Animals Of The Supernatural Kind

Within the field of paranormal research there is a lot of focus on human spirits, ghosts and hauntings. Animals sometimes get a passing mention. However, when we delve deeper into the legends and stories of supernatural animals, it is surprising how many reports there are. These encounters, relating to non-human spirits, are fascinating, at times puzzling and often frightening.

In addition, these events not only cover our common animals such as dogs, cats, horses, birds and so on. But many people claim to have observed creatures that are often believed to be demonic in nature.

Some of the most curious cases of the supernatural relate to birds. There is indeed much folklore written about our feathered friends from all over the world. Here are just a couple of 'bird' hauntings that should help to get the goose bumps rising!

Demonic Bird - Cornwall, England

The Punch Bowl Inn has a long association with the paranormal. At this particular hostelry there is an alleged haunting of a demonic black bird - thought to be a cockerel - that mysteriously appeared after the death of a local minister. Many claim that the demonic bird - that is believed to have attacked people - is the soul of this angry man of the church. Legend states that he died after falling down his cellar steps - but was he actually pushed? Rumour suggests that the curate of the parish was in love with the minister's beautiful wife and murdered his superior. Knowing this the angry spirit returned in the shape of a bird.

The most curious thing about this story is why the minister should have chosen the form of a bird to seek revenge? There are more predatory animals that would have been more appropriate to his cause. This may well be a case of coincidence building up into legend - but who knows?

The Wise Old Owl

For many centuries the owl has been linked with both wisdom and the supernatural. Cultures differ on their view of whether the owl was a good or bad omen. In the negative sense, owls were often thought of as messengers and omens of death. In other cultures the owl was also viewed as a supernatural messenger but one that brought wisdom from the hidden dimensions. To be sure there is nothing more beautifully eerie than hearing the sound of an owl on a dark night. Because these lovely birds are nocturnal hunters, it is hardly surprising that they gained a reputation for being a supernatural bird.

The Hapsburg Curse - Haunted By Ravens

There is no doubt that the mighty Hapsburg dynasty was plagued by ill fortune - from its early beginnings centuries ago up until the beginning of the 20th.The source for their ill luck is alleged to relate to the killing of thousands of ravens. This cruel act was carried out in a nesting sanctuary. The sanctuary was set up by one of the founding members of the family - thought to be Gontran-de-Riche, Count of Altenbourg. The nesting tower was erected in gratitude for the birds having saved his life from vultures who had attacked him.

When the massacre occurred - about a 100 or so years after the Count of Altenbourg founded the nesting tower - it is said that the Hapsburgs became cursed and haunted by supernatural ravens called turnfalkens. Whenever these ravens appeared mysteriously at the Hapsburg's castles the family would know that one of them was about to die. In addition, the ravens were often accompanied by a white female ghost, alleged to be wraith-like in appearance. Her presence was also held to spell doom for the family.

It is believed that during the execution of Marie Antoinette - who was a Hapsburg - that the turnfalkan followed her procession from the jail where she was held, to the guillotine. After she was decapitated it is alleged that large numbers of ravens flew and screeched over the execution site. This creepy event has allegedly been repeated just prior to the deaths of a few family members.

Ravens and crows are very intelligent and learn quickly. Scientific research has also shown that these birds will remember the faces of people who, for example, have thrown stones at them. If this is the case, do these beautiful birds also remember acts of cruelty while in the spirit form and seek revenge accordingly?

Animal hauntings although not as widespread as human are well documented. The most common animals to be encountered are dogs, cats, birds and horses but many other species have also been recorded.

However, as with human ghosts and spirits, we have to be careful about what we have witnessed. Take the following account as an example:

Derby, England. 1723

Francis Brown was a well known farmer - he was even more well known for the amount of alcohol he could consume in one sitting. After a large drinking bout he decided to ride out to the city of Derby despite the pleading of his wife not to do so. Brown was said to have remarked, "ride I will if I have to halter the devil ." The night was a stormy one with flashes of lightening but the drunken farmer made it to where his horse was and began to place the halter on. But one sudden flash of lightening showed the horse had grown horns like the devil! The farmer was so terrified that he remained sober for the rest of his life. And the horned beast? The farmer in his alcoholic stupour had mistaken one of his cows for a horse!

This true story demonstrates how easy it could be for mistaken identity to lead to all sorts of legends. And indeed many animal spirit accounts have been dismissed because of probable identification issues. However, the following accounts are not so easily fobbed off.

RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, England.

One of the most famous pilots of World War II is of course Wing Commander Guy Gibson. But just as famous and as loved was his black labrador dog. The dog was really a mascot for the RAF base during the war years, particularly for the Wing Commander's own squadron - 617 squadron. The dog was cared for by everyone not just Guy Gibson himself.

It was a tragedy when the dog was accidently killed on the main road outside the base, just prior to the famous 'Dam Busters' raid. Although Gibson was obviously distressed over the loss of his pet he kept it's death secret so as not to demoralise his team. However, after the dog's death, throughout the war years and beyond, the friendly black labrador was spotted by many people making it's usual way, tail wagging, throughout the RAF base. The dog was not transparent, but looked solid, before it would simply vanish into thin air.

Nothern England - exact location unknown

A nurse related this story of a patient she had once cared for who was terminally ill. Just before his death he was moved back to his beloved home. His pet dog, called Pepper, had been given to a family 10 miles away as the frail owner could no longer look after him. The nurse related that just minutes before her patient died, she heard him say 'come on Pepper, time to go'. The patient died about two minutes later. A few minutes after this, a family friend telephoned to say that the patient's pet dog Pepper had died about five minutes previously.

Drumlanrig Castle - Dumfrieshshire, Scotland

There are many hauntings that involve more unusual pets. Drumlanrig Castle was reported to be haunted by not only human ghosts but also by a monkey or ape. In accounts and letters dating from the 1700's there are descriptions of an area of the castle known as the 'haunted room' or the 'yellow monkey room'. From the dates of these letters up until recently there have been numerous accounts of a monkey-like creature being seen moving around the castle corridors. During World War I the castle was used as a military hospital. The spirit of the monkey was encountered by a nurse who was sleeping within the haunted room. She was so terrified by the apparition that she resigned the next day. Drumlanrig is still one of the holdings of the Duke of Buccleuch and many members of his family have also had ghostly encounters with this strange pet. In addition it may seem odd that an animal not native to Scotland should be haunting a Scottish Castle. However, in days gone by, it was the fashion to have exotic pets from distant lands about your home.

The Tower of London, England.

There are a number of animal ghosts that have been reported over the centuries within the formidable Tower of London. It might seem strange that a fortress such as the Tower should have animal ghosts. However, in the past, this haunted monument held a menagerie of animals - for entertainment purposes. One of the animal ghosts encountered is that of a large bear. This apparition was so frightening that it's reported to have caused the death of a sentry on guard duty in January of either 1815 or 1816. When this unfortunate man saw the apparition it was so life-like that he jabbed his bayonet at it. But the knife edge went through the animal and jammed in a wooden door on the other side. He was found by colleagues in a collapsed, frightened state. However, he was able to relate his story that was confirmed by another soldier on duty at the same time. Sadly, the terrified sentry is reported to have died of shock a day or so after the incident.

In addition to this, it was by Royal Command that ravens always be kept at the Tower. There is a legend that states when the Ravens leave the Tower, disaster will occurr in the country. The legend is hundreds of years old, but still to the present day, Ravens remain at the Tower. They even have their own pet cemetery. There is a memorial headstone that lists the names of all the Ravens buried at the site since 1956.

There is a substantial amount of reports, that strongly suggest our pets do survive death and live on in spirit. This is not just for the most common ones such as dogs, cats, birds, rabbits and so on. But there have been numerous reports of horses, pet monkeys and even a pet rat that was seen after it had died. This shouldn't come as any suprise. All creation has both a physical and spiritual component to their existence. When the physical shell is worn down by the processes of living, then it is disgarded - this is what we call death. In actual fact it is only a further progression of life.

Many people who have lost their pets do claim that they have not only seen them after death, but have felt them and heard them. Many of course would argue that in grief it could be wishful thinking and this is a valid point that needs to be considered. However, many of the pet encounters happened many months or even years after the pet had died.

I will be covering this topic in more detail in another hub, as this particular subject needs more explanation and examples than can be given here. But the amount of evidence for pet survivial is significant and continues to grow.

Of all supernatural animal phenomena, in the UK and other parts of the world, the cases of 'black dogs' are the most numerous and best documented. But to add confusion to this phenomena we also have very similar accounts of hauntings by dogs who are not black but another colour. There have been a number of reports of white dog encounters that describe the animal as having huge eyes and being as big as a calf. In Scotland the Cu Sith - thought to be some form of faerie dog - is dark green in colour and has a curious shaggy tale along its back. However, the majority of cases involve the colour black as we shall soon see.

Black Dogs - in graveyards and other locations.

One of the most interesting phenomena with black dog entities are the graveyard encounters. These accounts go back a very long time and are still witnessed to the present day. Some of them are fairly benign, in that the 'dog' is believed to be some form of guardian. But other accounts would suggest that it may be some other, more malevolent creature masking as a dog. Either way the origin of these hauntings can possibly be traced back to superstitions from the past. When a new graveyard had just been laid out the belief was that the first occupant within the site would be doomed to be the guardian of the cemetery for eternity. Not wishing any family or other person to have this curse, the locals would bury the body of a black dog first so that this unfortunate animal became the guardian. But not all these sightings are said to be of 'guardian' dogs. Some are believed to be portents of death - for example, anyone who sees the black dog within a graveyard will soon die.

Other research seems to suggest that these phantom black dogs may be archetypes or even some form of ancient protective spirit. The reason for this is that many old graveyards and churches were built on sacred sites that had been used for thousands of years prior to Christianity. The theory being that early man may have recognised or sensed a thinning of the veils between the physical and spiritual in these places and so deemed the site sacred. These ancient places, that have a high reservoir of spiritual energy, can at times, seem to manifest some form of protective force. It has been suggested that one form this protective force may take is an animal. It is also interesting to note that some people have noticed marked similarities between the guardian role of the black phantom dogs and that of Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Greek mythology.

There are other black dog hauntings that people have witnessd around the sites of previous gallows/hanging trees. The legends state that these black dogs are the spirits of criminals who were hanged and destined to roam the physical plane in the form of a black dog.

Crossroads burst with superstition, legend and hauntings. So perhaps it's not surprising that a few phantom black dogs will arise for good measure. Again most of the legends state that these black dogs are the souls of criminals. However, other legends believe that they are the souls of people who committed suicide and were buried at the crossroads - their body forbidden to be placed in consecrated earth.

Lastly, there are other encounters that claim the black dog manifesting is some form of evil spirit or shape-shifting demon. They do have the same characteristics as other phantom black dogs and certainly must be a terrifyiing sight to see on a dark night. These manifestations have red eyes, often salivitate and have an over-whelming aura of evil surrounding them not present in other black dog encounters.

Typically the experience can have the following features:

• The encounter most often happens at night
• It is thought that during a thunderstorm an encounter is more likely in a known haunted hotspot. The reason for this is unknown.
• The dog is often large and shaggy with red glowing eyes
• It moves swiftly and in complete silence.
• It has been heard to growl or snarl.
• Although it is alleged that some encounters with these ghost dogs have caused death; normally no attack takes place. Some people have reported such dogs jumping up, putting their paws on the terrified person's shoulders and knocking them to the ground. Other than a few bruises, no other injuries occur.
• Many encounters also seemed to involve scorched ground, flames/fire and lightening. Why this should be so only deepens the mystery of this phenomena. It is also alleged that people have been killed directly or indirectly by the phenomena, but this has never been verified to any satisfactory degree.
• Many encounters with these dogs have been of a very positive and helpful nature. Although these more benign manifestations tend to take place outwith graveyards. For example, there are accounts of these dogs assisting people by leading them out of deep forests and generally acting as a guide when people are lost in remote areas. When the person is safe the animal disappears as mysteriously as it arrives.
• The black dogs protect other areas as well as graveyards. In Scottish Folklore it is believed that many of these ghost dogs protect buried treasure.

The Black Dog Omens

In addition to the ghost dogs mentioned above there is also a category of the phenomena that represents a death omen. The encounters with these animals are especially dreaded. Legend states that an encounter with these manifestations signifies the observer's own death or some other tragedy.

Ivelet, Swaledale. England - A headless black dog is alleged to manifest in this area and is said to signify that a tragedy will occur. More specifically the dog most often appears on an old hump-back bridge known creepily as 'Corpse Way' - as this was the route by which the dead were taken to the church.

Hergest Court, Nr Kington. Herefordshire. England - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is thought to have stayed at Hergest Court at some point and this location may have been the inspiration for his best selling novel "The Hound of the Baskerville's". The Baskerville family lived close by in Eardisley. Over many years there have been persistant stories of ghostly black dogs seen around the area and the origin would seem to be Hergest Court itself.

In 1496 the owner of the property was Sir Thomas Vaughan. He was known as 'Black Vaughan' due to his dark and cruel nature. When the War of the Roses was being fought Sir Thomas was decapitated during battle - the Battle of Banbury. Legend states that his faithful black hound picked up his masters severed head and returned home with it to Hergester. Many people have reported seeing the black hound around the local churchyard, in the countryside and at Hergest Court itself. Inside the house it is noises that are recorded more than visual sightings - growls and the sounds of padding paws. The legend that surrounds the hound is that when it is seen then this foretells the death of a member of their family.

Black dog Names.

The black dog phenomena is so old and widespread that it has different names given to it depending on what region of the UK you are in. Here are just a few:

• Black Shuck - East Anglia, England
• Padfoot & Bogey Beast - Yorkshire, England
• Old Shock/Shuck - Suffolk, England
• Pooka - Ireland
• Mauthe Dog (Mauthe Doog) Scotland
• Hairy Jack - Lincolnshire, England
• Cu Sith - Scotland (Highlands Region) - colour green not black.
• Capelthwaite - Cumbria, England
• Skriker - Lancashire, England

Cats along with dogs are among the most popular of pets. In addition most of the hauntings involving lovable pets are warm and benign encounters as you would expect. However, in the following cases, we have accounts of some 'kitties' who were not friendly at all.

The Dower House. Killackee in Ireland

When restoration work was being carried out on the house in the 1960's the workmen complained of overwhelming feelings of being watched. After a time these feelings turned into witnessing the apparition of a black cat. This was no ordinary cat however, being described as very large - about the size of a Collie. The phenomena developed further when noises in the forms of growls were also heard. The owner of the house -artist Margaret O'Brian - was very sceptical about the claims until one day she too saw the ghostly cat. The house was subsequently exorcised but this did not work entirely. The apparition continued to be seen for some time after the cleansing. The sightings finally grew less especially after renovation work had stopped.

The Gypsy King's Cat

Local Ghost Trails, Clive Kristen

St. Michael's Church in Rossington is the burial place of James Boswell who spent a lot of time, like Robin Hood, living in Sherwood Forest helping travellers and gypsies. He was even granted the official title of King of the Gypsies. It is said his grave was opened up so that his black cat could be buried with him, the animal having died just a few months after its owner. A spectre of the cat lurks here - although the exact location of the grave is now lost. When the apparition makes itself known, noises are heard first. The cat is said to hiss and snarl at witnesses, just prior to the appearance of a shadowy shape, that transforms itself into the shape of the Gypsy King's cat.

In the above accounts we notice that the cats didn't seem all that friendly. However, it should be remembered that cats can be very protective both of their owners and the homes they occupy. Rather than being unfriendly, it is very possible that these 'kitties' were just guarding their territory against perceived intruders. The physical or spiritual form doesn't seem to matter to cats - they still continue to protect what they regard as theirs!

There are a surprising number of ghost horse encounters. These accounts are well documented both from the past and the present. They can take many forms such as the ghostly carriages drawn by ethereal horses - some of the horses are reported to be headless. Many cases also relate to 'white horses' in particular.

In addition to just the animal being seen, we also have the phantom lone rider with their horse, who vanish as mysteriously as they appear. But there is also the folklore and legends relating to these beautiful animals. These cases are so numerous that they could fill a book, so I've chosen a small sample of reports that are fairly typical to illustrate this phenomena.

Ghost Horses of Bramham Park - Yorkshire, England

There is not one ghostly horse haunting Bramham Park but a group. Having said this there are many more accounts of the horses being heard rather than seen. But the observors who have had visual contact, describe the horses as being unusually large and very light in colour. The manes are very long and flowing as is their tales. What is more interesting is that they appear solid and no one has realised that anything was unusual until the horses suddenly vanish without trace. Some believe that the horses are related to the battle of Bramham Moor that took place in 1408.

The White Horse of Edgehill - Warwickshire, England

This beautiful, spiritual white horse has been seen on numerous occasions galloping over fields. The area in question lies close to the site of the Battle of Edgehill of 1642. This was of course the time of the English Civil War and there are a couple of theories about who the horse might have belonged to. Some accounts suggest that the animal belonged to Prince Rupert. But others suggest that the horse's owner was a Captain Kingsmill who was slain on the battle field. Of course neither of these theories need be correct and it certainly remains an enigma as to where the horse is going or who it belonged to. What witnesses do say is that the animal appears as solid as any flesh and blood horse and nothing seems amiss until it disappears into thin air.

Welsh Ghost Horse - Colybe Bay, Wales.

Wales is rich in folklore, legend and mythology as well as ghosts. Among the stories of phantoms and spirits there are quite a few that involve animals and horses in particular. The following account is one that has been witnessed on a number of occasions and remains a mystery today.

Driving along the small back roads, drivers have had to slam on their brakes and brace for impact as a huge, white horse appears from over a hedge and crosses in front of the vehicle. The horse is so large that it fills the windscreen. But just as a collision is expected the horse vanishes without trace. Interestingly, this particular ghost horse always seems to be encountered early in the morning rather than any other time of day.

There is no doubt that the spirits of animals are present among us.

Most are benign - some less so. Many of the encounters could be classed as simple recordings or residual energy rather than the actual spirit of an animal. But there are numerous accounts that strongly suggest that the encounters have more substance than a residual haunting.

So what do we make of this? It would seem, that like humans, animals do possess a spirit form and pass over on death to another dimension. But just as interesting, and like their human counterparts, they are probably around us much more than we will ever be aware of. So the next time you see a dog, cat or horse that moves unexpectedly out of sight, consider the possibility that the animal was spiritual rather than physical.