Black Shuck
Black Shuck or the Old Shuck is the name of a mysterious black ghost dog that is believed to haunt Norfolk , Essex and Suffolk .
Origin of the legend
Stories of large black dogs with terrifyingly shining eyes (which can be red, green, or just a single eye) have been retold among the residents of East Anglia for centuries. They are described as similar to UFOs - sightings of them could never be documented in a particularly credible manner or even observed in some detail. The unconfirmed reports state that the ghostly dogs ranged in size from normal stature to that of a horse .
Black Shuck can be traced back to the time of the Vikings as a motif in the stories that circulated on fishing rods . Possibly his name can be derived from the Old English word scucca ("demon") or from the regional dialect word shucky ("hairy"). It is very likely that the saga gave Arthur Conan Doyle an incentive to write the Sherlock Holmes novel The Hound of Baskerville .
Sometimes, when the Black Shuck is mentioned, it is also referred to as the dog of fate . Its appearance should not bode well for the viewer, even if not necessarily. The Black Shuck often scares its victims to death, but then lets them go on living in peace; this is often mentioned in a similar way with other black dogs . One tells of sightings where he appeared without a head and of others where he seemed to hover rather than walk. It is popularly said that the creature prefers to haunt burial sites , back streets, crossroads and dark forests. Such a dog is also said to haunt the Beeston Bump , a hill near Sheringham .
Famous sightings
One of the most vivid reports of the Black Shuck's appearance is probably his procession through the churches in Bungay and Blythburgh in Suffolk. On the evening of August 4, 1577 , the village community of Bungay sought shelter in the church after a terrible storm. Reverend Abraham Fleming , who was present pastor, described the events in his report " A straunge and terrible wounder " roughly as follows:
"A terrible creature in the shape of a big black dog appeared to the parish. At the sight of the animal and in memory of the terrible storm outside, many of them were probably tempted to believe that the day of judgment had come. The dog, or rather the one Devil in dog form, rushed through the church with incredible swiftness, running in visible form through the crowd and between two of them who were sunk on their knees in prayer, breaking both necks in a flash. Immediately afterwards the dog-figure reached another Believers, whom he bit in the back. This poor man was pulled together and shrank in a horrific way. But he did not die despite the attack, but is still alive. This miracle seems difficult to understand to people ... "
And on the same evening at Blythburgh Church, 7 miles away, this allegedly happened:
"... The dog hung himself on the roof beams and swung himself down into the church. In the crowd he killed two men and a young boy. He also burned the hand of another person who took shelter in the church ..."
That was the content of the pastor's report. The dog is said to have brought down the church vault in Blythburgh when he swung down from it. It should also be noted that a weather vane hangs on the market square of Bungay, which has the striking shape of a jumping black dog. You can also see mysterious scorch marks at the entrance to Blythburgh Church, which the locals say that the ghost dog left them when they entered the church. There are suspicions that the traces are said to go back to lightning or even the devil himself (they are said to be similar to fingerprints from glowing hands).
See also
literature
- Terry Deary : The Really True Monster Stories , 1992