![]() ![]() The Devil promised to build one on condition that the first living creature that crossed it should serve as a sacrifice. In the North Riding of Yorkshire attempts were made to build a bridge that could withstand the fury of the floods but none were successful. Ī folktale of the Devil's Bridge type is also an example of the motif of a dog (in this case a dog also named Grim) being sacrificed in place of a human being. This churchyard vigil was known as the faire chlaidh or "graveyard watch". According to a related belief in Scotland the spirit of the person most recently buried in a churchyard had to protect it until the next funeral provided a new guardian to replace them. In order to prevent a human soul from having to perform such a duty a black dog was buried in the north part of the churchyard as a substitute. When a new churchyard was opened it was believed that the first person buried there had to guard it against the Devil. The grim inhabits the churchyard day and night and is associated with dark stormy weather. During funerals the presiding clergyman may see the grim looking out from the churchtower and determine from its aspect whether the soul of the deceased is destined for Heaven or Hell. Like many spectral black dogs, the grim, according to Yorkshire tradition, is also an ominous portent and is known to toll the church bell at midnight before a death takes place. In the 19th century, folklorists believed that it had once been the custom to bury a dog alive under the cornerstone of a church as a foundation sacrifice so that its ghost might serve as a guardian. The English church grim usually takes the form of a large black dog with red eyes and guards churchyards from those who would profane them including thieves, vandals, witches, warlocks, and the Devil himself. In modern times, when black dogs are kept as pets in churches and their attached parsonages, these are called church grims since they reside on and guard ecclesiastical property. It often appears as a black dog but is known to take the form of other animals. The church grim is a guardian spirit in English and Nordic folklore that oversees the welfare of a particular Christian church, and protects the churchyard from those who would profane and commit sacrilege against it.
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