Black Dogs, Dogs and Witches

Many of we Witches have a Black Cat or too… cats are long known familiars of
the Black Hat Society. Yet less known is; that we are also extraordinarily and
spiritual connected to our canine familiars as well. Long before our feline
friends became a fundamental of our Witchly abode .. the dog was seem as a the
spiriting companion to those of magickal and mystical heart, Witches,
Goddesses and the Dead.

A Black Dog was essentially seen as a nocturnal apparition seen with shadow
creatures and spirits that walk the veils. Sadly Black Dogs have often been said
to be associated with the Devil, and its appearance was regarded as a portent of
death. It is generally supposed to be larger than a normal dog, and often has
large, glowing eyes.

Many believe that Black Dogs are associated with electrical storms and also
with the crossroads, walking with Hekate or guarding for her. Black Dogs are
seen at places of death and execution and ancient pathways.

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 in European mythology Black Dogs have long been
associated with death.

Examples of this are the Cwn Annwa, in Welsh mythology and folklore, Cwn
Annwn’s were the spectral hounds of Annwn, in the otherworld. Unfortunately
christians came to dub these mythical creatures as "The Hounds of Hell" or
"Dogs of Hell" and theorized they were therefore owned by Satan. However,
the Annwn of medieval Welsh tradition is an otherworldly paradise and not a
hell or abode of dead souls.

In Norse mythology, Garmr or Garm is a black dog associated with Ragnarok

who hold the final destiny of the gods in a series of future events, including a
great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major
figures.

Cerberus, in Greek and Roman mythology is a multi-headed hound. Usually

 with three heads which guards the gates of Hades, to prevent those who have
crossed the river Styx from ever escaping.

Cwn Annwn’s, Garmr, and Cerberus all of whom were in some way guardians
of the underworld. This association seems to be due to the scavenging habits of
dogs. It is possible that the black dog is a survival of these beliefs.

Black dogs are almost universally regarded as malevolent, and only a few said
they are directly harmful.

The dog Black Dogs are most generally is the most common animal associated
with Hekate, and She was sometimes addressed as the 'Black she dog'. Black
dogs were once sacrificed to Her in purification rituals, and at Colophon in
Samothrace Hekate could manifest as a dog. The sound of barking dogs is the
first sign of Her approach in Greek and Roman literature:

The Earth began to bellow, trees to dance

And howling dogs in glimmering light advance
Ere Hekate came."

The Aeneid, book VL. Virgil.

Ovid writes that Hekate could be conjured up from darkness "with long howls."
There is evidence of an old belief that the souls of the unburied dead could
appear as dogs. Hekate is sometimes identified with the with three-headed dog
Kerebos, who guards the entrance to Hades, and there may be connections with
the Egyptian dog-headed god Annubis, who conducted souls to the Underworld.

Dogs were also associated with deities like Hekate with who watched over
childbirth, probably because of the ease with which the bitch (female dog) gives
birth.

The black dog is also well known as a guardian of the house, standing at the
font door to stand watch, and this seems to relate to Hekate's role as guardian
Hekate Propylaia.
 Stories about black dogs can be found all over Britain and Europe; hiding
within folklore and legend can often be found something of worth.

The ancestor of the dog is the grey wolf, noted for its intelligence and cunning.
The wolf once roamed all over Northern Europe, entering Britain with the
retreating ice age while following the animal herds. There are those who say
that wolf and man sometimes formed a rapport with each other; folklore
upholds this thought.

Those of us whom are Witches hold black dogs in respect and regard, especially
the black dogs for they are sacred to the Goddess and the ancient ones.

Lady Abigail
HIgh Priestess Ravensgrove Coven