The Black Dog of Newgate
Description
A creature from the folklore of United Kingdom. The Black Dog of Newgate is a legend concerning the haunting of the former Newgate Prison of…
Origin & Background
The legend of the Black Dog of Newgate is a ghost story related to the old Newgate Prison in London, which was located near St. Paul's Cathedral close to the Old Bailey (Central Criminal Court). This legend is an example of a supernatural phenomenon that falls under the category of England's Black Dog, characterized by a ghostly hunting dog with sinister intentions, considered an important archetype in British folklore and superstition.
The Legend
According to the legend, during the reign of King Henry III, a famine occurred, and a scholar known as a magician was imprisoned in Newgate Prison. This scholar had a reputation for causing great harm to the king's subjects with his magic and demonic sorcery. As the famine worsened, the prisoners resorted to cannibalism, and this new inmate was immediately sacrificed in a defenseless state. The prisoners responsible for his death soon saw the ghost of the Black Dog, believed to be the soul of the magician returned for their revenge. This entity hunted down and consumed those responsible one by one, and the last survivors, driven mad with fear, escaped the prison. It is said that those who escaped were pursued by this entity wherever they went.
This article is based on the Wikipedia article "The Black Dog of Newgate" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia
Abilities
- Supernatural power
Weaknesses
- Certain rituals
Sources
- Wikipedia (Ghost animals)
Genres
Story Hooks
- A creature from the folklore of United Kingdom. The Black Dog of Newgate is a legend c