Cerberus – Mythological and Fantastic Beings

Cerberus. Image by Vika Mikhaylova

The gatekeeper is the guardian of the door that connects the plane of living beings with Hades.

Hades is a dark region where Persephone and Hades reign, the rulers of the afterlife, and it is the place where the souls of the dead go. The gatekeeper makes sure that no mortal passes to the plane of the dead and that no ghost passes to the plane of the living.

It is a very fierce being in the shape of a dog with three heads and a tail with snakes. The eyes are red and are illuminated by a supernatural light. A black and deadly poison emanates from his fangs.

He is feared for his strength and his aggressiveness when it comes to guarding the door he is entrusted with. Each of his heads has sharp fangs and, in addition, he often uses the snakes in his tail to exert constriction over the beings he faces.

Cerberus watching over souls. Image by Simon Eckert

It has two weak points; honey and music Incredible as it may seem, music tames beasts and, therefore, also the goalkeeper, who has only been defeated twice. One of them was Orpheus who enchanted the Cerberus with the music of his lyre, leaving him plunged into a sweet dream. The second time it was Hercules who, with his enormous strength, managed to subdue the animal and chain it, thus achieving one of the «twelve labors of Hercules».

Honey is the watchdog’s other weakness. The few who have managed to see the cerberus and have returned say that only with honey cakes can the fierce animal be appeased. If a traveler does not carry a good supply of honey cakes, the gatekeeper will attack and the mortal will be at the mercy of the dog for life.

Related contents