From the Inkwell, From the Vein.....

Hellhounds are supernatural dogs found in the folklore and mythologies of many cultures. The names might change, but the ominous and deathly aura that surrounds them, does not. They are often times seen as guards to the underworld, though they've been known to guard cemeteries and have even been enlisted to hunt down lost souls. Hearing the howl of a Hellhound means certain death in some European countries. The name for Hellhounds vary from country to country--- Barghest, Black Shuck, Dip, Cwn Annwn, Moddy Dhoo, Yeth Hound, Grim..... Probably one of the most well-known of Hellhounds is the three-headed Cerberus from Greek mythology, who guards the gates of the underworld, preventing those who have crossed the river Styx from escaping. Though, when I took Mythology in High School, we never classified Cerberus as a "Hellhound"--- just a 3-headed dog that guarded the gates of Hades. Three heads aside (as this isn't the most common description of Hellhounds), the...

Most commonly derived from the seeds of the Strychnos tree in India and Southeast Asia, strychnine is a highly toxic alkaloid used as a pesticide for small vertebrates like birds and rodents. Poisoning can occur by inhalation, swallowing or absorption through the eyes or mouth. It produces some of the most dramatic and painful symptoms of any known poison-- making it a favorite for movies and murder mysteries. There is no cure for strychnine poisoning, but if a patient can survive the first 24 hours, then recovery is very probable. Two of the more famous, "possible" strychnine poisonings were Alexander the Great, whose wine was believed to be contaminated... and Robert Johnson, the famous blues artist who purportedly sold his soul to the devil to play his guitar like no living man ever had. Because of the violent almost inhuman convulsions that victims can endure, the circumstances of Johnson's death probably lent itself to the crossroad's legend, but it's ...