The Cù-Sìth: The Black Dog of the Mounds

Myths & Urban Legends
Written By Jess Wright

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Please note, that I may scatter my own personal commentary throughout the piece. These will be in italics.

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In the misty moors of the Highlands, where the veil between our world and the fae realm is said to be thinnest, roams a creature of such chilling lore that its tale has been whispered for centuries. The Cù-Sìdhe [koo-shee], the black dog of the mounds, the fairie dog is a spectral hound said to be a harbinger of doom.

With Celtic, specifically Irish and Scottish, origins this beast has been christened with many names; The Hound of the Sìdhe, Conin Lotair, Hound of Rage, Cwn Annan (Welsh), a Hellhound (British), and a Fairy (fairie) Dog. So, when I say Celtic I mean that I am broadly encompassing the cultural and linguistic group that includes both the Irish and Scottish. I wanted to emphasize the presence of both the Irish and the Scottish folklore in this story, which is part of the larger Celtic tradition. If I am not mistaken…

It has been compared to similar tales of similar beasts; the Garmr, a monstrous hound that guards the gates of Hell. He is described as having blood-red eyes and a bloody chest. Or Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guards the entrance to the underworld. He is said to have a serpent’s tail and a fierce bite (bites?).

The Highlands

The role of dogs in our mythology, Earth and human history as a whole, have been assigned various symbolism and attributes: loyalty, companionship, guardians, protectors, sacred animals, man’s best friend but also harbingers of death.

Dogs have long been associated with death. Especially large black dogs that appear with the sole intention of foretelling death with their mere presence.

The Cù Sìdhe is said to be the size of a small cow or horse. They move noiselessly and glide across the Highlands with paws as large as a full-grown man’s palm. They are known for their dark green, almost black, fur, long braided tail, and red glowing eyes that shine through the dense fog. They supposedly reside in the fairie realm, in the clefts of rocks, “places of strange terror”, or the underworld. A creature half in our world and half in the next.

They have tasks in this realm, such as; escorting souls to the underworld, much like the Grim Reaper, or snatching pregnant or breastfeeding women so they can provide milk for fairie children or changelings. If a Cù Sìdhe was suspected to be in the area, which was typically announced by three terrifying howls, men would lock up their wives. Standing guard over them through the night with whatever weapon they could manage to get their hands on.

When these three howls echoed through the highlands, it was said that whoever heard it should find safety by the time the third howl sounded or the person would be “claimed by fright.”

There are multiple accounts of encounters with a Cù Sìdhe: here are a few of those tales:

A woman recalls that as a child, “half a century ago” at the time of her retelling, it was after nightfall. She was outside busying herself, as children do. Playing with rocks, sticks, and her imagination. When she was startled by a loud sound, similar to that of a howling dog but much louder. Her father bounded out of nowhere and grabbed her up. Running them both into the house where he warned her, “if the dog was heard to bark thrice, it would overtake them.”

Near Shiadar Fort, there lived a family of ranchers who tended cattle. The two boys of the family would often sleep in the pasture with the cows to keep watch over them. One night, the mother, at their little house, heard a disembodied voice tell her that her “two best calves were at the point of death.” The woman took heed of this warning and went in search of her children. She found them huddled together; nearly frightened to death. They told her they had heard the “braying of the fairie dogs.”

There is an abundance of art out there but I did not receive permission to use any of them so here is a dog with a green filter over it. Use what’s available to you, right?

A shepherd in Lorn came to the top of a cliff and looked down over the edge. There he saw two large pups, bigger than any dogs he’d ever seen, with green backs and sides, playing. He was terribly frightened and fled the scene before the mother could notice him. His dogs, which were known to be fearless hunting dogs, were too scared of the area. They refused to venture near the cliffs and the supposed den.

In the 16th century, some travelers were lodging in the Scottish Highlands. They reported a large green dog with glowing eyes. The sight terrified them so that they never returned to the area.

In the 19th century, a farmer saw a dog “so large it could have easily been mistaken for a small cow.” He was so scared that he refused to go near that particular field for several days.

This last tale is a doozy. With some supposed “evidence” to back it up.

In Suffolk, England in the late 16th century the community had gathered for morning mass at St. Mary’s Church. A terrible and violent storm raged outside. In response and out of fear the congregation knelt and prayed for the storm to pass. In a brilliant flash of lightning a “huge and monstrous black dog” appeared. Howling wildly as he caused immense damage. Two people were mauled in the scourge, a third man was gravely injured, and the clock tower was destroyed by a lightning strike.

At the same time, about 12 miles away at the Holy Trinity Church in Blythburgh, another black dog appeared to the congregation. Three people were killed while praying and scorch marks were left on the wooden door. These marks can still be seen today. Check it out.

Holy Trinity Church & the scorched door

Following these events, it became customary to sacrifice a black dog when a new church was built in Ireland. It had to be a completely black dog, not a single white hair. The spirit of the dog would then become the guardian of the church grounds. It became a protector of the parishioners and the cemetery.

It probably comes as no great surprise that the story of the Cù Sìdhe inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write “Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles”.

As we conclude our journey into the world of the Cù Sìdhe, remember that folklore is a testament to the human imagination and our innate desire to understand the world around us. Does this “fairie dog” truly exist between our world and the next? Maybe. Maybe not. But the next time you hear a distant howl on a stormy night, spare a thought for the Cù Sìdhe and the rich tapestry of folklore that brought it to life.

Now that you’ve experienced the tale of the Fairie Dog - here is the art it inspired.

You can read more in-depth information about the artwork in my Art Shop and purchase a print. Check it out HERE.

Cù Sìdhe Highlands

Signing off from the crossroads.

Jess Wright
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Gef the Talking Mongoose