Everybody knows a dog is a man’s best friend. These little fellas are cute, loyal, have wiggly tails, and bring nothing but joy! Unless we are talking about a demon dog, that’s like a bizarro version of one: terrifying, dangerous, has a wiggly tail, and brings nothing but terror.
You may think that such a horror hound doesn’t exist. That these spooky puppies are made up. You can convince yourself that a frightening Fido is a figment of someone’s imagination.
And you’d be wrong!
Down in the Isle of Man, a big black ghostly beast has been spotted. Sometimes, he guards a castle. Other times, he scares people to death. Every now and then, he chases his own tail.
This phantom pup is called Moddey Dhoo.
Who is Moddey Dhoo?
Who’s a demonic good boy? Who is? That’s right! Moddey Dhoo is! A terrifying figure for some, a misunderstood pup for others. It’s often described as a big black dog, with shaggy hair and bright eyes, similar to a cockier spaniel – but not a living one, a ghostly one.
Nobody knows too much about his backstory: we don’t know where it comes from, why he lives in the Isle of Man, or whether or not he likes to chew on ghost bones. I sure hope he does. Truth be told, we can’t even be certain about how he looks!
Moddey Dhoo is not always described not as a dog, but, sometimes, as a dog-like creature. Something as big as a calf and with terrifying bright eyes that’ll paralyze you.
The calf-sized, dog-like creature has been spotted several times throughout the 20th century – way after the first time Moddey Dhoo was first seen, during the 1600s.
Where was this good boy first spotted?
According to Manx folklore, Moddey Dhoo used to haunt Peel Castle, a place where soldiers were garrisoned back in the 1600s. It is believed he appeared during the night, after the candles were lit, and disappeared at dawn.
Plenty of soldiers spotted Moddey Dhoo. At first, they were terrified – but then, they began to feel respect for this other-than-mortal being. Even though plenty of people saw this spectral dog, he had no known owner.
There was one guard working in the castle who dared not to respect this good boy. Like most people who desire to mess with spirits, he was drunk. He went right where Moddey Dhoo usually was – the castle’s guard chamber -, entered the room, and screamed like a little girl as he escaped from it.
The guard was in such a shock that he couldn’t speak – and died three days later. No, that is not a joke. It does give Moddey Dhoo a huge amount of street cred, though.
Wait a minute, is Moddey Dhoo a ghost dog breed?
According to several reports, Moddey Dhoo was not spotted in Peel Castle alone, but throughout the Isle of Man. That could mean one of two things: one, this ghost dog roams around the island as he pleases; two, there’s more than one Moddey Dhoo out there.
Or, you know, number three: the Isle of Man has a severe case of haunt-itis. I choose to believe there are several demonic good boys out there, roaming around, having a blast, chewing ghost bones, and chasing ghost cars.
All in all, there’s one thing we know for certain: there’s a spectral dog out there haunting a castle, perhaps roaming around an island. We also know that Manx folklore has great stories. A ghost dog sounds awesome.
Can I adopt one?
I’m pretty sure you can’t go to a shelter and ask for a demon dog. Don’t get me wrong, you can, but you’ll only get funny looks for it. I guess that you can try to buy Peel Castle; that way, you’ll get your very own Moddey Dhoo with it.
Then again, I don’t think you can teach him any tricks. You know that old saying, you can’t teach 300-year-old demon dogs new tricks.
You can pay him a visit, though! Oh, wait. No, you can’t. After good old Moddey scared that guard to death back in the 1600s, someone sealed the passage where this demon dog was often spotted. Maybe you should try to ask in a ghost dog shelter.
Want more? Listen to our Moddey Dhoo episode below!
One thought