Dog: A Celtic Mythological Animal

The dog appears frequently in Celtic mythos; everywhere from personal names to the companions of gods to beasts both of good and ill omen. Indeed, though we have a large number of references to dogs from a multitude it's almost impossible to pin-down the precise mythologic nature of this animal. Perhaps this is because the dog represents both the loyal companion and, at one and the same time, presents us with a shadow of its ancestor, the wolf.

Perhaps the most famous dog-named mythological figure in Celtic mythos is Cúchulainn (literally the Hound of Culann), hero of the Ulster Cycle. He is semi-divine and his birth name is Sétanta (which may be derived from the name of the early Scottish tribe, the Setantii whom Ptolemy describes). When Sétanta was seven (he was being fostered by Conchobar at Emain Macha at the time) the royal court depart to visit the wealthy Culainn at his lonely mansion. As the procession makes to leave the boy stays behind to play hurley. Later that night, the guests at Culnn's mansion carouse and make merry for they know that they are protected from attack by Culann's giant and ferocious hound. But later that night they hear a fearful howlin and a sickening crunch. Arriving late, the boy, Sétanta has encountered the dog and lifting the animal bodily he has killed the dog by smashing him against the door post. Though the guests cheer at Sétanta's deeds, Culann is saddened by the loss of his faithful hound. Sétanta reassures him that he will raise another pup to be his defender, but whilst the dog is in training he, himself, will act as Culann's guardian. Thus is Sétanta afforded his hero's name Cúchulann (Hound of Cullen). In one version of the tale of his death Cúchulann's end comes about when he is fed the meat of his namesake, the dog, by three crones. As the dog is an aspect of Cúchulann there is a geis (fate) upon him that he cannot partake of its meat.

In the Brythonic context we have Cunobelinos (literally the Hound of Belinos). A pre-Claudian leader of the Catuvelauni much famed for his bravery and leadership prior to the Roman invasion. In later Cymric genealogies he became the figure of Cynfelyn (and represents Shakespeare's Cymbeline). Like Cúchulann, Cunobelinos can be seen as a protector figure: the protector of the god Beli in this case. Inded, the Catuvellauni are literally the 'people of Beli' and teir lands would have been the 'territory of Beli' so this makes sense. Another famous dog-named figure is the Irish Cú Roí the hero of Munster.

The ending of Cúchulann's tale also gives us another indication of an aspect of Celtic dog belief: the association of dogs with death. This may well have originally been based on dogs' unerring (almost mystical to early societies) ability to find carrion. Indeed, many Cymric battle poems (such as Llywarch Hen's eulogy to Urien Rheged) speak of both hounds and ravens feasting on the flesh of the battle dead. The association of dogs with the nethrworld is made even more explicit in the form of the red-eared white-pelted Cŵn Annwfn (hounds of annwfn the unearthly hounds of Arawn in the Mabinogi of Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed. In folklore these hounds are always seen as portents of death. They are also associated with the underworld deity of Gwyn fab Nudd who is seen as a Chthonic figure or a Psychopomp. Interesting corroboration for the associations of dogs with the netherworld come from excavations of Celtic burials where many dogs have been interred with their masters (these animals being buried with their own sets of rites and practices). An interesting example of a dog burial in that multiple dog burials were found in a 65m-deep well at Muntham Court, Sussex. Dog burials in wells are also known from Caerwent as well as a bronze dog staute found in Coventina's well at Carrawburgh. Even in later Roman sites (such as Staines near London) the parctice of well burials seems to have continued. Wells themselves have strong otherworldly associations and the dog burials may have represented messengers or perhaps guardians of the world above against the world below.

Dogs also appear in the iconography of a number of Celtic deities. The attributes here are very complex, or at least they are very broad. They are often seen to acccompany hunter deities with examples being the image of a god found at Le Touget, Gers, France which shows a man with a hare held in his arms and a hound by his side. Another image from London shows a hunter god with a bow and quiver and who has a dog by his side. The association of hounds with hunting is obvous, though the dog may have a less obvious role in protecting his master from the wild beasts, a theme that is repreated in the much later tale of Gelert, faithful hound of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, as found in the tale of Bedd Gelert.

The dog accompanying the goddess Nehalennia in the relief from her shrine at Zierikeeze also probably represents a protective animal (Nehelennia being the guardian of sailors on their crossings of the North Sea). The same protective presence may also account for the depiction of a dog who accompanies the Gaulish god Cissonius who may, himself, be a protector of travellers. The Gaulish hammer god, Sucellus is also often associated with a dog. He seems to have been a deity of prosperity and well being and his canine companion may well represent the guardian of home and hearth. Though the iconography of Sucellus is very complex and a relief from Varhély in Dacia (modern Romania) shows the hammer god accompanied by what seems to be a three-headed dog. Now, it's possible that the iconography here is strongly by the Classsical Cerberus, defender of the underworld. Regardless of the origin of the iconography, this does suggest that Sucellus may have chthonic (ie otherworldly) attributes.

Dogs are also frequent companions for the Celtic Matres (mother goddesses) and the Deae Matres known from Cirencester and Ancaster are all depicted with small dogs and at Trier in Germany many statues and depictions of single mother goddesses with lapdogs have been recovered. The goddess Epona is also sometimes associated with a dog, thoug this is undoubtedly related to Epona's role as a psychopomp; a transporter of souls.

Other femal deities such as Aveta and Sirona are also depicted with lapdogs or accompanying canines. Both these goddeses are deities of healing and childbirth and this leads us to another aspect of the dog cult, the healing aspect. This may stem originally from the healing properties of canine saliva; the way a dog licks at a wound to clean it. The same healing attribute of the canine may also explain the large number of canine statues found at the Lydney Park shrine dedicated to the god Nodons. This healing aspect may also be a part of the cult of the god Cunomaglus (Great Hound Lord) who is known from an inscription at Nettleton Shrub in Wiltshire. He is just about the only celtic deity with the word 'dog' explicitly in his name and his association with Apollo by Interpretato Romana indicates that this god may have had both healing and hunting aspects.

A small intaglio found at Risingham and depicting the god Cocidius shows the warrior god as a hunter with a rabbit and accompanied by a dog. Again we may have the intermingling of a hunter and warrior aspects, both attributes of the hunting dog. Thus we come full circle in terms of the attributes of the Celtic dog.

Thus in Celtic belief the dog seems to posess a hunting/healing/otherworld connotation. Indeed, the iconography of the sacred dog is extremely ancient in Celtic mythology, with the first instance being a dog image found on the famous Gundestrup cauldron. However, though dogs also occur very frequently in both the Cymric and Irish tales very few are explicitly named. Rare examples of such dogs are Bran and Sceolang the hounds (and cousins) of Fion mac Cumhaill, Cafall, the hunting dog of Arthur, Drudwyn the hunting dog of Culhwch, Failinis the dog of Lug Lámfhota. Thus far we've encountered canines that are essentially benign in nature. In folklore, however, there are much darker canine incarnations; portents of death and destruction. In this class of beast we have the Cymric Cŵn Annwfn which have already been discussed, though the braying of these hounds as they go abroad on All Hallows' Eve is a portent of imminent death. There is also the Cymric Gwyllgi (mad dog). In the same category are the moddey dhoo and mauthe dhoog of Manx folklore and the Crom Dubh, Coinn Iotair and Saidhthe Suariaghe of Ireland. There is also the ki du (black dog) of Brittany considered to accompany re-incarnations.

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