The "Lordly Dog"

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There used to be a chapel close to Breinermoor. The chieftains of Backemoor were the patrons of this chapel and in it they listened to sermons and submitted to the rite of confession. However, at one time, one of those patrons was such an arrogant, brazen man that the priest was not able to do anything that gained his approval and constantly suffered from his abuse. Usually, the noble brought his favorite big, black dog with him to the rite of confession. Finally, he came up with the blasphemous idea to hold up the beast to the ear of the listening priest during the confession. He did so, and whispered the deeds and pranks of the animal as if it were a human being. The priest supposedly shook his head, but nevertheless gave the dog absolution. After this, the noble broke out into maddened laughter, which rose in volume until it finally could no longer be distinguished from the howling of a dog. Insane, the noble was led away and lived like a dog from this moment on, crawled on all fours and ate from the same bowl as the dog. Indeed, even after his death — which occurred soon after — he was not freed from his curse. For the local people claim that Heaven’s just punishment transformed him into a gigantic black poodle with eyes of hellfire. This black poodle shows itself to blasphemous people who visit the pub, but never the church, when they return home from their carousing at midnight.

Source: Sundermann - Sagen und sagenhafte Erzählungen aus Ostfriesland, p. 49

caption Note: This story was published in the book Sunken Castles, Evil Poodles: Commentaries on German folklore. Get the book for further context and explanatory commentary!

caption Note: This story was published in the book Sunken Castles, Evil Poodles Volume 01: Lurkers at the Threshold. Get the book for further context and explanatory commentary!