Dog

Gries Gat

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: Zwartgat
Category: Dog

The Myth

In the regions around Soest and Slichtenhorst in Utrecht, people once told of a frightening apparition known as Gries Gat.

He was said to appear as a large, ugly, grey beast, most often in the form of a dog. His ears were long, and his eyes were enormous, round as saucers, glowing in the dark. Those who met him rarely did so by choice, for he was known to follow travelers on lonely roads.

If a person walked at night and sensed something behind them, it might be Gries Gat. Should they quicken their pace, the creature would do the same. If they broke into a run, he would keep behind them still, never attacking but never leaving, driving them onward in fear.

There was said to be only one way to trick him. A traveler could shout, “Here I am, and there’s another one behind you!” At that moment, Gries Gat would vanish from behind and suddenly appear at the person’s back instead, as though he had leapt through the air in an instant.

The spirit was often used to frighten children into obedience, a warning of what might follow them if they wandered alone after dark.

Sometimes, it was said, Gries Gat did not haunt the roads alone. On certain nights he was seen in the company of another spirit called Tuutmut, the two of them roaming together through the fields and paths.

So Gries Gat was remembered as a stalking presence of the night — a grey dog-shaped ghost that followed the unwary, never striking, but never letting them forget it was there.

Gallery

Sources

Abe de Verteller. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In abedeverteller.nl, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

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Flodder

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: Flodderduvel
Category: Dog

The Myth

In parts of Noord-Brabant and Zuid-Holland, people once spoke of a lurking spirit known as the Flodder.

He was said to haunt ditches, dikes, ponds, and marshy places, watching from the edges of the water and waiting for someone to pass by alone at night. When the moment was right, the spirit would leap onto the traveler’s back. He wrapped his claws around the victim’s shoulders and forced himself to be carried.

Once he had mounted a person, he could not be thrown off. No matter how hard the victim struggled, the creature clung fast, growing heavier and heavier with every step. Sometimes the Flodder showed himself as a black dog, other times as a cat or even a calf. Often, however, he remained unseen, and the traveler felt only the crushing weight on their back.

Those burdened by him said they could feel wet, frog-like limbs tightening around their neck, and at times the creature would lick their face with a cold, clammy tongue. The victim had no choice but to stagger onward until they reached home, arriving soaked, shaking, and utterly exhausted from carrying the spirit’s weight.

Because of his cruel nature and his power to drag people toward water, many believed the Flodder to be a form taken by the devil himself.

One tale tells of a local officer who boasted that he would capture the creature. He stood beside a brook, watching and waiting, when suddenly he felt an unseen weight drop onto his shoulders. Slowly but irresistibly, the force pushed him downward. Step by step he was driven toward the water, until he was forced into the stream and drowned there.

So the Flodder was remembered as a lurking spirit of wet places — sometimes seen as a black dog, sometimes invisible — waiting for the lonely traveler to pass within reach.

Gallery

Sources

Abe de Verteller. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In abedeverteller.nl, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

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Rhinoceros Dog

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Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Dog

The Myth

In old Chinese tales there is mention of a rare and mysterious creature known as the Rhinoceros Dog, an animal believed to bring prosperity to the household that possesses it.

One story tells that during the reign of Emperor Hui of the Jin dynasty, a man named Huai Yao lived in Lou County in the region of Wu. One day his family began hearing the sound of a dog barking from beneath the ground. When they searched for the source, they found only a tiny hole in the earth, no larger than the burrow of a worm.

Curious, Huai Yao prodded the ground with a stick and then began digging. After digging several feet down, he struck something. Continuing to dig, he uncovered two small puppies, one male and one female. Their eyes had not yet opened, and though young, they seemed larger than ordinary newborn dogs.

He took them home and fed them, and soon word spread. Neighbors gathered to see the strange animals. Among them was an elder who, upon seeing the pups, declared that they were Rhinoceros Dogs. He told Huai Yao that whoever obtained such creatures would see their family prosper and flourish, and that they should be carefully raised.

From then on, the Rhinoceros Dog was remembered as a rare and fortunate animal, one that might appear in unexpected places and bring wealth and good fortune to those who found it.

Gallery

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 犀犬. In Wikipedia, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%8A%80%E7%8A%AC

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Peng Hou

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Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Dog

The Myth

Peng Hou is a strange spirit said to dwell inside ancient trees. It is believed that when a tree has stood for a thousand years, something may begin to live within it, and that being is called Peng Hou.

One story tells of a man who ordered a great camphor tree to be cut down. As the woodcutters struck the trunk, something astonishing happened — the tree began to bleed, as if it were alive. From the split in the trunk a creature suddenly leapt out.

It had a human-like head but the body of a black dog. It had no tail, and its appearance was both unsettling and uncanny, as though it belonged to neither the world of beasts nor that of spirits.

The creature was captured. Instead of fearing it, the people cooked and ate it. Those who tasted the flesh said it was very similar to dog meat.

Peng Hou was known in old Chinese records of strange beings, where it was counted among the spirits and monsters that inhabit the natural world. It was said to be one of the hidden lives that grow alongside trees, emerging only when the tree is cut or disturbed.

In later times the story traveled beyond China, and tales of tree-dwelling creatures shaped like dogs appeared in other lands as well. Some believed that echoes heard in mountains or forests might be caused by such spirits moving unseen among the trunks.

Thus Peng Hou is remembered as a being born from ancient wood — a creature that sleeps within trees for centuries, only revealing itself when the axe splits the living trunk.

Gallery

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 彭侯. In Wikipedia, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%BD%AD%E4%BE%AF

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Nine-Eared Dog

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Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Dog

The Myth

In old tales from southern China, hunters spoke of a strange and wondrous animal known as the Nine-Eared Dog.

This creature looked like an ordinary hunting dog at first glance, but it possessed nine ears. It was said to be a spiritual animal whose ears revealed the outcome of a hunt. Whenever the dog’s ears moved, it foretold what its master would gain that day. If one ear twitched, one animal would be caught. If several ears stirred, several beasts would fall. The more ears that moved, the richer the hunt would be.

One story tells of a hunter named Chen from Leizhou, a man who had no children and made his living by hunting. He owned such a dog, and it never failed him. Before each hunt, he would watch its ears to learn what fortune awaited him in the wilds.

One day, as he prepared to set out, all nine ears of the dog suddenly moved at once. Chen was overjoyed, believing he would return with more game than ever before. Certain of great success, he followed the dog deep into the wilderness.

But instead of leading him to prey, the dog brought him into a thorny and tangled place where it circled restlessly, unable to move onward. Confused, Chen searched the ground and discovered something hidden among the brush — a massive egg, nearly a foot across.

He carried the strange object home. When the egg finally opened, it did not reveal a bird or beast but a human child. On the child’s hands were markings, and upon them were written the characters for “Thunder” and “Zhou.”

Thus the Nine-Eared Dog did not lead its master to animals that day, but to a discovery of far greater mystery — a sign that the spirit-dog’s gifts did not always point to the hunt, but sometimes to fate itself.

Gallery

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 九耳犬. In Wikipedia, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B9%9D%E8%80%B3%E7%8A%AC

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Keukegen

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: 毛羽毛現, Keugegen (variant reading)
Category: Dog, Yokai

The Myth

Keukegen are strange little creatures said to dwell in neglected homes and damp places where dirt gathers and sickness lingers.

They are described as being about the size of a small dog, but their true form is hard to see clearly. From a distance they appear as nothing more than a lump of long, filthy hair. Up close, the mass shifts and moves, revealing a living creature hidden beneath the tangled fur.

These beings prefer cool, dark, and moist places. They settle beneath floorboards, inside moldy closets, or in abandoned corners of houses where dust, rot, and still air collect. Gardens choked with weeds and damp refuse are also said to attract them.

Though they may seem harmless, Keukegen are not welcome visitors. Wherever they settle, sickness soon follows. People in the house begin to fall ill, fevers spread, and misfortune seems to cling to the place. Because the creatures are shy and rarely show themselves, many only realize they are present when illness has already taken hold.

They do not attack openly and usually avoid being seen. Some who claim to have glimpsed one are dismissed as imagining things, yet the signs of its presence — sickness, weakness, and bad luck — are said to be unmistakable.

The only sure way to drive a Keukegen away is simple: clean the house. Fresh air, sunlight, and order force the creature to leave, for it cannot live where a home is well kept.

Thus Keukegen are remembered as small, filthy spirits that creep into neglected places, bringing disease in their wake, and fleeing wherever cleanliness and care take root.

Gallery

Sources

Foster, M. D. (n.d.). Keukegen. In yokai.com, from https://yokai.com/keukegen/

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Bellenman

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Dog

The Myth

In the provinces of Noord-Brabant and Limburg, people once spoke of a night spirit known as the Bellenman.

He was said to take the form of a hideous dog or a wolf-like creature, sometimes described as almost a werewolf. Around his neck hung a bell, and chains dragged along his body. Even when he could not be seen, people claimed they could hear the rattling of iron and the dull ringing that announced his presence in the darkness.

The Bellenman was most often encountered by those walking alone at night. Travelers would suddenly sense that something was following them. Footsteps would sound behind them, or the noise of chains would scrape along the road. If they turned, they might see nothing — or only a shadowy shape keeping pace just beyond sight.

He did not usually attack. Instead, he followed his victim silently, driving them forward in fear. The spirit would pursue a person all the way to their door, only stopping once they had reached their home. Then the sounds would cease, and the night would fall quiet again.

Because he was often invisible, many believed the Bellenman belonged more to the world of ghosts than to that of living beasts — a restless presence that wandered the roads after dark, heard before he was ever seen.

And so those who traveled late at night were warned to listen carefully, for the faint ringing of a bell or the dragging of chains might mean that the Bellenman had begun to follow.

Gallery

Sources

Abe de Verteller. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In abedeverteller.nl, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

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Qiqirn

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Tradition / Region: Inuit Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Dog

The Myth

The Qiqirn is a spirit-dog spoken of in the traditions of the Inuit of Baffin Island.

It is said to appear as a large and unnatural animal, almost entirely bald. Only small patches of hair grow upon it — on its feet, around its mouth, and at the tips of its ears and tail. Its body is otherwise bare, giving it a strange and unsettling appearance.

The Qiqirn is feared not because it attacks, but because of the effect its presence has on the living. When it draws near, both men and dogs may suddenly fall into violent convulsions. These seizures can be so severe that they bring death.

Yet the spirit itself is not brave. Though it brings terror, it is said to fear humans. If it is seen by an angakkuq, a shaman, the Qiqirn will not approach but will flee at once, retreating from the power of the one who can see into the spirit world.

Other Inuit stories tell of similar beings, such as malevolent earth spirits that also appear in the shape of hairless dogs. These too belong to the unseen world that moves alongside the world of people, where spirits may wander close enough to be glimpsed, and where their presence can bring danger or misfortune.

So the Qiqirn is remembered as a spirit that walks the boundary between worlds — a strange, silent dog whose appearance alone can shake the living.

Gallery

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Qiqirn. In Wikipedia, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qiqirn

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Petitcrieu

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Tradition / Region: Welsh Mythology
Alternate Names: Petitcreiu, Petitcru, Pticru
Category: Dog

The Myth

Petitcrieu was a wondrous dog said to come from the enchanted isle of Avalon. He belonged to Duke Gilan of Wales, who had received him as a gift from a goddess who loved him.

The little dog was unlike any creature of the ordinary world. His coat shimmered with many colors, beautiful beyond description, and around his neck he wore a collar with a small golden bell. Whenever the bell rang, its sound filled all who heard it with joy and drove away sorrow and grief.

Petitcrieu was a strange being even among magical creatures. He could not move on his own and had to be carried wherever he went. He never ate and seemed to have no need of food. He simply existed as a living marvel, bringing comfort to those near him.

When the knight Tristan was living in exile from Cornwall, he came to the court of Duke Gilan. The Duke, wishing to cheer his guest, showed him the fairy dog. Tristan was deeply taken with the creature and resolved to win him.

A giant named Urgan was troubling the land, and Tristan promised that if he defeated the giant, the Duke would grant him whatever reward he chose. Tristan fought and killed the giant, and when the time came to claim his prize, he asked for Petitcrieu.

The Duke honored his word, and Tristan took the dog with him. But Tristan did not keep the magical creature for himself. Instead, he sent Petitcrieu to Iseult, the woman he loved, hoping the bell’s enchantment would keep her forever free from sorrow.

When Iseult received the dog, she understood the magic of the bell and what it would do to her heart. She did not wish to live without grief, nor to have her true feelings hidden behind enchantment. Taking the collar, she removed the golden bell and cast it into the sea.

From that moment, Petitcrieu’s magic could no longer banish sadness. Yet the little dog remained with her, no longer a charm against sorrow but a faithful companion who stayed beside her in both happiness and grief.

And so the fairy dog of Avalon passed from being a creature of enchantment to one of quiet loyalty, remembered in the tales of Tristan and Iseult.

Gallery

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Petitcrieu. In Wikipedia, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petitcrieu

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Maera

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Tradition / Region: Greek Mythology
Alternate Names: Maira
Category: Dog

The Myth

Maera was the faithful hound of Erigone, daughter of Icarius of Athens.

Icarius was a man favored by the god Dionysus, who taught him the art of making wine. Carrying this new gift, Icarius traveled the countryside and shared the drink with shepherds he met along the way. But the men, unaccustomed to wine, soon became drunk and confused. Believing that Icarius had poisoned them, they killed him and buried his body.

When Icarius did not return, his daughter Erigone set out to search for him. She was accompanied by Maera, who guided her on the journey. The dog followed the trail until at last he led her to the place where her father lay buried.

When Erigone discovered the grave, she was overcome with grief. Unable to bear the loss, she fastened a noose and hanged herself from a tree. Seeing his mistress dead, Maera too was seized by sorrow and threw himself from a cliff.

When Dionysus learned what had happened, he was filled with anger at the injustice done to Icarius and the fate of his daughter. He sent a madness upon the women of Athens. One after another, unmarried girls were driven to hang themselves, as Erigone had done. The city fell into terror, and the deaths did not cease.

At last the Athenians sought to appease the god. They established rites in honor of Icarius and Erigone, remembering their suffering and giving them due reverence. Only then did the plague lift.

In memory of them, the gods placed the three together in the heavens. Icarius became the constellation Boötes, Erigone became Virgo, and Maera was set among the stars as the bright star Procyon, where the faithful dog still shines beside them.

Gallery

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Maera (hound). In Wikipedia, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maera_(hound)

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