Black Dog in Myth and legend

References to the Black Dog seem to be mentioned all over the world: Siberia, North America, Asia, India, Egypt ,Greek myths and legends Celtic and English stories.
Black dogs were known as psycopomps and were considered guides to the other worlds and as guardians of the boundaries.
In Egypt it was represented as the jackal headed Anubis and that cult was older than the cult of Osiris.
In Greek legend he was attached to the goddess Hecate who is also linked to Dog star Sirius. Her pet dog was Cerberus watch dog at the entrance of Hades. ( My brother started his naval career in HMS Cerberus !!Hmmm what does that say about the training of young sailors ?)
In Celtic myths they were known as Hell hounds and connected as part of the wild hunt. The myth is common across Great Britain and mentioned as early as the 10th Century.
In Chambers' Book of Days of 1864, he includes an article on Spectre Dogs which said that to have a black dog on the back, was a common phrase.
In a brief history of Black dogs as a Metaphor for Depression by Paul Foley, he mentions that nannies in the nineteenth and early twentieth century would tell their charges if they were in a sulky mood that they had a black dog on their back. As Harry and his sister were brought up by a nanny it may explain why he used to say he had a black dog on his back when he was feeling black and fretful.

This is only a tiny sample of what is available on the "black dog". There are many stories to choose from about Cerberus the three headed guard dog of the Underworld. Orpheus is reputed to have enchanted Cerberus with his beautiful music and so get into the Underworld to retrieve his dead wife. Another story is where King Eurystheus assigns the task of capturing Cerebus in the Underworld to Heracles. Several gods help Heracles to get through the entrance and he is able to ask permission from Hades to take the dog. He is allowed to capture the dog but is not to use any weapons. Heracles succeeds and slings the dog over his shoulder and carries him to King Eurystheus. The King is so petrified of the dog, he asks Heracles to take it straight back in return for releasing Heracles from his other tasks.

My task last Thursday was to take some brilliant photos in the Mt Lofty Botanic Park. Unfortunately I couldn't get close to the rather interesting steel structure across the lake because they are re doing the paths and building stone steps so that was closed to the public.
On the right is a bank of red shrubs which we couldn't identify but they looked very attractive against the different shades of green. There were some dear little blue wrens hopping in and out of the undergrowth, next time I hope to have my better camera and capture them.                             The renovations of my friends gardener's cottage is slowly progressing. He has repositioned the interesting fireplace in what is going to be his siting room. His front garden is already taking shape and the bulbs will be popping up with the first rains. Oh, how we long for rain!!