My story “#Dogmom” features a big growly dog. And we all know Cujo and Cerberus and that thing Sigourney Weaver turned into in Ghostbusters. But you may not have heard of Black Shuck.
Are you looking for a new dog to be afraid of?
Then, friend, this is your lucky day.
Introducing Black Shuck
Described as a terrifying black dog with fiery red eyes and matted fur, Black Shuck is larger than life. Its presence sends shivers down one’s spine, for it is believed that encountering this fearsome beast is an omen of impending doom or even death. Many stories recount harrowing encounters with Black Shuck, causing panic and terror among the locals.
The locals, incidentally, are from East Anglia, the region of England that includes the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and maybe Essex. (It’s controversial, and this is not a political blog. Also that Wikipedia entry was really long.)
East Anglia is where Black Shuck is said to roam the countryside, striking fear into the hearts of those unfortunate enough to encounter it.
Reports placed him along the roadside and in cemeteries. Sometimes he is the size of a large dog, and sometimes he is the size of a horse. Sometimes that red eye of his? Is actually one eye in the middle of his head. Which is gross.
Acts of Dog
He supposedly brings bad luck to those who see him. Or fortells death. Or perhaps he is the devil himself. Sometimes there is a transformational aspect within its legend. Black Shuck can shape-shift, taking on different forms to deceive and bewilder its prey. In any case, you guys, don’t look at him.
The most detailed Black Shuck accounts are from the 1500s in Suffolk. First he burst into a church in Blythburgh during a thunder and lightning storm, which I think we can all agree is the most dramatic way to burst into a church. He killed a man and a boy and caused the steeple to collapse. (The method for both of these is unclear; I can’t picture it without imagining Black Shuck the size of Clifford,)
He then went to a second church, where he ran around really fast and broke the necks of two people kneeling in prayer. Scary stories were different back then.
The locals could point to a scorch mark on the floor left behind when the demon dog ran off. They even wrote a poem about him:
All down the church in midst of fire, the hellish monster flew,
and, passing onward to the quire, he many people slew.
source: The Folklore of East Anglia
A Motive to the Legend
The Black Shuck tale was pretty widespread. Was it an Urban Legend? A don’t-wander-too-far cautionary tale?
As creatures capable of being both dangerous and a fuzzy widdo wumpkins, yes him is, dogs bridge civilization and nature. And in the days before leash laws, you would have been very likely to encounter them on the road. And if you were traveling at night, without the safety of a fast-moving vehicle, any noise in the dark — animal breathing, footsteps, a howl — would have sounded terrifying.
The purveyors of Black Shuck Sloe Gin believe that the legend was made popular by smugglers with an ulterior motive. According to their website, “In the 1700’s hefty taxes were introduced and the long stretches of Norfolk coastline would have been attractive to the criminal gangs who operated smuggling operations.”
Ships were used to transport luxury goods like gin, tea, brandy, and lace from Holland to the English coastal villages. From there, the goods would need to be distributed inland. A terrifying demon dog roaming the countryside would keep frightened locals at home, unlikely to observe any smuggling along the roadways.
Dun-Dun-Dun
Of course, modern people are too sophisticated to believe in such things. A giant dog? I’m sure East Anglians wish their local legend was something more realistic, like Bigfoot.
Modern East Anglia, which definitely does or does not include Essex, has moved into the twenty-first century like the rest of the world. But England respects its history, and the ground is full of old stuff.
In 2014 archaeologists were digging at the site of an ancient abbey in Suffolk. According to a local news source, “Pottery fragments found … in the ground nearby were dated to the 1500s.”
Anyway, they also found the bones of a seven-foot dog.
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