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A small rant on Cerberus
Dec. 31st, 2022 11:55 am(Since it was popular over on FB, I'm copying here.)
I'm seeing the "no one knows what kind of dog Cerberus was" post going around again, so I feel a need to mention that Κέρβερος was first mentioned in Homer and Hesiod, which places him at - the earliest - as 800 BCE, or less than 3,000 years ago. At that time, in Greece, the dominant dog breed was the greyhound.
Homer's/Hesiod's Cerberus could not have been a dachshund, as that breed is (1) German and (2) just over 300 years old. Similarly, the chihuahua is out, being around 150 years old (and it's predecessor breed, the techichi, is only about 1,200 years old). Even the poodle is out, being only 2,000 years old.
Assuming Hades can travel and leave Greece, in addition to the greyhound, reasonable dog breeds for Cerberus include the akita inu, the greenland sled dog, the afghan hound, basenji, tibetan mastiff, or the saluki.
HOWEVER, this assumes that Κέρβερος is the name for a single immortal dog. If Κέρβερος is a TITLE given to Hades' dog, which lives a mortal - though extended (as is common for those who associate with mythical gods) - lifespan until he either dies or gets to retire as a Naberius, then Cerberus could be unrestricted by breed.
Moreover, if we assume that, when he needs a new one, Hades just goes to the shelter and picks up three dogs to smush together, there is no reason to believe that all three heads would come from the same breed of dog.
(And there are advantages to picking specific breed traits, such as seeing, hearing, and barking, to maximize capabilities in a guard dog.)
I'm seeing the "no one knows what kind of dog Cerberus was" post going around again, so I feel a need to mention that Κέρβερος was first mentioned in Homer and Hesiod, which places him at - the earliest - as 800 BCE, or less than 3,000 years ago. At that time, in Greece, the dominant dog breed was the greyhound.
Homer's/Hesiod's Cerberus could not have been a dachshund, as that breed is (1) German and (2) just over 300 years old. Similarly, the chihuahua is out, being around 150 years old (and it's predecessor breed, the techichi, is only about 1,200 years old). Even the poodle is out, being only 2,000 years old.
Assuming Hades can travel and leave Greece, in addition to the greyhound, reasonable dog breeds for Cerberus include the akita inu, the greenland sled dog, the afghan hound, basenji, tibetan mastiff, or the saluki.
HOWEVER, this assumes that Κέρβερος is the name for a single immortal dog. If Κέρβερος is a TITLE given to Hades' dog, which lives a mortal - though extended (as is common for those who associate with mythical gods) - lifespan until he either dies or gets to retire as a Naberius, then Cerberus could be unrestricted by breed.
Moreover, if we assume that, when he needs a new one, Hades just goes to the shelter and picks up three dogs to smush together, there is no reason to believe that all three heads would come from the same breed of dog.
(And there are advantages to picking specific breed traits, such as seeing, hearing, and barking, to maximize capabilities in a guard dog.)
