Dogs in Folklore: Loyal Companions and Witches' Familiars

Dogs in Folklore: Loyal Companions and Witches' Familiars

Britain is supposed to be a nation of animal lovers, especially when it comes to pet dogs. According to the PDSA, 29% of UK adults own a dog, which gives an estimated population of 10.6 million pet dogs.

While 29% isn't a majority, the number of pet dogs in the country has increased over the last few years. So it seems only fair to see how this popular animal appears in folklore. After all, I've already covered their eternal nemesis, the cat!

In folklore, they sometimes appear as death omens—dogs persistently howling meant death was imminent. And they also appear in mythology, with Cerberus the three-headed dog guarding the Greek Underworld, and Anubis, the jackal-headed god presiding over the weighing of the heart ceremony in ancient Egypt. Let's not forget Sirius, in the Canis Major constellation, literally known as the dog star.

They take the form of spectral hounds, loyal companions, witches' familiars, and even give their name to a hangover cure. So let's explore the folklore of dogs in this week’s episode of Fabulous Folklore!

Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/dogs-in-folklore/

Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/

Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595

Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore

Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick

Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop

Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7

Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick

Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social

'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

Jaksot(424)

Healing Springs and Wells at Glastonbury, Carrawburgh and Lourdes

Healing Springs and Wells at Glastonbury, Carrawburgh and Lourdes

We've no doubt seen plenty of content online about water's power to be a great healer. We need to drink it (this is your reminder for today), while people swear by cold water baths for their wellbeing...

10 Touko 202519min

Following the route of the Walbrook, one of London's lost rivers

Following the route of the Walbrook, one of London's lost rivers

A sense of mystery gathers around London's lost rivers, with their names whispered like forgotten deities from an ancient cult. Fleet, Tyburn, Walbrook, Effra, Westbourne, Neckinger. In some cases, t...

3 Touko 202524min

Church Curiosities: Finding Folklore in Carvings and Statues

Church Curiosities: Finding Folklore in Carvings and Statues

Visiting churches might not sound like everyone's idea of a great time. Yet the buildings are stuffed with strange carvings, peculiar graffiti, interesting artwork, and even sassy memorials. These chu...

26 Huhti 202523min

Telling and Preserving Ghost Stories with W.J. Gilbert

Telling and Preserving Ghost Stories with W.J. Gilbert

W.J. Gilbert is a writer, storyteller, and creator of the YouTube channel Eerie Edinburgh. Based in Edinburgh, he’s the author of the best-selling Hidden Haunts: Scotland, Hidden Haunts: England, and ...

24 Huhti 20251h 10min

Holy Cross Church and the Witches of Wallsend

Holy Cross Church and the Witches of Wallsend

Churches can be sites of divination, haunted locations, and important community hubs. Yet in Wallsend, Holy Cross Church is notorious for a tale of witches and heroic derring-do. The ruin might not lo...

19 Huhti 202516min

The Tale of Enon Chapel: London's Most Notorious Burial Site

The Tale of Enon Chapel: London's Most Notorious Burial Site

Here in the 21st century, death and burial often occur as part of a sanitised process. Death happens away from home, often in hospitals, and funerals are usually tidy, respectful affairs. We can forge...

12 Huhti 202519min

The Folklore of Lychgates and Popular Burial Monuments

The Folklore of Lychgates and Popular Burial Monuments

You would absolutely know a lychgate if you saw one. They make popular backdrops for wedding photos, and provide a quaint air of rustic charm to country churchyards. They're the wooden or stone gatewa...

5 Huhti 202523min

Folklore and Church Names: Preserving Local History

Folklore and Church Names: Preserving Local History

I started out with the intention of looking at unusual church names. The problem was, this offered the potential to accidentally poke fun at their congregations. It also didn't help that most churches...

29 Maalis 202520min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

olipa-kerran-otsikko
i-dont-like-mondays
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
kolme-kaannekohtaa
poks
antin-palautepalvelu
sita
aikalisa
kaksi-aitia
mamma-mia
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
rss-murhan-anatomia
rss-palmujen-varjoissa
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
meidan-pitais-puhua
rss-nikotellen
terapeuttiville-qa
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
rss-haudattu