Archeologists,
digging in ruins of Leiston Abbey, Suffolk, UK, found the bones of dog
buried 20 inches deep. The dog would have been around 200 pounds and
could have been seven feet tall standing on its hind legs! It’s very
possible that it was a reverent burial of a beloved pet, but then again,
the grave could be associated with the legend of Black Shuck, a
hellhound or demon dog.
Black Shuck, Old Shuck, Old
Shock, or Shuck is the name given to a medieval hellhound in England.
This devil dog was said to have black fur, flaming eyes, sharp teeth and
claws, and great strength. Locals described sightings of Black Shuck in
graveyards, forests, and roadsides. Shuck’s most famous attack happened
on August 4, 1577 at two churches in Blythburgh and Bungay in the
English countryside.
During a storm on August 4, 1577, Black
Shuck reportedly broke through the doors of Holy Trinity Church in
Blythburgh, about seven miles from Leiston Abbey, and charged through a
large congregation. It was during this attack that he allegedly killed a
man and a boy, before the church steeple collapsed through the roof. As
the hellhound departed, he left claw marks on the north door of Holy
Trinity Church that are supposedly still visible today.
Black Shuck is not the only devil dog in European legend.
Read about others at Atlas Obscura.
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