Saturday, November 8, 2008

Cerberus and Orthus


Another pair of Typhon's children, Cerberus and Orthus were both multiheaded dogs. Orthus was the pet of the three-headed giant Geryon. Orthus was a huge, two-headed monster, with blue skin, the teeth of a shark, and spined clubs at the tips of his dual tails. Like most of Typhon's brood, Orthus and his master died at the tips of Heracles' arrows. Cerberus was much luckier than his brothers and sisters. He is the only one of Typhon's offsprings who, according to the myths, is still alive. This three-headed black hellhound gaurds the gates of the underworld, tearing apart any dead souls that try to leave. This beast is under the god Hades' protection, so though it was once captured by Heracles, no hero has dared to kill it. Cerberus would not be an easy foe to take down, though, even for someone with enough daring to fight it. This beast was immense, by some accounts larger than three elephants, and its claws and teeth were like steak knives. Hidden under its shaggy fur were live serpents, and another, much larger, snake made up the beast's tail.

1 comment: