The Black Dog is an ancient totemic animal, a sighting of which commonly pressages death. The Dog has many names. He is known
in some places as Galleytrot, Padfoot or Skriker, and in others as The Barguest or Old Snarleyow. Some people know him as Scarp, Trash or Rugusan. But most commonly he’s called Old Shuck or Black Shuck.
The word Shuck is obscure, but the Old English; sceocca, meaning variously, ‘terror’ or ‘Satan’ seems the most likely.
In common with his earthly counterparts if you meet him, he’s to be treated with respect because a sighting of him is thought to mean that you, or somebody who you know will shortly die. You might meet Black Shuck at a crossroads or in a lonely country
lane. He is said to haunt bridges, fords and the boundary lines of ancient parishes. He is often encountered on marshlands, fens and misty low-lying ground.
He is described as having a rough shaggy black coat with eyes as big as saucers, which glow like red-hot coals. He is said to be as big as a calf and has long sharp teeth, which sometimes seem to grin at anyone unfortunate enough to see him at close quarters.
If you ever meet him, you must never show him that you’re afraid. But best not to meet him.
Text taken from, ‘Black Shuck - The Ghost Dog of Eastern England’ (Martin Newell 1999).
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