The Dobhar-chú (; ), or King Otter, is a creature of Irish and

Scottish folklore Scottish folklore (Scottish Gaelic: ''Beul-aithris na h-Alba'') encompasses the folklore of the Scottish people from their earliest records until today. Folkloristics, Folklorists, both academic and amateur, have published a variety of works focu ...

. It resembles both a

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...

and an

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among ...

, though it sometimes is described as half dog, half

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

. It lives in

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

and has

fur A fur is a soft, thick growth of hair that covers the skin of almost all mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an ...

with protective properties. There are little to no written records of the Dobhar-Chú since its legend has relied heavily on oral storytelling and tradition.

Description

Physical description of the Dobhar-Chú resembles an otter but said to be about five times as large , with a white pelt, black ear tips, and a black cross shape on its back. Though, due to the murky waters it is said to reside in, its pelt may be portrayed as darker.

Etymology

is one of the two most common Irish words for 'otter'. The modern Irish word for 'water' is ''uisce'' (see

whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...

), although ''dobhar'' is also used in placenames. ''Dobhar'' is a much older form and cognates are found in other

Celtic languages The Celtic languages ( ) are a branch of the Indo-European language family, descended from the hypothetical Proto-Celtic language. The term "Celtic" was first used to describe this language group by Edward Lhuyd in 1707, following Paul-Yve ...

(e.g. Welsh ''dŵr'' or ''dwfr,'' Cornish ''Dowrgi'' 'waterhound/otter' ). ''Cú'' is 'hound' in Irish (see for example '' Cúchulainn'', 'Culainn's

hound A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey. Description Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. ...

'). The Dobhar-chú is also known as the ''dobarcu'', and anglicised as ''doyarchu'', ''dhuragoo'', ''dorraghow'' or ''anchu''.

Headstone

A headstone, found in Conwall cemetery in Glenade,

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim, County Leitr ...

, depicts the ''Dobhar-chú'' and is related to a tale of an attack on a local woman by the creature. The stone is claimed to be the headstone of a grave of a woman killed by the Dobhar-chú in the 18th century. The monument is a recumbent flag of sandstone, which is about in size. It depicts a recumbent animal having body and legs like those of a dog with the characteristic depth of rib and strength of thigh. The tail, long and curved, shows a definite tuft. The rear of the haunch, and still more the tail, are in exceptionally low relief, apparently due to the loss of a thin flake from the face of the slab. So far the description is canine. The lettering, and carving are in relief.

Legend

In 1722, Grace McGloighlin, locally known as Grace Connolly (her maiden name), lived in the townland of Creevelea at the north-west corner of

Glenade Lough Glenade Lough (), locally known as Glenade Lake, is a freshwater lake in the northwest of Ireland. It is located in north County Leitrim in the Glenade Valley. Geography Glenade Lough is situated between the Dartry Mountains to the west and th ...

. One morning she went down to the lough aketo wash some clothes. Some accounts say that her husband, Terrence, rushed to the shore after hearing her scream whilst others say that he went down after she failed to return that evening. Both accounts say Mr. McGloighlin rushed down only to find her mutilated body with the Dobhar-Chú sleeping on top of her. Terrence runs home and grabs a dagger before returning to kill the Dobhar-Chú. As the beast died it let out a whistling yell to its mate, who soon rose from the lough. The second beast chased him from the lough, and after a long and bloody battle, which some accounts say he did not face alone, he killed the second Dobhar-Chú.

References

Aos Sí Fairies Irish folklore Irish legendary creatures Legendary dogs Otters in popular culture Tuatha Dé Danann Mythological aquatic creatures Water spirits {{Celt-myth-stub

Description

Etymology

Headstone

Legend

See also

References