Cerberus | Greece
“Multi-headed hellhound that guards the entrance to the underworld.”
Basic Facts:
- Prevents the dead from leaving the Underworld.
- We know the Cerberus as a three-headed dog, but most early depictions show the Cerberus as a regular-sized dog with one to two heads.
- Described to have a serpent for a tail, snakes protruding from parts of its body, and mostly a hound.
- Cerberus was rumored to have surfaced on Earth but returned by its own will to the Underworld to serve Hades.
- Cerberus’ name derived from the Greek word “creoboros,” which translates to “flesh-devouring.“
Hercules, again in Ancient Greek mythology, was challenged to fetch Cerberus as one (I think his last) of his 12 labours by Eurystheus. He was the only one who managed to defeat the extramundane dog.