A kind of Bogy or Bogey-beast. It has horns, teeth and claws and fiery eyes. Henderson describes the Barguest as closely allied to Padfoot and the Hedley Kow. Like them it can take various forms, but usually appears as a shaggy black dog with huge fiery eyes. It is generally regarded as a death portent. William Henderson in Folk-Lore of the Northern Counties (p.274-275) said tnat it used to haunt a piece of wasteland between Wreghorn and Headingley Hill near Leeds. At the death of any notable person in the district it would appear, followed by all the dogs in the district, howling and baying. Henderson reports that he met an old man who claimed to have seen the procession as a child. Hone's Everyday Book (vol.III, p.655) gives a lively report of an encounter with a barguest:

You see, sir, as how I'd been a clock dressing at Gurston (Grassington), and I'd staid rather lat, and maybe getten a lile sup o' spirit; but I war far from being drunk, and knowed everything that passed.

It war about eleven o' clock when I left, and it war at back end o' t' year, and a most admirable neet it war. The moon war verra breet, and I niwer seed Kylstone Fell plainer in a' my life. Now, you see, sir, I war passing down t' Mill loine, and I heerd summat come past me — brush, brush, brush, wi' chains rattlin' a' the while, but I seed nothing; and I thought to myself, now this is a most mortal queer thing. And I then stuid still and luiked about me; but I seed nothing at aw, nobbut the two stane wa's on each side o' t'mill loine. Then I heard again this brush, brush, brush, wi' the chains; for you see, sir, when I stood still it stopped, and then, thowt I, this mun be a Barguest, that sae much is said about; and I hurried on toward t' wood brig; for they say as how this Barguest cannot cross a watter; but. Lord, sir, when I gat o'er t' brig, I heerd this same again; so it mun either have crossed t' watter or have gone round by the spring heed ! And then I became a valiant man, for I were a bit freekend afore; and, thinks I, I'll turn and hev a peep at this thing; so I went up Greet Bank towards Linton, and heerd this brush, brush, brush, wi' the chains aw the way, but I seed nothing; then it ceased all of a sudden. So I turned back to go hame; but I'd hardly reached the door when I heerd again this brush, brush, brush, and the chains going down towards t' Holin House; and I followed it, and the moon there shone verra breet, and I seed its tail! Then thowt I, thou owd thing, I can say I'se seen thee now; so I'll away hame.

When I gat to the door there was a grit thing like a sheep, but it war larger, ligging across the threshold o' t' door, and it war woolly like; and I says, "Git up!" and it wouldn't git up. Then says I, "Stir thysel!" and it wouldn't stir itself And I grew valiant, and I raised t' stick to baste it wi'; and then it luiked at me, and sich oies, they did glower, and war as big as saucers and like a cruelled ball. First there war a red ring, then a blue one, then a white one; and these rings grew less and less till they cam to a dot! Now I war none feared on it, tho it grin'd at me fearfully, and I kept on saying, "Git up", and "Stir thysel", and the wife heerd as how I war at t' door, and she came to oppen it; and then this thing gat up and walked off, for it war mare freeten'd o' t'owd wife than it war o' me; and I told the wife, and she said as how it war Barguest; but I never seed it since — and that's a true story.

[Motifs: F234.0.2; F234.1.9; G302.3.2; G3034.1.2.4; G303.4.6]