Barghest
Encyclopedia
Barghest, Bargtjest, Bo-guest, Bargheist, Bargeist, Barguist, Bargest or Barguest is the name often given in the north of England
, especially in Yorkshire
, to a legendary monstrous black dog
with huge teeth and claws, though in other cases the name can refer to a ghost
or Household elf
, especially in Northumberland and Durham (see Cauld Lad of Hylton
). One is said to frequent a remote gorge named Troller's Gill
. There is also a story of a Barghest entering the city of York
occasionally, where, according to legend, it preys on lone travellers in the city's narrow Snickelways
. Whitby
is also associated with the spectre.
A famous Barghest was said to live near Darlington who was said to take the form of a headless man (who would vanish in flames), a headless lady, a white cat, a dog, rabbit and black dog
. Another was said to live in an "uncannie-looking" dale between Darlington and Houghton, near Throstlenest.
The derivation of the word barghest is disputed. Ghost
in the north of England was once pronounced guest, and the name is thought to be burh-ghest: town-ghost. Others explain it as German Berg-geist (mountain spirit), or Bär-geist (bear-spirit), in allusion to its alleged appearance at times as a bear. Another mooted derivation is 'Bier-Geist', the 'spirit of the funeral bier'.
, feature ghostly black dogs. See Black dog (ghost)
for further details. Dogs specifically named as barghests appear in the following:
, when arriving at Whitby
aboard the ship Demeter, Dracula
takes the form of a big and ferocious dark dog. The barghest is part of Whitby folklore, and may well have been Stoker's inspiration.
In the Harry Potter
series written by J. K. Rowling
, the character Sirius Black
is an Animagus (a wizard that can take the form of an animal) that transforms into a big black dog, the other characters fear it because he resembles a "Grim
" (a black dog that is an omen of death).
Also inspired by this legend, the barghest also appears in the children's book The Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis
.
The barghest is depicted as a shapeshifting beast in Sojourn, written by R.A. Salvatore. Most of R.A. Salvatore's literary inspiration comes from the pen and paper RPG
Dungeons and Dragons.
In Roald Dahl
's The Witches, it is mentioned as always being male.
Nicole Peeler's
"Tempest Rising" series references Dahl's the Witches, and features a Barghest who takes on human or demon dog form.
In the novel Forge of the Mindslayers by Tim Waggoner, a Barghest is described as a lupine beast with blue tinged fur, a 'goblin-ish' face, and human hands. It can shapeshift into a goblin.
In Chapter 63 of Theodore Dreiser's classic novel, An American Tragedy, he references the spectre adjectivally, saying, "And at one point it was that a wier-wier, one of the solitary water-birds of this region, uttered its ouphe and barghest cry, flying from somewhere near into some darker recess within the woods. And at this sound it was that Clyde had stirred nervously and then sat up in the car. It was so very different to any bird-cry he had ever heard anywhere."
Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen, features a nomadic warrior people called the Barghast. Any possible relation to the mythological canine, aside from the name, is unclear.
In Brom's novel The Child Thief barghest were creatures that lived in the "witch's wood" and served her when needed.
In the Japanese light novel series Magician's Academy
, one of the professors has a familiar/maid, Eineus the Varghest- a black dog-demon.
, which is set in Troller's Ghyll.
The 1978 made-for-TV movie Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell
features a barghest named Lucky.
In an episode of the BBC
drama series Dalziel and Pascoe
, a public house situated on the North York Moors
which the episode's plot revolves around is named 'The Barguest', and features a large black dog on its sign.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, especially in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, to a legendary monstrous black dog
Black dog (ghost)
A black dog is the name given to a being found primarily in the folklores of the British Isles. The black dog is essentially a nocturnal apparition, often 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...
with huge teeth and claws, though in other cases the name can refer to a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
or Household elf
Household deity
A household deity is a deity or spirit that protects the home, looking after the entire household or certain key members. It has been a common belief in pagan religions as well as in folklore across many parts of the world....
, especially in Northumberland and Durham (see Cauld Lad of Hylton
Cauld Lad of Hylton
The ruins of Hylton Castle are reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered stable boy Robert Skelton, known locally as the Cauld Lad of Hylton...
). One is said to frequent a remote gorge named Troller's Gill
Troller's Gill
Troller's Gill is a limestone gorge, close to the village of Appletreewick in the Yorkshire Dales . Legend has it that the Gill is the home of trolls, and the mythical monstrous black dog Barghest. It is also the setting for Roger and the Rottentrolls, which draws upon these legends. It is also...
. There is also a story of a Barghest entering the city of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
occasionally, where, according to legend, it preys on lone travellers in the city's narrow Snickelways
Snickelways of York
The Snickelways of York, often misspelt Snickleways, are a collection of small streets and footpaths in the city of York, England. The word Snickelway was coined by local author Mark W...
. Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
is also associated with the spectre.
A famous Barghest was said to live near Darlington who was said to take the form of a headless man (who would vanish in flames), a headless lady, a white cat, a dog, rabbit and black dog
Black dog (ghost)
A black dog is the name given to a being found primarily in the folklores of the British Isles. The black dog is essentially a nocturnal apparition, often 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...
. Another was said to live in an "uncannie-looking" dale between Darlington and Houghton, near Throstlenest.
The derivation of the word barghest is disputed. Ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
in the north of England was once pronounced guest, and the name is thought to be burh-ghest: town-ghost. Others explain it as German Berg-geist (mountain spirit), or Bär-geist (bear-spirit), in allusion to its alleged appearance at times as a bear. Another mooted derivation is 'Bier-Geist', the 'spirit of the funeral bier'.
The Barghest in popular culture
Many stories, perhaps most notably The Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of four crime novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in The Strand Magazine from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set largely on Dartmoor in Devon in England's West Country and tells the story of an...
, feature ghostly black dogs. See Black dog (ghost)
Black dog (ghost)
A black dog is the name given to a being found primarily in the folklores of the British Isles. The black dog is essentially a nocturnal apparition, often 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...
for further details. Dogs specifically named as barghests appear in the following:
Literature
In the novel by Bram StokerBram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
, when arriving at Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
aboard the ship Demeter, Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
takes the form of a big and ferocious dark dog. The barghest is part of Whitby folklore, and may well have been Stoker's inspiration.
In the Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
series written by J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...
, the character Sirius Black
Sirius Black
Sirius Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Sirius was first mentioned briefly in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as a wizard who lent Rubeus Hagrid a flying motorbike shortly after Lord Voldemort killed James and Lily Potter...
is an Animagus (a wizard that can take the form of an animal) that transforms into a big black dog, the other characters fear it because he resembles a "Grim
Church Grim
The Church Grim, Kirk Grim, Kyrkogrim or Kirkonväki is a figure from English and Scandinavian folklore, said to be an attendant spirit, overseeing the welfare of its particular church. English Church Grims are said to enjoy loudly ringing the bells...
" (a black dog that is an omen of death).
Also inspired by this legend, the barghest also appears in the children's book The Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis
Robin Jarvis
Robin Jarvis is a British children's novelist, who writes fantasy novels, often about anthropomorphic rodents and small mammals – especially mice – and Tudor times...
.
The barghest is depicted as a shapeshifting beast in Sojourn, written by R.A. Salvatore. Most of R.A. Salvatore's literary inspiration comes from the pen and paper RPG
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
Dungeons and Dragons.
In Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
's The Witches, it is mentioned as always being male.
Nicole Peeler's
Nicole D. Peeler
Nicole D. Peeler is an American author who writes the Jane True - Tempest urban fantasy series.Nicole Peeler has a BA with Distinction in English Literature, Magna Cum Laude from the Boston University 2000 and a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh...
"Tempest Rising" series references Dahl's the Witches, and features a Barghest who takes on human or demon dog form.
In the novel Forge of the Mindslayers by Tim Waggoner, a Barghest is described as a lupine beast with blue tinged fur, a 'goblin-ish' face, and human hands. It can shapeshift into a goblin.
In Chapter 63 of Theodore Dreiser's classic novel, An American Tragedy, he references the spectre adjectivally, saying, "And at one point it was that a wier-wier, one of the solitary water-birds of this region, uttered its ouphe and barghest cry, flying from somewhere near into some darker recess within the woods. And at this sound it was that Clyde had stirred nervously and then sat up in the car. It was so very different to any bird-cry he had ever heard anywhere."
Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen, features a nomadic warrior people called the Barghast. Any possible relation to the mythological canine, aside from the name, is unclear.
In Brom's novel The Child Thief barghest were creatures that lived in the "witch's wood" and served her when needed.
In the Japanese light novel series Magician's Academy
Magician's Academy
is a Japanese light novel series by Ichirō Sakaki, with illustrations by Blade. Nine volumes were published between January 24, 2003 and August 30, 2007; there is also a series of five illustrated short stories called Macademi Radical. A manga adaptation by Blade was serialized in Enterbrain's...
, one of the professors has a familiar/maid, Eineus the Varghest- a black dog-demon.
Film and television
The Barghest is the main villain in the children's TV series Roger and the RottentrollsRoger and the Rottentrolls
Roger and the Rottentrolls is a children's comedy television series made for ITV by The Children's Company, which combined puppets with live action human actors...
, which is set in Troller's Ghyll.
The 1978 made-for-TV movie Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell
Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell
Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell is a 1978 television movie directed by Curtis Harrington. The story centers around a suburban family and the harrowing experiences they endure from a possessed dog they innocently adopt...
features a barghest named Lucky.
In an episode of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
drama series Dalziel and Pascoe
Dalziel and Pascoe (BBC TV series)
Dalziel and Pascoe is a popular British television crime drama based on the Dalziel and Pascoe books by Reginald Hill, which was first broadcast in March 1996. It is set in Yorkshire, and is about two detectives...
, a public house situated on the North York Moors
North York Moors
The North York Moors is a national park in North Yorkshire, England. The moors are one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. It covers an area of , and it has a population of about 25,000...
which the episode's plot revolves around is named 'The Barguest', and features a large black dog on its sign.
Role-playing games
Barghests feature in:- BattleTechBattleTechBattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2000, and owned since 2003 by Topps. The series began with FASA's debut of the board game BattleTech by Jordan Weisman and L...
- as the name of a 'MechMechaA mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
. - Dark ConspiracyDark ConspiracyDark Conspiracy is a near-future horror role-playing game originally developed by Game Designers' Workshop in 1991. In 1997, the Second Edition was published by DPI...
- Dungeons and Dragons (see Barghest (Dungeons & Dragons)Barghest (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the barghest is a type of fictional monster for player characters to encounter. The barghest is portrayed as a goblin-like creature that comes from the plane of Gehenna to feed on humans. These evil creatures can change form to appear as a dog or...
) - ExaltedExaltedExalted is a role-playing game published by White Wolf Publishing. The game is classified as high fantasy, but may be more accurately described as "mythic fantasy", as the developer specifically avoided drawing on J. R. R. Tolkien, but rather turned to a mixture of world mythologies for inspiration...
- The Witcher
- HARPHigh Adventure Role PlayingHigh Adventure Role Playing is a fantasy role-playing game, designed by Tim Dugger & Heike A. Kubash, and published by Iron Crown Enterprises .- Background :...
- The Lord of the Rings Online
- Perfect WorldPerfect WorldPerfect World , is a 3D adventure and fantasy MMORPG with traditional Chinese settings. Players can take on various roles depending on choice of race and choice of class within that race....
- ShadowrunShadowrunShadowrun is a role-playing game set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror, and detective fiction.The original game has spawned...
(see Barghest - Sixth World Wiki) - World of DarknessWorld of Darkness"World of Darkness" is the name given to three related but distinct fictional universes created as settings for supernatural horror themed role-playing games. It is also the name of roleplaying games in the second and third settings...
- Wraith: the OblivionWraith: The OblivionWraith: The Oblivion is a role-playing game set in the afterlife of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness. In the game, players take on characters who are recently dead and are now ghosts...
- Tunnels & Trolls
Video games
Barghests, or creatures similar to it, appear in:- Lord of the Rings Online
- The Monster RancherMonster RancherMonster Rancher, known in Japan as , is a series of life simulation role-playing video games created by Tecmo . The series currently consists of fourteen games across different video game platforms, and future titles are planned...
series. - Fire EmblemFire Emblemis a fantasy tactical role-playing video game franchise developed by Intelligent Systems , the maker of Advance Wars , and published by Nintendo...
- Chrono TriggerChrono Triggeris a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Chrono Triggers development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, a...
. - The PokémonPokémonis a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
video game series (from the third generation onwards there is a Pokémon named Absol, possibly based on a white barghest) - Final Fantasy XIFinal Fantasy XI, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
- Final Fantasy XIIFinal Fantasy XIIis a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
- Front Mission 5 - As the name of an anti-terrorism unit.
- Wild Arms 2Wild Arms 2Wild Arms 2, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game developed by Media.Vision and published by Sony Computer Entertainment and the second installment in the Wild Arms series...
as a minor enemy faced inside the prison. - Icewind Dale IIIcewind Dale IIIcewind Dale II is a role-playing video game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay Entertainment, released on August 27, 2002. Like its 2000 predecessor Icewind Dale, the game is set in the Forgotten Realms fantasy setting in the Icewind Dale region...
- Folklore
- Shadow Hearts 2
- Aion: The Tower of Eternity
- The Witcher
- A Tale of Two KingdomsA Tale of Two KingdomsA Tale of Two Kingdoms is a fantasy adventure game developed by Crystal Shard. Developed using the Adventure Game Studio engine, it is the recipient of numerous awards from the AGS community.- Plot :...
Music
Barghests appear in:- The song "Oblivion" by Patrick WolfPatrick WolfPatrick Wolf is an English-Irish singer-songwriter from South London. Patrick utilises a wide variety of instruments in his music, most commonly the ukulele, piano and viola...
, which is about a young man searching for the Barghest. Also, first title of this song was "Barghest", but then Patrick edited it to the "Oblivion". - The song "Barghest vs. Aged.A" by psychedelic rock band of Arrowe Hill
- The EP "The Barghest O' WhitbyThe Barghest O' WhitbyThe Barghest O' Whitby is a My Dying Bride EP released November 7, 2011. It consists of a single, 27-minute track.-Credits:* Aaron Stainthorpe — vocals* Andrew Craighan — guitar* Hamish Glencross — guitar* Lena Abé — bass...
" by the Yorkshire-based doom metal band My Dying BrideMy Dying BrideMy Dying Bride are an English doom metal band formed in 1990. To date, My Dying Bride have released eleven full-length studio albums, three EPs, one demo, one box set, four compilation albums, one live album, and one live CD/DVD release. The band released their tenth studio album, For Lies I Sire,... - The Baton Rouge, LA based black metal metal band "Barghest" take their name from this mythical creature
See also
- Black dog (ghost)Black dog (ghost)A black dog is the name given to a being found primarily in the folklores of the British Isles. The black dog is essentially a nocturnal apparition, often 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...
, a list & names of phantom black dogs by locale - Wild HuntWild HuntThe Wild Hunt is an ancient folk myth prevalent across Northern, Western and Central Europe. The fundamental premise in all instances is the same: a phantasmal, spectral group of huntsmen with the accoutrements of hunting, horses, hounds, etc., in mad pursuit across the skies or along the ground,...
- KitsuneKitsuneis the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume...
a Japanese fox spirit.