C is for Church Grimm #AtoZChallenge

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Origin:  England, more specifically Yorkshire

Description:  Usually appears as a large black dog.

Disposition: Powerful portent of death.  This spectral dog stalks cemeteries at night and in stormy weather to keep the devil and malicious spirits from the dead.  The only person who can see the Church Grimm without dire consequences is the minster. 

Interesting factoid:  There was a superstition that the first person buried in a new cemetery would become the spiritual guardian.  In order for this not to happy, a black dog would be killed and buried first in the cemetery.