Ghosts in the Shape of a Dog

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1. At night, a large black dog roams the area near the river Ilme at Oldendorf. This dog has glowing eyes that are as large as cymbals. The locals call him the “Fischhund” (“Fishing Dog”). This used to be a fisherman who, as he was lying on his deathbed, wished to fish forever after his death. Once, a man from Oldendorf wanted to walk to Holtensen at night in order to visit his bride there. He encountered the Fischhund on the church road. He swung his stick at it, and then the dog rose up on its hind legs, stood tall, and gave him such a mighty slap across the ear that he fell down to the ground unconscious. From this frightful experience, the man first fell sick and then succumbed to madness.

2. A senior forestry official named Molf allegedly built the saltworks in Sülbeck. His portrait hangs within the entrance hall of the senior inspector’s official residence. If the picture was taken away from there, he would haunt this place. But, as long as it remains there, a large, black dog as large as cattle haunts the area instead. This dog walks up along the Salzgraben channel in the evenings. Once, young men from Sülbeck encountered it. Believing it to be an ordinary dog, they threw stones at it. But then, the dog stuck out its large, glowing tongue, and its fiery eyes became bigger and bigger. Now, fear and dread overcame the young men, and they fled into a nearby house in wild flight and quickly locked its door behind them. As soon as they had done so, the dog was in front of the door and roared like a lion.

A carpenter from Sülbeck once went outside at night with several others in order to steal fruits. He was about to leave with his loot when he saw the dog on his path at the fence, putting its front paws on the small pedestrian bridge. As the man needed to cross that bridge, he spoke to the dog: “Satan, begone!” and tried to hit it. But he didn’t connect with his swing, and merely hit empty air. In the same moment, he received such a mighty slap that he ended up on the other side of the Salzgraben and appeared to be almost dead for half an hour. The other people, who counted a barber among their number, finally managed to revive him and led him home.

3. In Bilshausen, a button maker died who had been an evil man while alive. After his death, a large black dog with glowing eyes and a glowing tongue was lying in front of the door of his former house between eleven and twelve o’clock, frightening passers-by through its countenance. This persisted for four weeks. Only after the priest had blessed the whole house did the dog vanish.

Source: Schambach - Niedersächsische Sagen und Märchen, p. 187f