Is there a dog God?
KYON KHRYSEOS
THE KUON KHRYSEOS (Golden Dog) was an animal set by Rhea to guard the infant god Zeus and his nurse, the goat Amaltheia, on the island of Krete (Crete). When Zeus reached maturity he placed the dog amongst the stars as the constellation Canis Major.
The Golden Dog was sometimes identified with Lailaps (Laelaps), a magical dog which Zeus gave Europa upon her arrival in Krete and which was afterwards passed down to Minos, Prokris and the hero Kephalos.
PARENTS
Perhaps forged by the metal-working Kouretes, though nowhere stated
ENCYCLOPEDIA
THE GOLDEN HOUND. Pandareus is said to have stolen the golden dog which Hephaestus had made, from the temple of Zeus in Crete, and to have carried it to Tantalus. When Zeus sent Hermes to Tantalus to claim the dog back, Tantalus declared that it was not in his possession. The god, however, took the animal by force, and threw mount Sipylus upon Tantalus. Pandareos fled to Athens, and thence to Sicily, where he perished with his wife Harmothoe. (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1875.) Antoninus Liberalis (11) calls him an Ephesian, and relates that Demeter conferred upon him the benefit of never suffering from indigestion, if he should take ever so much food. The whole scene of his story lies in Crete, and hence Pausanias (x. 30. § 1) thinks that the town of Ephesus is not the famous city in Asia Minor, but Ephesus in Crete.
Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES
Pausanias, Description of Greece 10. 30. 2 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
«I must tell you that Pandareos (Pandareus) was a Milesian from Miletos in Krete (Crete), and implicated in the theft of Tantalos [i.e. of the golden hound] and in the trick of the oath.»
Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses 36 (trans. Celoria) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
«When Rhea, fearing Kronos (Cronus), hid Zeus in the Kretan (Cretan) cavern, a goat [Amaltheia] offered her udder and gave him nourishment. By the will of Rhea a Golden Dog (Kuon Khryseos) guarded the goat. After Zeus drove out the Titanes and deprived Kronos of power, he changed the goat into an immortal, there is a representation of her among the stars to this day. He ordered the Golden Dog to guard this sacred spot in Krete (Crete).
Pandareos (Pandareus) son of Merops stole the Dog and carried it off to Mount Sipylos. He gave it to Tantalos (Tantalus), son of Zeus and Plouto (Pluto), to guard. After a time Pandareos went to Mount Sipylos and asked for the Dog. Tantalos swore he had neve received it. To punish him for the theft Zeus turned Pandareos into a rock where he stood. Tantalos, for going back on his oath, he struck down with a thunderbolt and set Mount Sipylos on top of his head.»
SOURCES
GREEK
- Pausanias, Description of Greece — Greek Travelogue C2nd A.D.
- Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses — Greek Mythography C2nd A.D.
Do all dogs go to heaven? Pet owners increasingly think so, says study
The definition of dog heaven is straightforward enough: bottomless biscuits, walks on demand, squirrels you can actually catch.
Whether it exists is a thornier question. But according to a new study, owners of all kinds of domestic animals have become more likely to believe in a pet afterlife – and have used gravestones and memorials to express their faith that they will one day be reunited.
A new analysis published in the journal Antiquity, examining the history of pet cemeteries in Newcastle and London over 100 years from 1881, found an increase in the proportion of graves that reference the animals’ immortal souls.
“Few 19th-century gravestones reference an afterlife, although some may ‘hope’ to see their loved ones again,” said Dr Eric Tourigny, author of the study, who looked at more than 1,000 animal headstones. “By the mid-20th century, a greater proportion of animal gravestones suggest owners were awaiting a reunion in the afterlife.”
Images of gravestones included in the paper show simple 19th-century references to “Topsey, loving friend”, “Our dear wee Butcha”, and “Darling Fluff”. In the few cases where an afterlife is referenced, owners are careful not to challenge contemporary Christian orthodoxy and only suggest a hope of reunion.
But by the 1950s, the owner of “Denny”, a “brave little cat”, adds firmly: “God bless until we meet again.” In the same era, religious references become more common – with symbols like crosses and “epitaphs invoking God’s care and protection”.
Tourigny, a lecturer in historical archaeology at Newcastle University, found other evidence that pet owners were increasingly likely to view animals as part of the family. He wrote that an increasing number of gravestones used family names after the second world war – though “some early adopters of surnames put them in parentheses or quotation marks, as if to acknowledge they are not full members of the family”.
He also found that owners would increasingly often refer to themselves by familial pronouns like “Mummy”, “Dad”, or “Auntie”.
Tourigny said that while it was difficult to quantify precisely, most of the stones “are likely for dogs” – but the proportion of cats and other animals grew as the 20th century went on.
Gravestones in the four pet cemeteries examined cover burials from the 1880s to the 1980s. Since then, cremation has become more common for those who wish to mark their pet’s death.
Tourigny – who has only ever owned two goldfish himself, but has recently adopted two cats, which arrive next week – told the Guardian that one of the most notable recent trends was that jurisdictions around Britain were “allowing humans and animals to be co-buried for the first time”.
Other modern pet memorial services include paw prints cast in clay, framed collars, and even the chance to turn their ashes into diamonds. But many owners still opt for the simpler approach of burying them in the back garden – or what is euphemistically termed “communal pet cremation”.
While religious views around the world vary, Christianity has traditionally held that animals have no hope of an afterlife. But Pope John Paul II said in 1990 that animals do have souls and are “as near to God as men are”.
Some pet lovers viewed remarks by Pope Francis in 2014 as offering further hope of furry eternity. He said that “what lies ahead … is not an annihilation of the universe and all that surrounds us. Rather, it brings everything to its fullness of being, truth and beauty.”
Anubis
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Also known as: Anpu
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Last Updated: Apr 28, 2023 • Article History
Table of Contents
Top Questions
Who is Anubis?
Anubis was an ancient Egyptian god of the dead, represented as a jackal or a man with the head of a jackal. Anubis is sometimes also called Anpu.
What was the role of Anubis?
In the Early Dynastic period and the Old Kingdom, Anubis had a preeminent position as lord of the dead. He was associated with the funerary cult and the care of the dead, and his later role was as the “conductor of souls.” He was also reputed to be the inventor of embalming, an art he first employed on the corpse of Osiris.
Which ancient Greek god is Anubis associated with?
In his later role as the “conductor of souls,” the Greco-Roman world sometimes identified Anubis with Hermes in the composite deity Hermanubis.
Anubis, also called Anpu, ancient Egyptian god of funerary practices and care of the dead, represented by a jackal or the figure of a man with the head of a jackal. In the Early Dynastic period and the Old Kingdom, he enjoyed a preeminent (though not exclusive) position as lord of the dead, but he was later overshadowed by Osiris. His role is reflected in such epithets as “He Who Is upon His Mountain” (i.e., the necropolis), “Lord of the Sacred Land,” “Foremost of the Westerners,” and “He Who Is in the Place of Embalming.”
His particular concern was with the funerary cult and the care of the dead; hence, he was reputed to be the inventor of embalming, an art he first employed on the corpse of Osiris. In his later role as the “conductor of souls,” he was sometimes identified by the Greco-Roman world with the Greek Hermes in the composite deity Hermanubis.
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Brian Duignan.
