Dogs - Omens of Death
Superstitions of Howling Dogs and the Black Shuck
Equipped with a keen sense of smell, hearing – and some may even say sixth sense – dogs can often predict natural disasters such as earthquakes or hurricanes. Before the onset of these occurrences, which would undoubtedly cause fatalities, they would become agitated and start howling. Thus, the barking of a dog has been associated as a prelude to death.
The Death Howl – Nordic, Aryan, Chinese and Estonian Legends
Nordic legends tell of the goddess Freya, who was the bearer of love and fertility but also death and magic. She rode the crest of a storm on her chariot pulled by two felines. Cats being dogs’ natural enemies, the barking of a dog naturally presaged the arrival of Freya.
Throughout Aryan mythology, the souls of the dead are believed to ride on the night wind together with their howling dogs, collecting the souls of those just dying as they pass their houses. The powerful rush of wind through trees during a storm, which can resemble ghostly noises, certainly does nothing to dispel this notion.
In ancient China, barking dogs were believed to be an indication of ghostly presences. Spirit mediums would smear some fluid from the dogs’ eyes onto their own, in order to perceive these ghosts too. Whether it succeeded, or simply succeeded in giving the mediums a nasty conjunctivitis, is debatable.
The barking of dogs at funerals was interpreted as a sign that more funerals would be held soon. In Estonian folklore, funerals are foretold according to the direction of a howling dog’s muzzle. An alternative belief on the island of Kihnu is that if a dog fails to trace tracks, death is lurking nearby.
Devil Dogs – Black Shuck, Barghest and “the Grim”
In the British Isles, there are various legends claiming it is not the dog’s howl, but the very glimpse of a devil dog, that is a prelude to death. Known as the Black Shuck, this demonic spirit manifests itself in the shape of a spectral black dog the size of a donkey, either with two glowing red eyes or a single eye that emits a shower of red or green sparks. In other versions, it can appear headless.
Norfolk people believe that the sight of a Black Shuck is enough to cause illness or death. Its presence can be felt by the brush of its shaggy coat or icy breath. They even have an old poem describing the terrifying devil dog:-
And a dreadful thing from the cliff did spring,
and its wild bark thrill'd around,
His eyes had the glow of the fires below,
'twas the form of the spectre hound
Devil dogs are also known by other names such as Barghest, Gytrash, Skryker, and Ronguer d’Os or the Bone Crusher. Anyone who tries to approach these dogs would receive wounds which can never heal.
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, devil dogs are referred to as the Grim. However, as pointed out by character Hermione Granger, the only reason why people view large dogs as an omen of death is because they have tricked themselves into believing it, and hence die of fright rather than being attacked by these creatures.
Omens of Death...Or Weather Predictions?
There is a rational explanation to the perception of dogs as death omens – animals possess a highly developed self-preservation instinct, and they would unsurprisingly become uneasy in the presence of death. With their acute senses and intelligence, dogs may or may not be actual forewarnings of death – but they can certainly sense when a storm is coming.
Black Shuck 2007 by artist Scott Treleaven
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