Black Shuck a Research Paper by Valerie Edwards

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History Groups 1 & 2 Black Shuck A research paper by Valerie Edwards. Our latest task has been to write about a myth or legend associated with a place. For my story, I am returning to Suffolk, where I lived about 40 years ago, with the chilling tale of a ghostly dog by the name of Black Shuck! Those of a nervous disposition may prefer not to read on! The beast is said to roam the coastline and countryside of East Anglia, its name possibly derived from the old English word ‘succa’ meaning devil. For centuries, inhabitants of The Suffolk Coast have told tales of a large black dog with malevolent flaming eyes the size of saucers. The earliest surviving description of devilish black hounds is an account of an incident recorded in the Peterborough Abbey Chronicle (one version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle) around 1127. Tales like this are found all over the country, but my interest stems from evidence of the dog that can still be found in one of my favourite churches, at Blythburgh. This beautiful church, known as the Cathedral of the Marshes, can be seen from the A12, a few miles inland from Southwold. Black Shuck Blythburgh, “Cathedral of the Marshes” The story starts in Bungay, a small town about 10 miles from Blythburgh, on 4th August 1577, a day when there were several reports of a great thunder storm. Legend has it that a large black dog burst in through the doors of St Mary's Church in Bungay to a clap of thunder. It ran up the nave, past a large congregation, killing a man and boy and causing the church steeple to collapse through the roof, before moving on to Blythburgh Church where it mauled and killed more people. The encounter was described by Abraham Fleming, a clergyman and scholar in a book he called A straunge and Terrible Wunder. "This black dog, or the devil in such a likenesse running along down the body of the church with great swiftnesse, among the people, in a visible fourm and shape, passed between two persons, as they were kneeling uppon their knees, and occupied in prayer as it seemed, wrung the necks of them bothe at one instant clene backward, in so much that even at a moment where they kneeled, they strangely dyed. “On the self same day, in like manner, into the parish church of another towne called Blibery [Blythburgh] … the like thing entred in the same shape, where placing himself upon a beam, sodainly he gave a swinge downe through ye church, and slew two men and a lad, and burned the hand of another person that was there among the rest of the company, of whom divers were blasted. This “A straunge, and terrible wunder mischief thus wrought, he flew wrought very late in the parish with wonderful force to no little church of Bungay … in a great fear of the assembly, out of the tempest of violent raine, lightning, church in a hideous and hellish and thunder, the like wherof hath likenes” been seldome seen. The claw marks on the Church door Bungay town weathervane It was said in Blythburgh afterwards that when Shuck fled the church he left scorch marks on the church door as he burst through them. Referred to by the locals as "the devil’s fingerprints", the ‘claw’ marks can be seen at the church to this day. Bungay still remembers the Black Dog – it appears on the town's weather vane and in its coat of arms, and gives its name to the Black Dog Running Club, Black Dog Marathon, Black Dog Antiques and the nickname of the Bungay Town Football Club. (If this tale is familiar to you, it may be because you are fans of the rock band, The Darkness, who came from Lowestoft (which is where I lived). Their debut album opened with the song Black Shuck.) Valerie Edwards June 2020 2 .

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