The Black Dog

The Black Dog is an ancient mythical creature with no known origin. For over a thousand years the Black Dog has made appearances in every major country and culture in the world. Said to have glowing red eyes and always standing in the shadows, the Black Dog is a terrible omen. Those who see the Black Dog die the day after without fail.

Summary

It is said that the Black Dog will randomly appear before those he sees fit to die. Without fail, the next day the said person who saw it, dies. Whether it be from some freak accident or a murder, no one has escaped its grasp. Descriptions vary, but the most common is a black dog like shadow in a dark corner of a house or the woods. It's eyes glow deep disturbing red and it does not falter. If approached, it vanishes into a cloud of dust. It makes no noise. It's said that when the Black Dog is watching it emits a horrible eerie feeling in the victim. They are intrigued enough to look and once they've glared into the Dog's eyes, they are lost.

Historical Basis

Stories are shaky at best but the first known occurrence of someone claiming to have seen the Black Dog was in the early 1200's. A miner's daughter was walking a horse back to the stable when she felt an uneasy feeling from beyond the pitch black night around her. She ignored it for a bit but when she turned around from the stable, the Black Dog was staring at her from just past the torches shadow. She was frightened but eventually ran through the darkness back to the house. After being reassured multiple times by her father, she fell asleep. The next day as she took her daily stroll along a river near the mining encampment, a rock slide occurred with a massive boulder completely crushing all but the girls shoes.

Spread

The story of the Black Dog is so far reaching that it's been scientifically studied and researched. The appearances of the Black Dog are so at random that they are impossible to track. No pattern can be tracked and any witnesses of the Black Dog don't survive long enough to get help.

Variations & Mutation

The Tavarite version of the myth makes the Black Dog seem almost like a werewolf, the Black Dog being the one responsible for the murder. This was mostly used as a parenting method to keep young children away from evil places.

Cultural Reception

Because of the so few deaths that have occured related to the Black Dog, the cultural strength of the myth is very little. It holds no weight compared to myths like Sovereign or the Wooden Boy. The Black Dog is mostly put in child's books or perhaps the rare movie adaptation.

In Literature

An "in-depth" book on the Black Dog can be found in most libraries known as the Black Dog Chronicles. It is essentially a telling of each Black Dog incident that has been recorded.

In Art

A popular clan of Orcs uses the Black Dog as their family emblem.

Date of First Recording

1258

Date of Setting

1258- Present