Cats and Dogs Meet Mythology

Cerberus

This terrifying beast proves that not all dogs are created equal. He is the size of a house and with three snarling heads, each gaping mouth full of razor sharp teeth. A pet of Hades, god of the dead, this canine is said to have guarded the entrance to the Greek Mythology’s Underworld. He both prevented the dead from leaving or the living to pass though the gates.

Cerberus, despite his size and his temperament, has been defeated before. The last of Heracles’s twelve labors was to capture him and bring him to the surface, which was supposed to be impossible, as it was believed that no one had the power to come and go from the Underworld.

Bast

Bast, or Bastet, was the Egyptian cat goddess, who first appeared in the Second Dynasty (circa 2890 BCE), but as a lioness. It wasn’t until the twenty-second Dynasty (945-715 BCE) that she was shown as a cat. Some archaeologists think that a few different deities merged and became one goddess, Bast.

Cats in ancient Egypt were worshipped for their ability to catch vermin such as mice or rats, and even snakes, especially cobras. Egyptians believed that Bast lived in every feline. Their cats were adorned with gold jewelry, permitted to eat off of their owners’ plates, and when they died, they were given the honor of mummification. All this was done in the name of Bast. 

Zodiac Dog

The Chinese zodiac’s eleventh position is the Dog. They represent character traits such as loyalty, compatibility and kindness. Dogs frequently offer kind words and useful advice, always listening and lending a shoulder when necessary. Dogs often become deeply involved in others’ lives and are sometimes perceived as nosy. Ensuring others are happy is more important to the Dog than wealth, money or success.

Zodiac Cat

The fourth animal symbol in the 12-year cycle of the Vietnamese zodiac, which took the place of the rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. Many of the traits that originated with the rabbit have been passed on to the Cat.  Legends relating to the order of the Chinese zodiac often include stories as to why the cat was not included among the twelve. Because the Rat tricked the cat into missing the banquet with the Jade Emperor, the cat was not included and wasn't aware that the banquet was going on and thus began the antipathy between cats and Rats. It is possible domesticated cats were not  common in China at the zodiac's induction.