Church Grim

Origin: English and Scandinavian
Habitat: Churchyards
Behavior: Moderate

Description: 

• A ghost of a big black dog.

Facts: 

• Church grims oversee the welfare of a particular church and protects the churchyard from those who would profane and commit sacrilege against it. 
• It dwells in the churchtower or some other place of concealment, or wanders the grounds at night. 
• In English and Scandinavian folklore, when a new churchyard is opened it is believed that the first person buried there had to guard it against the devil. In order to prevent a human soul from having to perform such a duty, a dog is buried on the north part of the churchyard as a substitute. 
• In Yorkshire tradition, it is an ominous parent and is known to toll the church bell at midnight before a death. 
• They are associated with dark stormy weather.
• It often appears as a black dog but is known to take the form of other animals. In Scandinavian folklore, other animals used to create the church grim included a boar, pig and horse. A grave-sow (or "graysow"), the ghost of a sow that was buried alive, was often seen in the streets of Kroskjoberg where it was regarded as an omen of death.