The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Greetings...

I am interested in any instances of canine mythology... preferably straying(no pun intended) away from legends of lycanthropy.

I am also very keen on information on 'Black Dogs,' under their various aliases... as they seem interesting but information is often very vague...

Akri

Black dogs always brought grimms to mind...although that maybe from Harry Potter.

There is a myth that a urinating ghost of a dingo created the Magellanic Clouds.

From what little I've read they're usually Death Omens in shadow form

Dogs are prevalent in many myths
Anubis the Egyptian God of Death was a black dog or jackal and was represented as a man with a canine head.

As stated above, canines (particularly black canines) are often associated with death, but also loyalty, and in shamanic otherworldly lore, spiritual guardianship.

It is all so said that when cats ruled the world mans best friend liberated us. lol

But in true meaning are you talking about anubis or the devil hound( no not the one from resident evil).

Please provide some more info akri.

I'm talking more specifically about the 'Black Dog' of myth and legend under their many names... what are they, what do they represent?

Also on a similar note I wish to know more about a Poka, puuka (various spellings)

Use this akri...it should help some.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_dog_%28ghost%29

That's what brought me to the subject in the first place. It seems a little vague

As in you do not believe it explains enough?

i would have to agree that anubis is the best one, well, all egyptian myths are the best :)

Jackals and hyena's did feature prominately in Egyptian mythology and religious beliefs. I also believe the Wolf is prominent in norse, celtic and American Indian cultures as well.

have you looked up the hounds of hell?

The Three-headed Dog: The most fearsome dog in Greek mythology is the great three-headed Cerberus. Like many dogs of our own, Cerberus was a watchdog. But what he chose to guard was not something as pleasant as our homes. He watched Hades, and although he allowed many people to enter, he didn’t let anyone leave. He had three heads (sometimes as many as 50 or hundred), and a snake as a tail. Cerberus was the child of Typhon and Echidna, and fulfilled his duty as “Hound of Hades” as faithfully as possible. Some, however, on entering Hades were able to escape. Orpheus lulled Cerberus to sleep by playing soothing music; Hermes did the same but used water from the Lethe. The most famous of all, however, was Hercules, who did not use such subtle methods. He had been given 12 Labors as penance for a act of terrible violence. The last of these was to capture Cerberus and bring him to the land of the living. Hercules was able to do this by wrestling the dog into submission and dragging him away from Hades. But salvia from Cerberus fell to the ground and produced the first poisonous plants.



The 3 headed dog

The Dog Who Always Catches Its Prey: Anyone who knows dogs, know that these animals hardly ever sit and wait patiently. They are doers, and constantly on the go. A particular favorite hobby of theirs is the hunt. On any walk, those holding the leash had better be on guard for a little squirrel or cat. If the dog sees them, the owner had better hold on tight. This characteristic has been noticed for centuries. Dogs are determined. If they set their mind to something there is almost no way to break their will. They’ll decide when, and if, they’re ever going to give up a chase. Some seem willing to run for eternity.

One such dog was Laelaps. Laelaps was a dog in Greek mythology. When Zeus was a baby, a dog, known only as the “golden hound” was charged with protecting the future King of Gods. This may have been the same dog Zeus later gave to Europa. Zeus had fallen deeply in love with the beautiful Europa, and when given the chance stole her away to the island of Crete. There he tried to seduce her by giving her three gifts: Tálos, a giant bronze creature (perhaps more accurately a robot); a javelin that never missed, and Laelaps, a dog that never failed to capture its prey. Europa eventually gave the dog to Minos, King of Crete. After being cured by Procris of a terrible disease, Minos gave her the great dog Laelaps. The dog was soon sent to capture the Teumessian fox, a giant fox that could never be caught. This created a paradox, for the dog always caught its prey, and the fox could not be caught. The chase went on unto Zeus grew weary and confused of the dilemma and simply turned both into stone, frozen forever in the chase.

Laelaps

I think this myth is pronounced in many languages and cultures. From the great Cerberus, to the Anubis, even in movies such as Lady in the Water's Scrunt (though not nessessarily black per say), G'mork the werewolf from the Neverending Story.

They could be considered hell hounds, simply of the fact that the spectres seem to come from the ethereal as an omen of death. Then again, anything black in folklore always denotes death in one form or another.

Unless you consider the white owl... i heard thats also a symbol of death.

Closing Thread.

Thanks everybody for your comments.