![]() ![]() Cerberus had several multi-headed relatives. Cerberus was usually three-headed, though not always. Descriptions ĭescriptions of Cerberus vary, including the number of his heads. Another suggested etymology derives Cerberus from "Ker berethrou", meaning "evil of the pit". An etymology given by Servius (the late-fourth-century commentator on Virgil)-but rejected by Ogden-derives Cerberus from the Greek word creoboros meaning "flesh-devouring". Though probably not Greek, Greek etymologies for Cerberus have been offered. ![]() However, as Ogden observes, this analysis actually requires Kerberos and Garmr to be derived from two different Indo-European roots (* ker- and * gher- respectively), and so does not actually establish a relationship between the two names. Lincoln notes a similarity between Cerberus and the Norse mythological dog Garmr, relating both names to a Proto-Indo-European root *ger- "to growl" (perhaps with the suffixes -*m/*b and -*r). This etymology was also rejected by Manfred Mayrhofer, who proposed an Austro-Asiatic origin for the word, and Beekes. Lincoln (1991), among others, critiques this etymology. It has been claimed to be related to the Sanskrit word सर्वरा sarvarā, used as an epithet of one of the dogs of Yama, from a Proto-Indo-European word * k̑érberos, meaning "spotted". Ogden refers to attempts to establish an Indo-European etymology as "not yet successful". The etymology of Cerberus' name is uncertain. Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Crete, Greece. Cerberus is primarily known for his capture by Heracles, the last of Heracles' twelve labours.Įtymology Cerberus and Hades/ Serapis. He was the offspring of the monsters Echidna and Typhon, and was usually described as having three heads, a serpent for a tail, and snakes protruding from multiple parts of his body. In Greek mythology, Cerberus ( / ˈ s ɜːr b ər ə s/ Greek: Κέρβερος Kérberos ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. Heracles, wearing his characteristic lion-skin, club in right hand, leash in left, presenting a three-headed Cerberus, snakes coiling from his snouts, necks and front paws, to a frightened Eurystheus hiding in a giant pot. For other uses, see Cerberus (Greek myth) and Cerberus (disambiguation). ![]()
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