The Ghost Hounds of Dartmoor

Dotted with granite hills and punctuated by misty peat bogs, Dartmoor National Park, located in the southwestern county of Devon, England is a place steeped in mystery and folklore. One of the most famous of these legends is that of the ghostly hounds of Dartmoor. They are known as the ‘Yeth Hounds’, ‘Wisht Hounds’ or sometimes simply as the ‘Black Dogs’. These spectral hounds are a popular feature in many myths and folktales across England, especially in Dartmoor. On cold, foggy nights, it is said that they emerge from the heights of the wild moors, their eerie howls echoing across the desolate landscape. The Yeth Hounds have been described as ghostly black dogs, sometimes headless, who hunt across the moors at night, their howling strikes terror in the hearts of those who hear them. They are said to be the souls of unbaptized children, forever doomed to wander the wilds of Dartmoor until judgment day. There are also tales of a wicked hunter named Dewer or the Devil himself who is said to lead the spectral hunt, chasing the souls of the wicked across the moor. Some aspects of the story have links to the ancient Celtic belief in the Wild Hunt, a supernatural force that punishes those who are guilty of moral or social offenses. Regardless of their origins, on stormy nights when the wind howls across Dartmoor, it is said that the ghostly barking of the spectral hounds can still be eerily heard.

Scroll to Top