Cerberus: The Hellhound of Greek Mythology
In this article
View 3 More +When you think of Greek mythology, you’re likely flooded with images of unseen creatures, masculine gods, and fearsome goddesses. There are several allegories, myths, and interesting stories surrounding Greek culture—some of which you are very familiar with already.
Cerberus is the Hellhound of Greek mythology and the guardian of the underworld. He is a creature that evokes strength, imagination, and, in some cases, scary vibes. In this article, we aim to explain the purpose of this Hellhound and how it impacts the stories as we know them.
Cerberus—The Myth, the Legend
Cerberus is the guardian of the underworld. He is the separator between the living and the dead. He stands guard for Hades to make sure that no living, breathing entity could enter the world of the dead.
Cerberus is said to be a very vicious, ruthless hound that takes no prisoners. He has three heads, one even more fearsome than the others. These heads worked in unison to look in all directions, guarding the underworld’s gates.
His job is also to devour anyone who tries to escape the Kingdom of Hades, so he needed three heads to monitor the 360-degree view. How else could you keep up such a task if you only have one set of eyes, after all?
Ancient Myths With Cerberus
In order to understand Cerberus better, we can get to know him through a series of encounters he had with gods of the days of old.
Heracles
As his final labor, Heracles was supposed to bring Cerberus to the land of the living and lure him from the underworld without using weapons. He asked Hades for permission to take Cerberus, which he agreed if Heracles could subdue Cerberus without weapons. Heracles succeeds, carries Cerberus out of the underworld, and then later brings him back to the underworld to continue his guarding duties.
Hesoid’s Theogony
In 700 BC, Hesoid’s Theogony was written, a poem depicting the origins and genealogies of the Greek gods. The text mentions Cerberus.
Orpheus and Eurydice
Orpheus was a smarty pants and lulled the monster to sleep with his ever-enchanting song so that he might escape the underworld.
Eurydice was the love of Orpheus, who he devoted himself to enough to pull back from the trenches of Hades. He was granted his wish, and she returned to him through the land of the living.
Cerberus Was in Harry Potter
You might be quite familiar with this dog if you're a Harry Potter fan. This dog is depicted as having three heads in the film. While it played only a short role, the debut in the film was pretty stellar, said every Harry Potter lover ever.
What Dog Breed Is Cerberus?
You might wonder, what dog breed is Cerberus supposed to be? You might be sadly disappointed to find out that he's really not a dog breed at all. He is just a dog-like monster from the underworld. So, he does not have the same characteristics as a traditional canine breed you would know and love today.
However, many artists and film creators have depicted what they envision him to look like throughout hundreds of years in history.
Conclusion
Now you understand more about this three-headed Greek mythological creature. Protector of the underworld, Cerberus gets a 360-degree view, separating the living from the dead and guarding who comes in and out.
He is certainly not one to mess with, as he is a fearsome creature of mass proportions. What is your favorite thing about Cerberus?
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Featured Image Credit: allbuyzpics, Shutterstock
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Ashley Bates is a freelance dog writer and pet enthusiast who is currently studying the art of animal therapy. A mother to four human children— and 23 furry and feathery kids, too – Ashley volunteers at local shelters, advocates for animal well-being, and rescues every creature in need. Her mission is to create awareness, education, and entertainment about pets to prevent homelessness. Her specialties are dogs and cats.
