Dogs In Folklore | Dog Edition #76
12/13/22 • 33 min
Some say humans learns best through story, and when you look at the history of dogs in folklore, you see plenty of evidence.
One story about one single dog can influence the way humans feel about dogs – or that type of dog – for years, decades, centuries, even millenia.
For thousands of years, seeing seeing a black dog was a good sign, a helpful warning from the spiritual world ... or something quite sinister. Author D.S. Nelson calls forth some ancient stories so we moderns can see just how far we’ve come.
Or have we? Dr. Stanley Coren pitches in with a thoroughly contemporary tale of a vicar’s wife who saw a ghostly dog figure and attributed a death to it. New folklore tales like this have impact on the daily life of millions of black dogs. Superstitious human folk are not lost to the mists of time, as folklorist Mark Norman reminds us.
Of course, some folklore is positive, like the guardian dogs you find in tales throughout the centuries, and even in contemporary literature. Why, even Disney’s eternally popular Lady & The Tramp is based on a folk tale about a loyal Welsh hound.
Folklorist Ceallaigh MacCath-Moran weighs in with insight about how folklore is created every day in unusual ways. For example, every episode of Dog Edition creates lore ... so listen today, and every week, to find out what tall tails future humans will tell.
Episode Links
Folklore & Fiction podcast and website by Ceallaigh S. MacCath-Moran
Stories From Lore podcast by DS Nelson
Dawn Nelson website (aka DD Storyteller)
What Do Dogs Know by Dr. Stanley Coren
Gods, ghosts, and black dogs by Stanley Coren
The Folklore Podcast with Mark Norman
Dog Edition Episode #70: Why Are Dogs So Loyal?
This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.
About Ceallaigh MacCath-Morran
Ceallaigh MacCath-Morran is a PhD candidate in the folklore department at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She is a published writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry and recently worked with the Odyssey Theater in Ottawa to write a folklore radio play. You can find out more information at https://theotherpath.ca/
Other Guests
DS Nelson (aka Dawn Nelson) is an author, storyteller and host of the Stories From Lore podcast
Mark Norman is a folklore researcher and author of Black Dog Folklore. He also hosts The Folklore Podcast. Mark is currently working on a book which explores the connection between folklore and Scooby Doo!
Dr Stanley Coren is Professor Emiritus from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He is the author of several books including Gods, Ghosts & Black Dogs
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:58 Black Dogs
6:32 Black Dog Syndrome
13:52 Dogs as Guardians-Cerberus
18:29 The Loyal Hound-Gelert The Choking Doberman
23:59 What is Folklore?
About Dog Podcast Network (DPN)
Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows:
The Long Leash where we rescue tasty scraps from the editing room floor in an unscripted interview show
Dog Cancer Answers which offers vetted advice from real veterinarians who answer your questions about dog cancer
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Some say humans learns best through story, and when you look at the history of dogs in folklore, you see plenty of evidence.
One story about one single dog can influence the way humans feel about dogs – or that type of dog – for years, decades, centuries, even millenia.
For thousands of years, seeing seeing a black dog was a good sign, a helpful warning from the spiritual world ... or something quite sinister. Author D.S. Nelson calls forth some ancient stories so we moderns can see just how far we’ve come.
Or have we? Dr. Stanley Coren pitches in with a thoroughly contemporary tale of a vicar’s wife who saw a ghostly dog figure and attributed a death to it. New folklore tales like this have impact on the daily life of millions of black dogs. Superstitious human folk are not lost to the mists of time, as folklorist Mark Norman reminds us.
Of course, some folklore is positive, like the guardian dogs you find in tales throughout the centuries, and even in contemporary literature. Why, even Disney’s eternally popular Lady & The Tramp is based on a folk tale about a loyal Welsh hound.
Folklorist Ceallaigh MacCath-Moran weighs in with insight about how folklore is created every day in unusual ways. For example, every episode of Dog Edition creates lore ... so listen today, and every week, to find out what tall tails future humans will tell.
Episode Links
Folklore & Fiction podcast and website by Ceallaigh S. MacCath-Moran
Stories From Lore podcast by DS Nelson
Dawn Nelson website (aka DD Storyteller)
What Do Dogs Know by Dr. Stanley Coren
Gods, ghosts, and black dogs by Stanley Coren
The Folklore Podcast with Mark Norman
Dog Edition Episode #70: Why Are Dogs So Loyal?
This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.
About Ceallaigh MacCath-Morran
Ceallaigh MacCath-Morran is a PhD candidate in the folklore department at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She is a published writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry and recently worked with the Odyssey Theater in Ottawa to write a folklore radio play. You can find out more information at https://theotherpath.ca/
Other Guests
DS Nelson (aka Dawn Nelson) is an author, storyteller and host of the Stories From Lore podcast
Mark Norman is a folklore researcher and author of Black Dog Folklore. He also hosts The Folklore Podcast. Mark is currently working on a book which explores the connection between folklore and Scooby Doo!
Dr Stanley Coren is Professor Emiritus from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He is the author of several books including Gods, Ghosts & Black Dogs
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:58 Black Dogs
6:32 Black Dog Syndrome
13:52 Dogs as Guardians-Cerberus
18:29 The Loyal Hound-Gelert The Choking Doberman
23:59 What is Folklore?
About Dog Podcast Network (DPN)
Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows:
The Long Leash where we rescue tasty scraps from the editing room floor in an unscripted interview show
Dog Cancer Answers which offers vetted advice from real veterinarians who answer your questions about dog cancer
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Previous Episode
My Dog the Mayor | Dog Edition #75
This episode is the second installment of Wag The Vote!, our dog-centric, non-partisan, on-going campaign to encourage voter participation. Dogs are the ultimate “good citizens” ... and we think they want us humans to be good citizens, too.
In this episode: dog mayors. (Yes, that's a thing.)
Are dogs being elected to public office a sign of democratic collapse? Political hijinks to install a figurehead, a mere puppet for the masters pulling the other end of the leash?
Or are they the natural end result of civically engaged communities?
Today, we talk about the how and the why of successful canine campaigns for mayor.
Unless it’s happened in your town, you might not realize there are quite a few animal mayors, especially in America. From the first mule candidate elected in 1938, to a town that has had animal mayors since 1998, we discuss the good, the bad, and the downright ridiculous.
A very special thanks to the Tacoma Library in Washington state for helping us track down the clippings of Boston Curtis' 1938 election.
Episode Links
Dog Edition Episode #47: Dogs as Healers
Dogs Edition Episode #53 : Dog as Medicine
Rabbit Hash Historical Society
Wilbur the French Bulldog Elected Mayor article by The Washington Post
Why are there so many animal mayors? video by Mic
Bosco, Sunol's Dog Mayor, Lives on in Spirit article by The Mercury News
Mayor Max Mayor of Idyllwild, California
Animal Rescue Friends of Idyllwild
This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.
About Dog Podcast Network (DPN)
Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows:
The Long Leash where we rescue tasty scraps from the editing room floor in an unscripted interview show
Dog Cancer Answers which offers vetted advice from real veterinarians who answer your questions about dog cancer
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Next Episode
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas | Dog Edition #77
Today on the show is our Christmas celebration! We are sharing the story of Jenine Stanley who was born legally blind and spent much of her life believing she did not need a guide dog. Everything changed when she moved to the city. Finding she needed help navigating the busy streets and noisy atmosphere, she found her first guide dog. While it may not have been love at first sight, it was love at first “feel.” Jenine now works to help others receive the love and assistance that only a service dog can give.
To celebrate her beloved dogs, Jenine writes a new Christmas poem every year. In this special episode, we perform her version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas”.
Grab a cup of cocoa and snuggle up with your pup, because it’s about to get real cozy!
Episode Links
Stewart the Hotel Dog | Dog Edition #59 Stewart’s career change, from service dog to hotel greeter
This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
2:01 Jenine Stanley
7:02 ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
15:28 Outro
About Dog Podcast Network (DPN)
Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows:
The Long Leash where we rescue tasty scraps from the editing room floor in an unscripted interview show
Dog Cancer Answers which offers vetted advice from real veterinarians who answer your questions about dog cancer
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/dog-edition-178532/dogs-in-folklore-dog-edition-76-26463231"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to dogs in folklore | dog edition #76 on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy