Black Shuck and the Thunderstorm

Remember that scene in THE AVENGERS when they ask Loki if he’s afraid of thunder, and he replies something along the lines of “I’m not a fan of what comes with it”. (And then Thor shows up to kick Loki’s ass.) Rereading the accounts of the Black Shuck attacks of 1577, something new occurred to me. Did the incredible thunderstorm recorded in the chronicles have anything to do with it? Did the storm somehow “bring” the monster to Suffolk? Was the thunder heard really the opening of a Boom Tube (i.e. a dimensional portal)?

From the linked article: “On Sunday, 4 August 1577, a terrible thunderstorm broke out in the town of Bungay. The storm was described as ‘darkness, rain, hail, thunder, and lightning as was never seen the like.’ [No ordinary storm, then.] The weakly thatched cottages of the helpless townsfolk were fiercely being swiped away [sic] its rage. The townfolk hoped for a miracle to save them. They knelt at St. Mary’s Church, the religious heart of the town, and prayed for help. As the people prayed, lightning struck the church. In that same instant, a gigantic black dog appeared before the entrance showing its bloodthirsty fangs. What happened afterward is described by the following olden verse: ‘All down the church in midst of fire, the hellish monster flew And, passing onward to the quire, he many people slew”.

I love that the account is written as a poem. But note the detail: the beast appeared simultaneously with a lightning strike. If this really happened (and there’s no way to prove or disprove it), that fact must be significant.

By The Evil Cheezman

WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS (www.evilcheezproductions.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/evilcheezproductions), specializing in theatrical performances and haunted attractions. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. His first novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF, is available for purchase at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/734763 MORTUI VELOCES SUNT!

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