Black Shuck - Blog Posts

Black Shuck from the British Isles, just a spooky ghost doggo…also an omen of death but I’m sure he is a good boy! -KP

Black Shuck

Black Shuck o Cane Nero, un'entità spettrale ricorrente nel folklore delle isole britanniche: la sua apparizione era considerata presagio di morte.

Black Shuck or Black Dog, a spectral entity found primarily in the folklore of the British Isles: its regarded as a portent of death.

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Black Dogs -

An English ghost, a black dog can be seen as an omen of death and bad luck. They are often described as monstrously large with eyes of flaming red or green, appearing to those who are doomed to die. It is possible for them to have other demeanours though, some black dogs are benevolent and choose to watch over humans, even going as far as to walk women home at night and watch over children while they play. In some stories they are not so friendly, attacking and killing humans where they find them.

A notorious black dog from Suffolk was Black Shuck. This dog burst into a church during a service and killed a man and a boy who were attending church. The claw marks from the dog’s attack can be still seen in the church to this day.

Dartmoor is said to be home to many ghostly black dogs. They inspired the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle spend some time there. The story of the hounds of Dartmoor tells of a huntsman who sold his soul to the devil. When he died he became a ghost that rides through the moors with a pack of black dogs running alongside him. 

Let’s say you’re being chased by a demon. Your first instinct is to run to a church because evil beings can’t step foot on holy ground, right? Well, that rule doesn’t apply to hellhounds. These black canines have been spotted across the world, and while some think they’re Satan’s attack dogs, others say they’re the devil incarnate. And despite their hellish nature, churches offer no sanctuary.

The most infamous hellhound attack took place on Sunday, August 4, 1577 in Suffolk, England. As the citizens of Bungay prayed inside St. Mary’s Church, a thunderstorm rocked the countryside. Hail pelted the church, and lightning flashed outside its walls, when suddenly a giant dog appeared. The canine leaped into the congregation and began ripping out throats. Just the heat emanating from the beast vaporized anyone who got too close. Some even say it used its front paws to strangle worshipers. By the time it was done, the hellhound had killed three churchgoers, but the night was still young! The black dog ran towards Blythburgh Church where it continued its carnage, claiming more souls before disappearing into the night.

So did a hellhound really attack Bungay and Blythburgh? Records show there was a thunderstorm on August 4, 1577, and that St. Mary’s steeple was struck by lightning. Further, the Churchwarden’s records indicate that two men died in the belfry that night. So was it a natural occurrence? Perhaps. But an old verse claims, “All down the church in the midst of fire, the hellish monster flew. And, passing onward to the quire, he many people slew.” And if you visit Blythburgh, you can still see where the hellhound supposedly scorched the church door.

Ever heard of the Black Shuck?  It is a large ghostly black dog that is commonly considered to be an omen of death across the British Isles, however at times it has been known to help those that that meet it.  I wonder how cute Black Shuck puppies are. 🖤

The door of the Holy Trinity Church in Blythburgh, England, boasts the proposed claw marks of Black Shuck. On August 4th, 1577, the Hellhound burst through the door of the church during a thunderstorm, interrupting the congregation in their meeting. Records state that two people, a man and a boy, were killed by the beast and the steeple of the church collapsed.  The marks were made when Black Shuck left the church after the attack. 

Drawcember Cryptid 12 - Black Shuck

Ahead, you see on the way every step now behind you. Keeping to the path you view. I follow you on the way, trailing shadow seen behind you. Keeping on my path to you.

That Dog is Yours