Celtic

Cŵn Annwn. In Welsh mythology and folklore, Cŵn Annwn (Welsh pronunciation: [kuːn ˈanʊn], "hounds of Annwn") were the spectral hounds of Annwn, the otherworld of Welsh myth. They were associated with a form of the Wild Hunt, presided over by either Arawn, king of Annwn in the First Branch of the Mabinogi and alluded to in the Fourth, or by Gwyn ap Nudd as the underworld king and king of the fair(y) folk is named in later medieval lore. In Wales, they were associated with migrating geese, supposedly because their honking in the night is reminiscent of barking dogs. Hunting grounds for the Cŵn Annwn are said to include the mountain of Cadair Idris, where it is believed "the howling of these huge dogs foretold death to anyone who heard them".

[citation needed] According to Welsh folklore, their growling is loudest when they are at a distance, and as they draw nearer, it grows softer and softer. Owner[edit] The hounds are sometimes accompanied by a fearsome hag called Mallt-y-Nos, "Matilda of the Night". Moddey Dhoo. Moddey Dhoo /ˈmɔːðə ðoʊ/[1] or Mauthe Doog (/ˈmɔːðə doʊɡ/; meaning "black dog")[1][2][3] is a black hound in Manx folklore that reputedly haunted Peel Castle on the west coast of the Isle of Man.[4] As to the version where the black dog is described "as big as a calf and with eyes like pewter plates" (Killip 1976),[5][6] this seems to derive from a report of a modern sighting of the calf-sized dog (Gill 1932), combined with the description of the eyes of a troll in Asbjornsen and Moe's Norwegian folktale collection.

Old Legend[edit] A resident Manx historian George Waldron seems to be the sole definitive written authority of this folklore localized in the castle.[2] He describes the dog thus: There used to be a passage connected to the Peel Castle, traversing the church grounds, leading to the apartment of the Captain of the Guard, and "the Mauthe Doog was always seen to come from that passage at the close of day, and return to it again as soon as the morning dawned".[7] Ballamodha [edit] Gytrash. In some parts of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, the gytrash was known as the 'Shagfoal' and took the form of a spectral mule or donkey with eyes that glowed like burning coals. In this form, the beast was believed to be purely malevolent. As this horse approached, and as I watched for it to appear through the dusk, I remembered certain of Bessie's tales, wherein figured a North-of-England spirit called a "Gytrash," which, in the form of horse, mule, or large dog, haunted solitary ways, and sometimes came upon belated travellers, as this horse was now coming upon me.It was very near, but not yet in sight; when, in addition to the tramp, tramp, I heard a rush under the hedge, and close down by the hazel stems glided a great dog, whose black and white colour made him a distinct object against the trees.

It was exactly one form of Bessie's Gytrash -- a lion-like creature with long hair and a huge head [...], with strange pretercanine eyes [...]. The horse followed, -- a tall steed [...]. Black dog (ghost) The origins of the black dog are difficult to discern. It is impossible to ascertain whether the creature originated in the Celtic or Germanic elements in British culture. Throughout European mythology, dogs have been associated with death.

Examples of this are the Cŵn Annwn,[5] Garmr[6] and Cerberus,[7] all of whom were in some way guardians of the underworld. This association seems to be due to the scavenging habits of dogs.[8] It is possible that the black dog is a survival of these beliefs. Black dogs are almost universally regarded as malevolent, and a few (such as the Barghest) are said to be directly harmful. Black Dogs have been reported from almost all the counties of England, the exceptions being Middlesex and Rutland.[11] On Dartmoor, the notorious squire Cabell was said to have been a huntsman who sold his soul to the Devil. The yeth hound, also called the yell hound, is a black dog found in Devon folklore. "For he was speechless, ghastly, wan Like him of whom the Story ran. Psychopomp. In Jungian psychology, the psychopomp is a mediator between the unconscious and conscious realms.

It is symbolically personified in dreams as a wise man or woman, or sometimes as a helpful animal. In many cultures, the shaman also fulfills the role of the psychopomp. This may include not only accompanying the soul of the dead, but also vice versa: to help at birth, to introduce the newborn child's soul to the world (p. 36 of).[2] This also accounts for the contemporary title of "midwife to the dying", or "End of Life Doula" which is another form of psychopomp work.

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