Friday word: Guytrash

[med_cat]

Since Halloween is nearly upon it, I thought I'd continue on the monsters theme:
~~

"The Horton 'Guytrash' was another boggard in our young days, and generally took the form of a 'great black dog' with horrid eyes." — Edward Peacock, The Folk-lore Journal, January-December, 1886

Definition:

: a specter or ghost especially in the form of an animal

Photo credit: Tory Novikova

Source: Merriam-Webster's Top Ten Monsters List
~~
Another example:

A rude noise broke on these fine ripplings and whisperings, at once so far away and so clear: a positive tramp, tramp, a metallic clatter, which effaced the soft wave-wanderings; as, in a picture, the solid mass of a crag, or the rough boles of a great oak, drawn in dark and strong on the foreground, efface the aerial distance of azure hill, sunny horizon, and blended clouds where tint melts into tint.

The din was on the causeway: a horse was coming; the windings of the lane yet hid it, but it approached. I was just leaving the stile; yet, as the path was narrow, I sat still to let it go by. In those days I was young, and all sorts of fancies bright and dark tenanted my mind: the memories of nursery stories were there amongst other rubbish; and when they recurred, maturing youth added to them a vigour and vividness beyond what childhood could give. As this horse approached, and as I watched for it to appear through the dusk, I remembered certain of Bessie's tales, wherein figured a North-of-England spirit called a "Gytrash," which, in the form of horse, mule, or large dog, haunted solitary ways, and sometimes came upon belated travellers, as this horse was now coming upon me.

It was very near, but not yet in sight; when, in addition to the tramp, tramp, I heard a rush under the hedge, and close down by the hazel stems glided a great dog, whose black and white colour made him a distinct object against the trees. It was exactly one form of Bessie's Gytrash--a lion-like creature with long hair and a huge head: it passed me, however, quietly enough; not staying to look up, with strange pretercanine eyes, in my face, as I half expected it would. The horse followed,--a tall steed, and on its back a rider. The man, the human being, broke the spell at once. Nothing ever rode the Gytrash: it was always alone; and goblins, to my notions, though they might tenant the dumb carcasses of beasts, could scarce covet shelter in the commonplace human form. No Gytrash was this,--only a traveller taking the short cut to Millcote.

(Charlotte Bronte, "Jane Eyre", ch. 12)

Comments

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

That's a really cool illustration. It reminds me of one of my favourite ghost stories, about a woman who haunts a particular stretch of road in the form of a hound. I can't find anything about the story on the internet, but it was Eddie Lenihan who I heard the story from, who is a really cool guy.

http://eddielenihan.weebly.com/

[med_cat]

He does sound like an interesting fellow ;)

Pleased you found the word and the illustration of interest. What happens in the story? The woman just frightens passers-by, or something more sinister? And why is she haunting that particular place?

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

If I remember correctly, she kills her philandering and/or abusive husband, dismembers him and dumps the head in a pile of manure in her farmyard. Some soldiers happen by with their dog and the dog unearths the head. The women is tried and hanged for murder. She then haunts the Barna Gap in the form of a either a woman or a dog (I don't why), and kills any males she can get her hands upon since she feels hard done by by the lots of them. There were also some details in the story of when the railway was being put through there the rail workers witnessing lots of spooky goings on, and the spirit chasing anyone straying alone and even tearing up and warping the tracks with superhuman strength overnight.

I don't do it justice, but Eddie tells it well in this great little book:
http://www.amazon.com/Defiant-Irish-Women-Eddie-Lenihan/dp/1856351882

Another reason I liked the story was because the Barna Gap is a particularly scenic bit of the drive on the way to where we used to go for my childhood holidays. It was fun to read a spooky story about a place I knew so well.

[med_cat]

Quite a sinister story...thank you for the detailed info

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

Because it's a great thing to tell your drunken, stoned buddies and mess with their paranoia.

A killer, blood-thirsty woman masquerading as a dog. Mwa-ha-ha!!

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

Huh. Never heard of this particular spooky word. Good for you and thanks for bringing it to attention!

[med_cat]

You're welcome :)