• Portrayal of Canines In Myth: Werewolves, Giant Dogs and More
• Feb 9, 2011
• Man's best friend can be found all over the modern world, but in the realms of Myth he does not always receive the best press.
• The dog has been, for many hundreds of years, the favourite of all the domesticated pets, participating in every aspect of their owners’ lives and almost always treated as an extension to the family. However, folklore has other plans for the friendly dog and its canine cousin the wolf, where it is portrayed in a completely different light.
• Early records are full of accounts where hounds are associated with access to or the guardianship of the underworld or afterlife.
• The most famous of these is the three-headed dog, Cerberus that appears frequently in both Greek and Roman literature [1].
• Cerberus and his two headed sibling, Orthrus, were the offspring of two powerful beings, Echidna; a cross between a snake and a woman and Typhon, a fire breathing giant.
• Cerberus is owned by Hades, keeper of the underworld, and was tasked to keep all living beings out whilst allowing the spirits of the dead to enter freely.
• Another reference to the dead is found in Norwegian folklore surrounding the god Odin’s two wolves Geri and Freki.
• Odin would set these beasts on the dead and the dying on the battlefield [3].
• Both examples associate the animals in question to the consumption of human flesh, alive in the case of Cerberus and as carrion in the case of Geri and Freki, playing on our deep-seated fears of being eaten by animals.
• Canines however play many roles in folklore and mythology, one of the most famous mythical bad guys’ have to be werewolves (from were = man, old English).
• The werewolf has become exceptionally popular in modern literature and film but it roots lay much deeper the folklore of many countries.
• At certain times in history, these fabled beasts were to the people a very real threat. Most people in the UK could be stopped in the street today and asked give an accurate description of the popularised characteristics of the werewolf.
• However, there are many different theories surrounding the werewolf, especially regarding contracting the curse.
• Less well known is simply the adjournment of a wolf skin or more commonly a belt or girdle of the same material.
• The commonest theory in modern film, the bite of a werewolf, is probably the least mentioned method in folklore.
• Like the two previous examples of canine myth, werewolves were vilified by the masses due to the consumption of human flesh, in this case considered almost cannibalism, as the creature was partially a man.
• you would only meet Cerberus if you were unlucky enough to die and Odin had only two wolves; werewolves were believed to be widespread.
• There are stories of werewolves in most European countries
• and examples have been cited from countries as far away as Russia and the United States of America (although only when Europeans actually moved there).
• It becomes a lot more frightening when you believe your neighbour could possibly be a werewolf especially in the middle ages. There were plenty of unexplained deaths already, how many deaths attributed to werewolves were simply accidents, other forms of animal attack or even attack by other human beings.
• In modern times, there are very few people that believe in werewolves but there is an interesting condition that may be responsible for some of the old claims, if not all.
• Lycanthropy (from lykos=wolf, anthropos=man, ancient Greek) is a medical condition where the sufferer believes they can and do, turn into a wolf on the eve of the full moon. They start behaving like a wolf, panting, growling, howling at the moon and even snapping at unfortunate bystanders.
• The next group of canines are primarily a European phenomenon and have a wide range of supernatural behaviours attributed to them. This group is simply known as ‘Black Dogs’ and have been reported for centuries in almost every county of the British Isles.

• Because of the different attributes, an attempt was made to classify them [6] and the three basic categories were:

   
  1. The shape-shifting devil dog
  2. A large shaggy black dog
  3. A type appearing periodically
• The demon dog comes in many guises and is known by many names, the Barguest is a common name used mostly in the north of England, the Black Shuck (or Old Shuck) is associated with Southern England, Shriker with Yorkshire and Lancashire and there are many animals named after the area they are reported to haunt.
• There were further categories from these but they are so varied it is difficult to assign them all.
• Black dogs can be found almost all over the British Isles and have been reported as the ghosts of human beings, the ghost of dogs and most importantly, harbingers of doom.
• The dog’s appearing periodically are quite rare and are usually associated with a specific place.
• The Demon dogs are the nastiest of the black dogs as they are essentially demons with large shaggy bodies and flame red eyes.
• They want to do you physical harm rather than scare you off.
• There is a story of an attack in 1577 which was reported to be the Black Shuck from which were allegedly casualties.
• The beast is known as the ‘The Black Dog of Bungay’ (near Norwich), and allegedly attacked the parishioners in two churches killing five and injuring two [7]. The story tells of a terrible storm that appears out of nowhere, suddenly darkening the church to the point that the parishioners can barely see one-another.
• The dog strolls into the church and snaps the necks of two kneeling persons killing them immediately; it then grips the back of another man who apparently withers away to a husk but survives the ordeal to die later.
• Not content with this attack, the animal appears at another church in the nearby town Blibery, attacks two more men and a youth, killing them outright.
• Another onlooker was unfortunate enough to touch the beast and was badly burned. There are scorch marks on the door and the floor of this church reported to have come from the attack.
• These animals obviously struck fear into anyone hearing about them. There were many theories as to the origins of the beasts’ dependant on which part of the country you are in.
• One of the favourites is that at least some of the black dogs were bogies [8], a form of minor devil or mischievous spirit instead of the devil himself.
• There are stories associated with black dogs that portray the animal as the harbinger of doom; in this case, the appearance of the animal is associated with the prediction of either death of one’s self or a loved one.
• In this case, the fear of the dogs is different; the animal itself is not causing harm to the witness, just warning of harm to come.
• On a lighter note, there is one story of a benevolent black dog that was responsible for saving a man’s life. A large black dog reportedly escorted Johnnie Greenwood on his way through the woods near Swancliff. As he left the woods, the dog disappeared only to re-appear on his way home. It was not for some years later when two death row prisoners confessed that on that night, they were going to rob and murder him but had decided not to due to the presence of a large black dog [9].

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• SKINWALKER

   

  aka Navajo Shapeshifter
• A WITCH IN ANIMAL FORM: In the lore of some Native American tribes, particularly the Navajo, the "skinwalker" is an evil witch that can shift into animal shape.
• Although generally believed to take the form of a wolf, coyote, crow, fox or owl, it is said skinwalkers can take any animal shape they desire.
• Those who report having seen skinwalkers say they are slightly deformed in their animal state with dull and unreflective eyes — the opposite of a real animal.
• In human form, their eyes are said to shine with an inhuman animal glow.
• THE SKINWALKER'S EVIL WAYS: Once in animal form, the skinwalker possesses the attributes of the animal whose shape it takes.
• Skinwalkers are most feared for the power they are said to have to place curses on their victims.
• Some Native Americans believe that a skinwalker can use a person's spit, hair, clothing or shoes to put a curse on that person or to inhabit the person's mind and control his or her behavior.
• It is also believed that by locking eyes with its victim, the evil skinwalker can infiltrate the person's body, causing them to sicken and even die.
• According to legend, skinwalkers are very fast and almost impossible to catch.
• However, when an injured skinwalker resumes human form, his telltale wound will give him away.

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• Unexplained Mysteries of SkinWalkers
• In some Native American traditions (Navajo, Hopi, Mohawk...) the skin-walker or yeenaaldlooshii is a human who is able to shapeshift into various animal forms through witchcraft. Skin-walkers are generally considered frightening, evil, dangerous, and difficult to kill.
• Yeenaeldooshi means literally "with it, he goes on all fours" in the Navajo language. The Mohawk Indian word "limikkin" is sometimes used to describe all skin-walkers.
• Possibly the best documented skinwalker beliefs are those relating to the Navajo yee naaldlooshii (literally "with it, he goes on all fours" in the Navajo language).
• A yee naaldlooshii is one of several varieties of Navajo witch (specifically practitioner of the Witchery Way, as opposed to a user of curse-objects or a practitioner of Frenzy Way .
• Technically, the term refers to who is using his (rarely her) powers to travel in animal form.
• In some versions men or women who have attained the highest level of priesthood then commit the act of killing an immediate member of their family, and then have thus gained the evil powers that are associated with skinwalkers.
  
• The Yeenaeldooshi are human beings who have gained supernatural power by breaking a cultural taboo.
• Specifically, a person is said to gain the power to become a yee naaldlooshii upon initiation into the Witchery Way.
• Both men and women can become Yeenaeldooshi and therefore possibly skinwalkers, but men are far more numerous.
• It is generally thought that only childless women can become witches.
• Although it is most frequently seen as a coyote, wolf, owl, fox, or crow, the yee naaldlooshii is said to have the power to assume the form of any animal they choose, depending on what kind of abilities they need.
• Witches use the form for expedient travel, especially to the Navajo equivalent of the 'Black Mass', a perverted song (and the central rite of the Witchery Way) used to curse instead of to heal. They also may transform to escape from pursuers.
  
• Description/Morphology
• A skinwalker is usually described as naked, except for a coyote skin, or wolf skin.
• Some Navajos describe them as a mutated version of the animal in question. The skin may just be a mask, like those which are the only garment worn in the witches' sing.
• The skinwalkers are described as being fast, agile, and impossible to catch. Though some attempts have been made to shoot or kill one, they are not usually successful.
• Behavior
• Skin-walkers sometimes transform themselves into animals simply for the purpose of traversing great distances quickly. They may also transform in order to wreak havoc on others, as their identity will be hidden and they will be able to escape quickly if necessary.
• Because of their association with skin-walkers, wild animal hides are taboo in Navajo culture and rarely seen.
• A skin-walker typically wears the pelt of the animal he or she will transform into, usually with no other clothing.
• Powers/Weaknesses
• Like the werewolf, the skin-walker is a shape-shifter, human at times, and at other times taking on the aspect of an animal, usually at night. In its animal form, a skin-walker may be virtually anything, including a wolf, coyote, fox, bear, owl, or crow. Although skin-walkers may have a favorite form that they customarily use, they have the power to become anything they wish. In animal form, a skin-walker is very fast and impossible to catch.
• They also possess the ability to make any human or animal noise they choose. A skinwalker may use the voice of a relative or the cry of an infant to lure victims out of the safety of their homes.
• According to Navajo legend, skinwalkers can have the power to read human thoughts.
• Both humans and animals can easily tell a skin-walker from a real animal, as the skin-walker is unable to move completely naturally in animal form. For some unexplainable reason even a well seasoned skinwalker cannot obtain the perfect animal gait or leave the proportionally correct sized animal tracks.
• A skin-walker can only be defeated if one can discover his or her human identity. This is possible if the skin-walker is tracked back to his or her home, or, in some stories, if a skin-walker is wounded and the same injury is later noted on a human.
• It is said that if a Navajo was to know the person behind the skinwalker they had to pronounce the full name by saying, "[Name], you are a skin-walker !". And about three days later that person would either get sick or die for the wrong that they have committed.
• Traditional faith healers can perform ceremonies to protect one from the danger of skin-walkers, or a person going out at night can cover his or her body with corn pollen, cedar ash, or juniper berries.
• While it is virtually impossible to kill a skin-walker in human form, there are magical ways to protect oneself and even to kill a skin-walker.
• If a person discovers the human identity of a skin-walker, he or she can kill the witch
• Beliefs
• and other "were" creatures (which can be described as therianthropes).
• Similar creatures can be found in numerous cultures' lores all over the world, closely related to beliefs in werewolves (also known as lycanthropes)
• While the skin-walker is known mainly from Navajo folklore, analogies exist in the mythology of other tribes, including the Mohawk, Hopi, and Aztecs.
• The Yaqui have a similar creature they call Morea-kame. this is a person who practices witchcraft or what we might ball black magic. These creatures also change shape, appearing as animals or even as ghosts. They kill using their thoughts or the evil eye.
• Navajo tradition
• A Yeenaaldlooshii is one of several varieties of Navajo witch (specifically an ’ánt’iihnii or practitioner of the Witchery Way, as opposed to a user of curse-objects (’adagash) or a practitioner of Frenzy Way (’azhitee)).
• Both men and women can become ’ánt’iihnii and therefore possibly skinwalkers, but men are far more numerous. It is generally thought that only childless women can become witches.
• Yenaldlooshi gain power by killing a close relative, sometimes even a sibling. They are known to desecrate sand paintings by urinating, spitting, & defecating on them. They also practice cannibalism and necrophilia.
• Yenaldlooshi are also said to be able to create a pollen from ground human infant bones that when sprinkled on sleeping Navajo families, causes sickness, social problems, & death.
• Although it is most frequently seen as a coyote, wolf, owl, fox, or crow, the Yeenaaldlooshii is said to have the power to assume the form of any animal they choose, depending on what kind of abilities they need.
• Some Navajo also believe that skinwalkers have the ability to steal the "skin" or body of a person.
• It is also said that skinwalkers avoid the light and that their eyes glow like an animal's when in human form and when in animal form their eyes do not glow as an animal's would.
• Because animal skins are used primarily by skinwalkers, the pelt of animals such as bears, coyotes, wolves, and cougars are strictly tabooed. Sheepskin and buckskin are probably two of the few hides used by Navajos, the latter is used only for ceremonial purposes.
• Some tribes believe that skinwalkers can use the spit, hair, or shoes and old clothing of a person to make curses that will attack that specific person. For this reason many Navajo will never spit or leave shoes outside. They also take great care to see that any hair or nail clippings are burned.
• Hopi tradition
• In this ceremony members would change themselves into various animals using the hide from the animal they chose, and the members use certain animal attributes like sight, strength,etc.
• In ancient Hopi culture there was a ritual ceremony once performed called the Ya Ya Ceremony.
• The ceremony was banned after members developed a disease of the eyes.
• Norse beliefs
• In Norse folklore, a skin-walker is a person who can travel in the shape of an animal and learn secrets, or take on certain characteristics of an animal.
• The person is then said to be wearing that animal's hide.
• The most well-known example of the latter is the warrior who takes on the strength and stamina of a bear, called "bear shirt" or ber sarkur, the origins of the word berserker;
• similarly, there were wolf-based warriors, called ulfheðnar or "wolf-coats".
• They were said, aside from the battle-rage the animal spirit granted, to have the ability to send out their soul in the form of their animal, in a practice called hamfarir or "shape-journey".
• According to Mythology, the Norse hero Sigmund and his son Sinfiolti became Skinwalkers for a short time, discovering two magic wolf skins that turned them into wolves when they put them on. When they became overcome by their animal instincts and began fighting over meat, Sigmund almost killed his son and so they decided to burn the skins.
• The use of an animal shape for other purposes was considered unholy, and people accused of having such abilities were frequently cast out or summarily executed. Females so charged got off more lightly.

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