For my project, I'm thinking to narrow in on some mythological black dogs from English folklore that I find particularly interesting.
The first of these is the generalized "Black Dog", which I found out has a story about a "Guardian Black Dog", and I found the concept of that really cool and interesting. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts to get access to that story, I can't find it anywhere available online. It appears the story can be found inside the book British Folk Tales and Legends - A Sampler, by Katharine M. Briggs, but I could find no other sources of it, and can't find a way to access the book electronically.
However, I think it might be possible to find a similar story plot elsewhere, and then adapt it. I feel certain I've heard of other stories where the presence of a spirit, creature or individual warded off those who would have otherwise attacked the character of the story, which most often occurs without the character's knowing, and they tend to find out later.
I would also like to write a story about a "Church Grim", which is a black dog spirit that guards a church and/or graveyard. The typical idea behind it is that a black dog is buried first to serve as the "grave watch" to protect the graveyard from all kinds of creatures and individuals of ill intent.
I think the most fitting type of story to do with a Church Grim would be to have a story in which someone is pursued by a devil or other monster, and by fleeing into the graveyard, is protected by the Church Grim.
The final story idea I have is about the "Barghest", which is a more monstrous black dog. I think a story similar to the one in which the man removes the thorn from the lion's paw could work, but re-imagined using a Barghest instead, to fit the overall motif of black dog guardians.
While I have a decent idea of what kind of stories I want to tell for the Church Grim and Black Dog, I still need to find a suitable story source to work off of. So if anyone has any stories they know that would fit what I'm thinking to do, I'd very much appreciate the help, since I've already spent over two hours searching, but I have a feeling I'm not searching the right things in the right places, since I feel quite confident there are stories that suit what I'm aiming to do, I just need to find them. They don't necessarily need to be about mythological black dogs, if anything, it might be a bit more interesting if they aren't, so that I can adapt them in a unique way.
Black Dog Story Link: Yet to find
Chruch Grim Story Link: Yet to find
Barghest Story Link: Androcles And The Lion
Image Link: "Hound of Baskervilles" by Sidney Paget
Additional Black Dog Mythology Source I Found: The Lore and Legend of the Black Dog
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