Symbols
Animagus Creatures Death Divination Magic and magical theory

The Grim

"The Grim, my dear, the Grim! ...The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen -- the worst omen -- of death!"
-- Professor Trelawney (PA6)

Commentary

Etymology

Old English "grimm" meaning a spectre or spirit of death, such as the "Grim Reaper"

Notes

The Barghest, a death omen shapeshifting monster from the folklore of Northern England, commonly takes the form of a large black dog (source: Wikipedia).

One or more black dogs allegedly contributed to the injury and death supposedly caused by the Pendleton witches in 1612, according to the History Channel documentary Witches: A Century of Murder and to Wikipedia. -BB

An ominous black dog connected to evil and witchcraft appears in The Witch of Edmonton, a 1621 play by Thomas Dekker, John Ford, and William Rowley. -BB

Pensieve (Comments)

Tags: animals black death death omens future

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