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Greek:
Cerberus is the guard dog, that patrols the entrance to the underworld, ruled by Hades. There are various accounts to what this creature looked like, often it is portrayed as having a serpents tail and from 3 to 50 upto a thousends heads. More often than not though it is said to have had 3 heads. All of which are of dogs, however once again it has been accounted that the middle head was of a lion, then one side of a dog and the other of a wolf.
Cerberus was the child of Echidna and Typhon. These two themselves were monsters, Echidna having the top half of a women and the tail of a serpent and Typhon being a giant.
Cerberus would guard the entrance to the underworld, letting the souls of the dead pass, but then not letting them leave. However 3 people have managed to enter and leave, these were Achilles, Aeneas and Orphus, who lured the beast to sleep with his lyre.
Another story involving Cerberus was when Heracles dragged him to the over world as the last task of his twelve labours, which were given to him by Hera.
In Roman mythology, the Trojan prince Aeneas and Psyche were able to pacify it with honey cake.
Stories involving Cerberus can be found in Greek myth in Virgil's Aeneid (book 5), Homer's Odyssey (book 11), Pausanias' Description of Greece (book 2), and Hesoid's Theogony.
Final Fantasy 8
Cerberus is a Non-Elemental Guardian Force, that casts double/triple on your party. Is depicted as a dog with 3 heads. And is found Guarding the exit from Galbadia Garden.. nice touch square!! |
