Black Shuck
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The Black Shuck was a legendary ghostly black dog said to roam the countryside in the kingdom of East Anglia, England during the 9th century.
According to folklore in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk, the phantom dog was rumored to stalk the surrounding woods, unlit roads, and churchyards late at night. By most accounts, it was a shaggy canine with fiery red eyes, varying in size from that of a large dog to a calf or horse. Its appearance was often considered an omen of death for the viewer within a year of sighting it, though some tales suggested that it could be amiable.[1]
History
During the Viking expansion into England, talk spread among local hunters of a large black dog frequenting the old Roman ruins near Needham Lake. One hunter took it upon themselves to stalk the beast and kill it, only to be hunted in turn by the animal and devoured.[2] The Viking leader Guthrum also encountered the creature once, but left for Winchester upon hearing its howl.[3]
In the 870s, the Viking Eivor found the warning note left by the late hunter and entered the ruins to complete the unfinished job. They fought the dog and eventually brought it down, looting its head as a trophy.[2]
Appearances
References
- ↑
Black Shuck on Wikipedia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Black Shuck
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla