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Cerberus,
Guard dog of Hades
Most sources agree that
Cerberus had three heads. The center head was in the shape
of a lion, while the other two were in the shape of a
dog and a wolf, respectively. He also had a dragon's tail
and a thick mane of writhing
snakes. |
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Cerberus
was the watchdog of hell. Chained to the gates of Acheron,
harassing the spirits entering Hades and devouring those
who tried to escape. Cerberus has been used many times
in various movies over the years. |
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Chinese
Fu Dog
It is in the most sophisticated
and earliest of civilization, China, that the black dog
plays its greatest role in religion, folklore, and mythology.
The "Fu Dog", a recurring theme in |
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Chinese
culture, has the positive attribute of bringing happiness
and good fortune. A great deal of the dog's early domestication
took place in ancient China. It is here, too, that the
first pack-hunting dogs were bred. |
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The
Irish Wolfhound
The beginnings of Irish
Wolfhounds can be traced back as early as 273 B.C. through
ancient woodcuts and writings. Ownership of these great
hounds were |
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emperors,
kings, nobility and poets; their
chains and collars were often of precious metals and
stones. They were held in such high esteem that when
disputes arose over them, not only individual combats
but full scale wars often occurred. By the year 391
A.D., the breed was known in Rome, when the first authentic
mention of it was written by the Roman Consul Quintus
Aurelius, who had received seven of them as a gift which
"all Rome viewed with wonder." |
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The
Howling Dog
Perhaps the most powerful
universal belief associated with dogs is that they possess
the ability of second sight. It is said that a dog can
see apparitions and sense if death is imminent. This may
be because we now know that the dog can sense chemical
changes in the air, and it is known that the human body
undergoes such changes close to death. Evidence abounds
that supports this with dogs howling when the owner is
ill. It is understandable then that to hear a dog howling
has long been considered to be a death omen, and the same
is said to be true if the dog howls by an open door. The
actual moment of death was thought to be marked by a dog
howling three times and then ceasing. A barking dog too
was usually a sign of misfortune if heard first
thing in the morning. |
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Reindeer
Dog of Norway
A long, long time ago
a couple of dogs sat on a hill chitchatting and watching
humans who were desperately trying to gather up a herd
of reindeer. Having looked at the idle yelling and running
around for a while, the dogs decided: "We could do that
better". And so did the reindeer herdsmen get an irreplaceable
helper, a dog who himself wanted to help. |
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