The Cerberus, also known as a hellhound[1], was a mountain canine with multiple heads. Cerberus was the “watchdog” of the gates to the underworld for his master, Hades. He ensured that the dead could enter and never escape[1]. The twelfth labour of Hercules was to capture the Cerebus from hell and bring him to the palace of Eurystheu[1]. Hades agreed on the condition that no harm would be done to the animal. The three heads of the Cerberus symbolizes the baser forces of life: the past, the present, and the future.
Origin: The Cerberus, like many monsters in mythology, was the offspring of Echidna and Typhon. One of his siblings, Orphus, was also a dog-like creature, but with only two heads.
Appearance: Cerberus is mostly portrayed as a dog with three heads. Some have that the total number is fifty or one hundred[2]. He also possesses the tail of a serpent. The actual size of the Cerberus is unsure, but all accounts say that he is very large.
Influences On The Modern Day: There aren’t many stories of the Cerberus now as there used to be, but there is one major influence of it on the modern day: a three headed dog from the book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone[3] named Fluffy. Though this isn’t actually stated as a real Cerberus, Fluffy takes on the same form and has a similar job, to guard the trapdoor leading to the underground chamber where the Philosopher’s Stone is hidden[4].
[1] Wikipedia.org:Cerberus
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[2] Monsterous: Cereberus
[3] Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone © by J.K. Rowling.
[4] Wikipedia.org: Rubeus Hagrid
