2021)."The Ghost Hound Of Goshen Hill Is A Legendary Ghost Dog That Haunts A Five-Mile Stretch Of Road In South Carolina".OnlyInYourState®.Retrieved7 November2023.
^^a ^bRowling, J. K.Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban.Bloomsburry.
^Crowe 1993,p. 13.
^"Instagram".instagram.Retrieved3 March2024.
^Street, Francesca (24 April 2024)."What it's like inside The Black Dog, the London pub made famous by Taylor Swift".cnn.Retrieved24 April2024.
^Gygax, Gary(1983).Monster Manual II.TSR.p. 92.ISBN 0-88038-031-4.
^Colleran, Meaghan (20 September 2021)."Monster Spotlight: The Good Aligned Monsters Of D&D".Bell of Lost Souls.Retrieved7 May2024.
^Disalvo, Paul; Huston, Gabrielle (27 March 2023)."Dungeons & Dragons: Monsters That Are Perfect Bosses For A Low Level Party".The Gamer.Retrieved7 May2024.

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