The Big Black Dog
It’s the second day of summer, and you are already bored stiff. You talk to your mom, and she says you can have a few friends spend the night, as long as you don’t disturb your dad. “Great!” You exclaim and you immediately call your 5 best friends.
The party is going great. It starts to get dark, and one of your friends suggests that you all tell ghost stories.
Someone inevitably tells the one that starts: “One time, on a night much like tonight, 5 girls were spending the night at a friends house. They were sitting around telling ghost stories, when suddenly, out of the darkness...” (That one was freaky in 3rd grade, but it just doesn’t cut the mustard anymore). If you really want to scare your friends, tell the tale of the Big Black Dog. (This one is especially effective if you are in a tent, it’s windy outside, you live down the street from a kennel, or your neighbors have a Labrador.)
The definite origins of the Big Black Dog are not known, however many things are believed to have been possible answers. One of these is the Danish invasion of England. Vikings were sometimes referred to as “Dogs”, and the association of the BBD and death could be due to the “Dogs’” slaughter of early inhabitants of England. The connection with death may have also stemmed from the tendency of wild dogs to scavenge and devour corpses.
The description of the Big Black Dog is unlike that of any other creature known to me. The phantom is, obviously, a large dog with an ebony coat. It is sometimes described as a black wolf, but more frequently very much like a Labrador in appearance. It possesses fiery, glowing eyes. They are usually reported to be of a reddish color, however other hues have been told of. You can also recognize this apparition by the noises apparently associated with it. It has an eerie howl, and is sometimes followed by the sound of clanking chains. This specter usually roughly the size of a small pony, and built like a Labrador or rottweiler. Often, the person who sees the hound is taken aback by the feeling of malevolence about it. In Sicily, is believed to carry a sword in its paws to smash altars and other such objects in churches.
There are many variations to the story of this phantom hound coming from many parts of the world. This hideous beast has been seen in many countries. Although usually associated with England, the BBD has also been spotted in Italy, Australia, the United States, and other countries. It is generally seen along roadways or near gateways to fields at night. This beast was once thought to be a spirit of the corn, due to its tendency to be seen around fields. This apparition has been called many different things. Some of the more popular include the Phantom Hound, the Roy Dog, the Shadow Dog, and the Big Black Dog. Here's a link to a chart from The Phantom Hound webpage which explains about the different names, locations, and special characteristics of some of the variations of Big Black Dogs in Great Britain, and where the information was obtained: Names and Locations. In the medieval times, it was supposed to have entered a church in England. It was then said to have attacked a priest, and to this day, there are paw prints burned into the wooden church floor. While surfing the web, we ran across a story about a person in Australia who sighted a ghost dog. We strongly believe that this was the BBD. To check the story out for yourself, visit A Very Eerie Experience .
Through the ages, people have tried to explain this spook. In the dark ages, it was thought to be a carrier of the plague that wiped out more than half of the population of Europe. It has been accused of being a messenger of Satan and is usually regarded as a forewarning of death or other catastrophe. This beast is nearly always considered to be an ill omen. Anyone who sees this monster is thought to be cursed, as it is believed that if someone sees it, then tells someone, the person who is told will soon die. (Hey, that’s a good way to get rid of your enemies! Here doggie, doggie, doggie! Come to Auntie Lom!)
I am very sorry if you have nightmares after reading this article. If it’s any consolation, it took me a week to work up the courage to write this. If Larissa and Bridget hadn’t threatened me with my life, I probably wouldn’t have (J/K)! And to those of you who think Steven King books are for sissies, yes, I am a great, big wuss.
- Robin
The Phantom Hound - An excellent page on the Big Black Dog and more of England's ghost dogs
