The Dip, the Vampire Dog of Catalonia
A village in Catalonia has a black dog on its coat of arms. Legend says such dogs were servants of the Devil, and drank the blood of livestock at night.
What was reported
The dip is a creature of Catalan folklore, linked above all with the village of Pratdip in the hills of Tarragona. Dips were said to be black, hairy dogs, sometimes lame, who were emissaries of the Devil and came out at night to suck the blood of cattle, sheep and sometimes people.
The village's coat of arms still shows a dip, and its name has long been explained by the legend, though it may come from older words.
Explanations offered
Stories like this may have grown from real attacks on livestock by wild dogs or wolves, or from bats. The dip is a cherished part of the village's identity, with a festival and a statue.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Pratdip, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
- Witnesses
- Catalan folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
More from Spain