Barghest
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In Northern English folklore, the Barghest or Barguest is a mythical monstrous black dog with large teeth and claws; however, in other cases, the name can refer to a ghost or household elf, especially in Northumberland and Durham, such as the Cauld Lad of Hylton.
~6 min read
Article
5 sectionsContents
- Origin of the name
- Domain and description
- In popular culture
- See also
- References
In Northern English folklore, the Barghest or Barguest is a mythical monstrous black dog with large teeth and claws; however, in other cases, the name can refer to a ghost or household elf, especially in Northumberland and Durham, such as the Cauld Lad of Hylton.
== Origin of the name == "Ghost" in Northern England was pronounced "guest", and the origin is thought to be of the combination burh-ghest, "town-ghost". Others explain it as cognate to German Berg-geist, "mountain ghost" or Bär-geist, "bear-ghost". Another mooted derivation is Bahr-Geist, German for the "spirit of the funeral bier".