# Hellhound > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hellhound > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hellhound.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellhound > Source revision: 1346352825 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Supernatural dog associated with Hell or the underworld}} {{Other uses}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} [[File:Hel (1889) by Johannes Gehrts.jpg|thumb|Goddess [Hel](/source/Hel_(being)) and the hellhound [Garmr](/source/Garmr) by Johannes Gehrts, 1889]] A '''hellhound''' is a mythological [hound](/source/hound) that embodies a guardian or a servant of [hell](/source/hell), the devil, or the underworld. Hellhounds occur in mythologies around the world, with the best-known examples being [Cerberus](/source/Cerberus) from [Greek mythology](/source/Greek_mythology), [Garmr](/source/Garmr) from [Norse mythology](/source/Norse_mythology), the [black dogs](/source/Black_dog_(folklore)) of [English folklore](/source/English_folklore), and the fairy hounds of [Celtic mythology](/source/Celtic_mythology). Physical characteristics vary, but they are commonly black, anomalously overgrown, supernaturally strong, and often have red eyes or are accompanied by flames. The behaviors of a Hellhound are very calculated and purposeful and they are said to be highly intelligent.{{Cite web|title=Hellhounds in Mythology: Guardians of the Beyond|url=https://connectparanormal.net/2025/01/08/hellhounds-in-mythology-guardians-of-the-beyond/|website=Connect Paranormal Blog|date=2025-01-08|access-date=2025-11-29|language=en-US|first=Jeff|last=O'Connor}} ==By locale== ===Europe=== ====Albania==== In [Albanian mythology](/source/Albanian_mythology), a [three-headed](/source/three-headed) dog, who never sleeps, guards the gates of the [underworld](/source/underworld). In some folktales, it appears as the guard of the palace of [E Bukura e Dheut](/source/E_Bukura_e_Dheut) in the underworld.{{cite book|last=Poghirc|first=Cicerone|title=The Encyclopedia of Religion|volume=1|chapter=Albanian Religion|editor=Mircea Eliade|place=New York|publisher=MacMillan Publishing Co|year=1987|pages=178–180}}{{cite book|last=Elsie|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Elsie|title=A Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology and Folk Culture|place=London|publisher=Hurst & Company|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N_IXHrXIsYkC|isbn=1-85065-570-7|year=2001|page=79}}{{cite book|title=Indo-European Poetry and Myth|last=West|first=Morris L.|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2007|isbn=978-0199280759|author-link=Martin Litchfield West|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZXrJA_5LKlYC|page=392}}{{Cite book|last1=Brown|first1=Dorcas R.|last2=Anthony|first2=David W.|title=Tracing the Indo-Europeans: New evidence from archaeology and historical linguistics|date=2019|publisher=Oxbow Books|isbn=978-1-78925-273-6|editor-last1=Olsen|editor-first1=Birgit A.|editor-last2=Olander|editor-first2=Thomas|editor-last3=Kristiansen|editor-first3=Kristian|language=en|chapter=Late Bronze Age midwinter dog sacrifices and warrior initiations at Krasnosamarskoe, Russia|pages=97–122|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WXzKDwAAQBAJ|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WXzKDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA97}} p. 104 ====Belgium==== ''{{lang|nl|Oude Rode Ogen}}'' ("Old Red Eyes"), or the "''Beast of Flanders''", was a demon reported in [Flanders](/source/Flanders), Belgium, in the 18th century who would take the form of a large black hound with fiery red eyes. In [Wallonia](/source/Wallonia), the southern region of Belgium, folktales mentioned the ''{{lang|wa|Tchén al tchinne}}'' ("Chained Hound" in [Walloon](/source/Walloon_language)), a hellhound with a long chain that was thought to roam in the fields at night.Warsage, Rodolphe de ''Sorcellerie et Cultes Populaires en Wallonie'', Noir Dessein, 1998. ====Czech lands==== Numerous sightings of hellhounds persist throughout the [Czech lands](/source/Czech_lands).{{cite book |last1=Stejskal |first1=Martin |title=Labyrintem tajemna, aneb Průvodce po magických místech Československa |date=1991 |publisher=Paseka |location=Prague |isbn=80-85192-08-X |page=36 |edition=1st }} ====France==== In [France](/source/France), in AD 856, a black hound was said to materialize in a church even though the doors were shut. The church grew dark as it padded up and down the aisle as if looking for someone. The dog then vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.McNab, Chris "Mythical Monsters: The scariest creatures from legends, books, and movies" in Scholastic Publishing 2006, pp. 8–9. On mainland [Normandy](/source/Normandy), the ''{{lang|fr|Rongeur d'Os}}'' wanders the streets of [Bayeux](/source/Bayeux) on winter nights as a phantom dog, gnawing on bones and dragging chains along with it.Wright 1846, p. 128. In [Lower Brittany](/source/Lower_Brittany), there are stories of a [ghost ship](/source/ghost_ship) crewed by the souls of criminals with hellhounds set to guard them and inflict on them a thousand tortures.Thiselton-Dyer 1893, p. 289. ====Germany==== In [Germany](/source/Germany), it was believed that the devil would appear as a black hellhound, especially on Walpurgisnacht.Varner, Gary R. ''Creatures in the Mist: Little People, Wild Men and Spirit Beings Around the World: A Study in Comparative Mythology''. Algora Publishing 2007, pp. 114–15. ====Greece==== {{Main|Cerberus}} In Greek mythology, Cerberus, often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring of the monsters Echidna and Typhon and was usually described as having three heads, a serpent for a tail, and snakes protruding from multiple parts of his body.{{Cite journal |last=Bloomfield |first=Maurice |date=1904 |title=Cerberus, the Dog of Hades |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/27899506 |journal=The Monist |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=523–540 |jstor=27899506 |issn=0026-9662}} ====Scandinavia==== In Norse mythology, [Garmr](/source/Garmr) or [Garm](/source/Garmr) (Old Norse for "rag") is a wolf or dog associated with both the Goddess [Hel](/source/Hel_(being)) and [Ragnarök](/source/Ragnar%C3%B6k) and described as a blood-stained guardian of [Hel](/source/Hel_(location))'s gate.{{Cite web |title=Garm |url=https://norse-mythology.org/garm/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Norse Mythology for Smart People |language=en-US}} ====Spain==== ====Catalonia==== In Catalan myth, [Dip](/source/Dip_(Catalan_myth)) is an evil, black, hairy hound, an emissary of the Devil, who sucks people's blood. Like other figures associated with demons in Catalan myth, he is lame in one leg.[https://books.google.com/books?id=nSuXAAAAQBAJ&dq=Dip+%28Catalan+myth%29&pg=PA106 Bane, Theresa. ''Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology'', McFarland, 2013]{{ISBN|9781476612423}} Dip is pictured on the escutcheon of Pratdip. ====Galicia==== In [Galicia](/source/Galicia_(Spain)), the Urco was a giant black hound that led the Santa Compaña, a version of the [Wild Hunt](/source/Wild_Hunt). =====Canary Islands===== In the [religious beliefs](/source/Guanches) of the [Guanche people](/source/Guanches) of the [Canary Islands](/source/Canary_Islands), the [Tibicena](/source/Tibicena)s were the canine offspring or attendants of the malevolent volcano deity [Guayota](/source/Guayota). ====United Kingdom==== =====England===== {{Main|Black dog (folklore)}} The myth is common across [Great Britain](/source/Great_Britain) in the form of the "black dogs" of English folklore. The earliest written record of the "hellhound" is in the 11th- and 12th-century Peterborough version of the [Anglo-Saxon Chronicle](/source/Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle), which speaks of a "[wild hunt](/source/wild_hunt)" through the forest between [Peterborough](/source/Peterborough) and [Stamford](/source/Stamford%2C_Lincolnshire).[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-34369461 Prickett, Katy. "The terrifying story of the 'hell hound'", BBC News, 31 October 2015] =====Wales===== The [gwyllgi](/source/gwyllgi) (compound noun of either gwyllt "wild" or gwyll "twilight" + ci "dog") is a mythical [black dog](/source/Black_dog_(folklore)) from Wales that appears as an [English mastiff](/source/English_mastiff) with baleful breath and blazing red eyes.Eberhart, George M. ''Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology''. Volume 1: A-M. ABC-Clio/Greenwood. 2002. p. 222. {{ISBN|1-57607-283-5}} ====== Cŵn Annwn ====== {{Main|Cŵn Annwn}} In [Welsh mythology](/source/Welsh_mythology) and folklore, '''Cŵn Annwn''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|uː|n|_|ˈ|æ|n|ʊ|n}}; "hounds of [Annwn](/source/Annwn)") were the spectral hounds of Annwn, the [otherworld](/source/otherworld) of Welsh myth. They were associated with a form of the [Wild Hunt](/source/Wild_Hunt), presided over by [Gwynn ap Nudd](/source/Gwynn_ap_Nudd) (rather than [Arawn](/source/Arawn), king of Annwn in the [First Branch of the Mabinogi](/source/Mabinogi)). [Christians](/source/Christians) came to dub these mythical creatures "The Hounds of Hell" or "Dogs of Hell" and theorized Satan owned them.{{cite book |last = Pugh |first = Jane |title = Welsh Ghostly Encounters |publisher = Gwasg Carreg Gwalch |year = 1990|isbn = 0-86381-791-2}}{{cite book |title = Celtic Mythology |publisher = Geddes and Grosset |year = 1999|isbn = 1-85534-299-5}} However, the Annwn of medieval Welsh tradition is an otherworldly paradise and not a hell or abode of dead souls. In [Wales](/source/Wales), they were associated with [migrating](/source/Bird_migration) [geese](/source/goose), supposedly because their honking in the night is reminiscent of barking dogs. They are supposed to hunt on specific nights (the eves of [St. John](/source/John_the_Apostle), [St. Martin](/source/Martin_of_Tours), Saint [Michael the Archangel](/source/Michael_the_Archangel), [All Saints](/source/All_Saints'_Day), [Christmas](/source/Christmas), [New Year](/source/New_Year), [Saint Agnes](/source/Saint_Agnes), [Saint David](/source/Saint_David), and [Good Friday](/source/Good_Friday)) or simply in the autumn and winter. Some say Arawn only hunts from Christmas to [Twelfth Night](/source/Twelfth_Night_(holiday)).{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}} The Cŵn Annwn also came to be regarded as the escorts of souls on their journey to the [Otherworld](/source/Otherworld). The hounds are sometimes accompanied by a fearsome hag called [Mallt-y-Nos](/source/Mallt-y-Nos), "Matilda of the Night". An alternative name in Welsh folklore is Cŵn Mamau, the "Hounds of the Mothers". ===America=== ====Latin America==== Black hellhounds with fiery eyes are reported throughout [Latin America](/source/Latin_America) from [Mexico](/source/Mexico) to [Argentina](/source/Argentina) under a variety of names including the Perro Negro (Spanish for black dog), [Nahual](/source/Nahual) (Mexico), [Huay Chivo](/source/Huay_Chivo), and Huay Pek (Mexico) – alternatively spelled Uay/Way/Waay Chivo/Pek, [Cadejo](/source/Cadejo) (Central America), the [dog Familiar](/source/Familiar_spirit) (Argentina) and the [Lobizon](/source/Luison) (Paraguay and Argentina). They are usually said to be either incarnations of the Devil or a shape-changing sorcerer.{{cite book |author=Burchell, Simon |year=2007 |title=Phantom Black Dogs in Latin America |location=Loughborough |publisher=Heart of Albion Press |isbn=978-1-905646-01-2 |oclc=163296003 |pages=1, 24}} ====United States==== The legend of a hellhound has persisted in [Meriden](/source/Meriden%2C_Connecticut), Connecticut, since the 19th century. The dog is said to haunt the [Hanging Hills](/source/Hanging_Hills), a series of rock ridges and gorges that serve as a popular recreation area and can also be known as a protector of the supernatural. The first non-local account came from W. H. C. Pychon in ''The Connecticut Quarterly'', in which it is described as a death omen. It is said, "If you meet the Black Dog once, it shall be for joy; if twice, it shall be for sorrow; and the third time shall bring death."{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n_8aAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA123 |title=''The Connecticut Quarterly'' |date=2008-05-19 |access-date=2019-02-18}} Additionally, the term is common in American blues music, such as in [Robert Johnson](/source/Robert_Johnson)'s 1937 song, "[Hellhound on My Trail](/source/Hellhound_on_My_Trail)". ===Asia=== ====Arabia==== [Jinn](/source/Jinn), although not necessarily evil, but often thought of as malevolent entities, are thought to use black dogs as their mounts. The negative depiction of dogs likely derives from their close association with "eating the dead,' or relishing bones and digging out graves. Likewise, the jinn is often said to roam around graveyards and eat corpses.Amira El Zein: The Evolution of the Concept of Jinn from Pre-Islam to Islam'. p. 264 ====China==== The [Huodou](/source/Huodou) (Chinese: 祸斗) is a legendary creature originating within the minorities of southern China. It is described as having the appearance of a large black dog that can emit flames from its mouth. Fire would break out wherever the Huodou went, so the ancients saw it as a sign of fire and often an ominous symbol. It is probably a demonized tribal symbol of southern China. There is also [Diting](/source/Diting) (谛听), a dog-like being affiliated with [king Yama](/source/king_Yama) and [Kṣitigarbha](/source/K%E1%B9%A3itigarbha). He also makes an appearance in the novel, ''[Journey to the West](/source/Journey_to_the_West)''. ====India==== The ''Mahākanha Jātaka'' of the [Buddhist](/source/Buddhist) [Pali Canon](/source/Pali_Canon) includes a story about a black hound named ''Mahākanha'' ([Pali](/source/Pali); lit. "Great black"). Led by the god [Śakra](/source/%C5%9Aakra_(Buddhism)) in the guise of a forester, Mahākanha scares unrighteous people toward righteousness so that fewer people will be reborn in hell. His appearance portends the moral degeneration of the human world when [monks](/source/bhikkhu) and [nuns](/source/bhikkhuni) do not behave as they should, and humanity has gone astray from ethical livelihood.{{cite web |last1=Rouse |first1=W. H. D. |title=The Jataka Volume IV |url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/j4/j4033.htm |website=Internet Sacred Text Archive |publisher=Pali Text Society |access-date=2019-09-27 |date=1901}} In Hinduism, [Yama](/source/Yama), the lord of death, has two dogs who guard the underworld. Their names are [Sharvara and Shyama](/source/Sharvara_and_Shyama). The Nepali festival of [Kukur Tihar](/source/Kukur_Tihar), which brings dogs into temples to honor and consecrate them, is associated with this myth of Lord Yama and his two dogs.{{Cite book |last1=Marak |first1=Queenbala | authorlink=Queenbala Marak| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HmnTDwAAQBAJ |title=The Cultural Heritage of Meghalaya |last2=Chaudhuri |first2=Sarit K. |date=2020-02-28 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-000-07182-5 |language=en}} ====Japan==== In [Japanese folklore](/source/Japanese_folklore), the {{nihongo|''[Okuri-inu](/source/Okuri-inu)''|送り犬}} (lit. "escorting dog") is a [yōkai](/source/y%C5%8Dkai) that resembles a dog. The okuri-inu closely stalks and follows people walking along mountain paths in the nighttime. If the person falls over by chance, they will be immediately eaten up, but if they pretend to be having a short rest, they will not be attacked. == See also == {{Columns-list|colwidth=22em| * [Anubis](/source/Anubis) * [Black Shuck](/source/Black_Shuck) (East Anglia) * [Cerberus](/source/Cerberus) * [Chinese guardian liondogs](/source/Chinese_guardian_lions) * [Church grim](/source/Church_grim) * [Coyote (mythology)](/source/Coyote_(mythology)) * [Coyote (Navajo mythology)](/source/Coyote_(Navajo_mythology)) * [Devil Dog](/source/Devil_Dog) (Teufelhunde) * [Dip](/source/Dip_(Catalan_myth)) (Catalonia) * [Dog in Chinese mythology](/source/Dog_in_Chinese_mythology) * [Dog (zodiac)](/source/Dog_(zodiac)) * [Dogs in religion](/source/Dogs_in_religion) * [Fenrir](/source/Fenrir) * [Garmr](/source/Garmr) * [Gwyllgi](/source/Gwyllgi) (Wales) * [Gytrash](/source/Gytrash) (Northern England) * [Inugami](/source/Inugami) * [Okuri-inu](/source/Okuri-inu) * {{slink|Dingo#In Aboriginal folklore and mythology}} * [Tokugawa Tsunayoshi](/source/Tokugawa_Tsunayoshi) (the "Dog [Shogun](/source/Shogun)") * [Warg](/source/Warg) }} == References == {{Reflist}} == External links == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20050905174815/http://www.primitivism.com/hellhounds.htm Hellhounds, Werewolves, Trolls and the Germanic Underworld] Category:Demons Category:Mythological canines Category:European legendary creatures Category:Greek legendary creatures Category:Scandinavian legendary creatures Category:Mythological dogs Category:Supernatural legends Category:Dogs in religion Category:Devon folklore Category:Folklore of the Benelux Category:Dutch folklore Category:Belgian folklore --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hellhound](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellhound) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellhound?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.