Ghost Dogs of the South

There is a magical relationship between people and dogs. Sometimes, that relationship is so strong that the dog defies death and returns from the grave. Because stories about humans and their dogs are so popular, it is only natural that hundreds of ghost dogs would appear in recorded folklore.From their years of research, the authors have chosen 20 tales that explore this topic. Although the snarling hound from hell might come to mind, the authors have chosen to concentrate on the friendlier, more benign dog.Drawn from the folklore of 12 Southern states, the stories include that of a stray dog who wanders the countryside granting wishes to anyone who rubs his belly; the coal miner's dog who warns miners of impending disaster; the talking dog who chases people away from his owner's mailbox by yelling words at them; and the dog who returns to an Alabama town each Halloween to join in the trick-or-treating. There is also the story of the Mississippi River mermaid who steals a dog to help her chase away the catfish. And the tale of the Virginia woman who unknowingly marries a ghost but discovers her situation when her dog cannot see the man who shares their house.An added delight is the unique illustrations in this collection. The authors have selected shots of people and their dogs from their collection of antique photographs.

This vivid, bewitching volume of "true" Southern ghost tales reveals not only dogs' enduring devotion to their folk, but the deep attachment of Southerners to these legends. Russell and Barnett both folklorists have culled 20 homespun canine poltergeist narratives, prefacing the volume with a personal anecdote of their Great Dane, Desdemona, whose devotion to the authors knew no earthly bounds and inspired this compilation. Spanning the years between the American Revolutionary War and the present, these stories of ghost dogs and dog ghosts (e.g., humans who manifest as dogs) often recount benign hauntings. Mike, an Airedale, still patrols a Harlan County, Ky., coal mine, alerting miners to potential accidents. The ghosts of a sea captain and his dog ride the waves of the Gulf of Mexico near Mobile Bay, warning sailors of hurricanes. A Boxer ghost named Preston who saved the life of a trick-or-treater from a speeding automobile in the 1950s still roams his old neighborhood every Halloween. A mutt named Moses refuses to be separated in the afterlife from his beloved master, a fallen soldier of the Civil War. Alternately eerie, funny, tragic and sentimental, these tales are told in clear, declamatory prose befitting their origin in the oral tradition. An informative foreword by Genelle Moraine, a University of Georgia comparative folklore professor emerita, clarifies aspects of Southern culture, while a delightful selection of vintage photographs from the authors' personal collection of people and their canine companions accompanies the text. These tales will undoubtedly delight dog lovers and will not fail to charm even the most dour skeptics of supernatural phenomena.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.