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GHOST HOUNDS
Ghost Hounds are ghostly packs of dogs that are found in
early myths and legends from Europe.
The origins of these supernatural hounds are shrouded in
mystery but one of the earliest connections seems to be to an old
Celtic legend, Arawn, the Lord of Winter. In the tale,
Arawn and his 'hounds of
hell' (or Gabriel's Hounds) supposedly flew off by night in search of human souls. Also,
Cwm Annwn, who may also have been the original source for the
legend of Herne the Hunter, and his pack of ethereal white
dogs terrorized the countryside, in Welsh myth.
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Similar stories are told throughout Germany, Scandinavia and
Britain. Ghost hounds have also been seen in the United States.
The legend of the phantom hounds has mutated somewhat since then
and the beasts are known by many names. In the British Isles they
are referred to as:
- 'Old Shuck' in Norfolk
- 'Old Shock' in Suffolk
- 'Gwyllgi' in Wales
- 'Moddey Dhoo' or 'Mauthe Doog' on the Isle of Man
- 'Gurt Dog' in Somerset
- 'Dando' in Cornwall
- 'Yeth' in Devon
- 'Barguest' in Yorkshire
- 'Guytrash' in northern England
- 'Pooka' in Ireland
In other regions the dogs are known as 'Skriker', 'Padfoot' and
'Black Shag'. In Belgium the beast is known as the Kludde. It is interesting to note that the names 'Shuck' and 'Shock' are
in fact derived from succa, an Old English word meaning
demon.
The forms of these foul beasts differ from region to
region with their names. The ghosts are invariably black, except in
the much older legends mentioned above, and the hounds are almost
always said to be much larger than normal dogs, in some cases the
size of a calf. Some phantom hounds were headless, while
others had heads but with only one large eye or even multiple heads. Glowing red eyes are
also a common variant. A few of the apparitions were even said to
have wings and walk on their hind legs. In several stories of
encounters with phantom hounds, the specters have transformed into
black cats, large black birds and even headless black women.
The behavior that the creatures display is equally
diverse. Common areas haunted by phantom dogs are gates, stiles and
crossroads, but sightings have also been reported in graveyards,
especially in the United States. The apparitions are sometimes
accompanied by the sound of rattling chains, or they walk with an
unnerving splashing noise. Some of them are said to talk, as in
one documented case when a phantom dog said to a man passing along
the lane 'I shall want you within the week'. The man died soon
afterwards. In other stories the creatures chase their victims. It
is impossible to escape a phantom hound under such circumstances;
the more you run, the faster the beast will give chase. There is not
a single recorded incident, legend or story in which a hound is in
anyway pleasant.
For he was
speechless, ghastly, wan,
Like him, of whom the story ran,
Who spoke the spectre-hound in Man.
Sir Walter Scott, Lay of the Last Minstrel
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