The Black Dog of Moeraki
Moeraki is a peninsula that is located on the Southeast coast of Otago, New Zealand. The site is currently known as a popular tourist attraction, as it is famous for its beautiful coastline, the Moeraki lighthouse, and the strange phenomenon of the Moeraki boulders. These boulders are giant balls of granite that line the famous coastline. The scientific theory as to how these boulders were formed is that they are a natural result of the waves rolling against the rocks in the surf. Some people also believe that these boulders could possibly even be meteorites.
Other people that don’t believe the two scientific theories, believe that these boulders were placed there by a spiritual nature. Before the Europeans settled in Otago, the area was run by the Maoris. The Maoris were small tribal groups that traveled around hunting and fishing. They also kept dogs with them that they referred to as their “Pa.” These dogs were kept for a variety of reasons, including: the use of guard dogs, pets, and a source of food for desperate situations. There was one particular type of dog that was a favorite for the Kuia, or ancient woman.
These dogs were of black color, and were brute, but made great watchdogs. These dogs always slept outside of the house of the Kuia and next to the chiefs. According to the legend, one night the chief walked out of his hut to go to the bathroom. He was unable to see where he was going, and tripped over the dog. The chief fell down and hurt his leg, and the dog howled and bit the chief as well. The dog ran off, and the chief was so angry that he ordered it be killed for supper. While eating dinner, the Kuia went to go give the dog some of the scraps, but they could not find him.
The chief then went to the Kuia and exclaimed that they were eating the dog for supper. The Kuia were so enraged that they cast a Makutu, or curse on the chief. This turned out to be the last meal he would ever have, as he choked on the bone of the dog, dieing as a result of this supposed curse. In this curse, no one on Moeraki would ever hurt a black dog again. Since then, the appearance of a large black dog on the shore is considered to be a bad omen. Even when the Europeans settled here years later and became a fishing village and lighthouse station, stories of a black dog at night surfaced.
In some of these stories, a black dog would appear in front of people and accompany them home, as if he was a guide. In other stories, there was a completely different spin on the dog as a guide. The dog would actually appear and bark and growl at people, causing them to be frightened and confused so much that they would fall to the ground. People who watched the dog weave in front of them suffered from serious injury, so much that even on one or two occasions resulted in death. No one has ever claimed this dog, and he has never been seen in the daytime.
(Source: Belanger, Jeff. Encyclopedia of Haunted Places. 2005.)
