Black Dog

[jbor at bigpond.com]

And it's one of the "Apparitions" which Chas and Jere run across on  
South Mountain:

http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=0205&msg=66813

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/1422/s_yow.html

[...] "Gents, we are all agreed," the Overseer greets them, "'tis the,"  
whis-
pering for the first time since they've known him, "Black Dog." (494)

best

On 19/02/2006, at 10:43 PM, Erik T. Burns wrote:

> full article is behind the NYT costwall.  
> http://cttrips.blogspot.com/ is the blog cited. has a facsimile of the  
> elder pynchon's article.
> etb
>  
>  ----------------------------  ---------------------------------------- 
> ----
> And You Thought a Black Cat Was Bad Luck 
> Our Towns
> By Peter Applebome
> 19 February 2006
> The New York Times 
>  
>  MERIDEN, Conn. -- THE most famous account of the mysterious Black Dog  
> of the Hanging Hills hinges on this portentous declaration: ''It may  
> seem strange that a man of science should believe a thing of this kind  
> -- an idle tale for the ignorant and superstitious, you will say --  
> but I do believe it. And if you would know why, listen:''
>
> And thus commences a tale told more than a century ago by one W. H. C.  
> Pynchon. It concerns a dog, the color of ''an old black hat that has  
> been soaked in the rain'' that wanders the craggy volcanic hills and  
> valleys around Meriden. Meet it once, the legend goes, it shall be for  
> joy. Meet it twice, it shall be for sorrow. Meet it a third time,  
> you're dead.
>
> So it might also seem strange that on Friday, a thoroughly modern man  
> of science, a natural science blogger, author, and energetic bundle of  
> enthusiasms named Brendan Hanrahan was excitedly prowling the West  
> Peak of the Hanging Hills, the very spot Pynchon had visited more than  
> a century ago.
>
> ''What a beautiful day to be up here,'' he shouted over a howling  
> wind, the fog, drizzle and chill giving the scene a sort of  
> ''Wuthering Heights'' effect. ''It's just like the weather must have  
> been when Pynchon was here.''
>
> Or maybe it's not so strange at all. Tell it in a 19th century  
> journal, post it on a 21st century blog, throw in sundry wispy  
> mysteries and who could resist the black dog's spell?
>
> In truth, the black dog, sometimes with fiery red eyes, is a  
> persistent figure in folk tales around the world, like the hound that  
> entered a church during a violent storm on Aug. 4, 1577, in Bungay,  
> England, where it killed two people and injured another. Or so it's  
> said. I wasn't there. 
>
> ..... snip....
>
> But then, any reader of Pynchon the younger would know not to be too  
> smug about what we think we know. So maybe there's an evil black dog  
> atop the Hanging Hills and maybe it's just fodder for scary campfire  
> tales. But if you see one there, it might be a good idea not to go  
> back.