🐾 Dogs in Mythology

Guardians, guides, and companions across civilizations.

🇮🇳 India

GuardianAfterlifeRituals

Shvan (श्वान)

The Sanskrit word for dog. Associated with alertness and loyalty.

Bhairava

Fierce form of Lord Shiva, often with a black dog. Dogs are guardians of death and time.

Yama

God of Death is said to have two four-eyed dogs guarding the entrance to the afterlife.

Kukur Tihar

Festival (popular in Nepal, respected in Indian traditions) that honors dogs as protectors and companions.

🇬🇷 Ancient Greece

UnderworldMagicGuardianship

Cerberus

Three-headed hound guarding the gates of Hades.

Hecate

Goddess of magic/crossroads, dogs as sacred companions.

Funerary role

Dogs buried with warriors to guard them in the afterlife.

🇪🇬 Ancient Egypt

AfterlifeProtectionRituals

Anubis

Jackal-headed god of mummification & afterlife (often confused with a dog); symbol of protection.

Dog necropolis

Dogs were mummified and buried near temples of Anubis.

🇳🇴 Norse Mythology

UnderworldProphecy

Garmr

Monstrous dog/wolf guarding Hel; harbinger of Ragnarok.

Boundary-crossers

Dogs seen as moving between worlds of living and dead.

🇨🇳 Chinese Mythology

ProtectionFortune

Foo Dogs (Guardian Lions)

Temple/palace guardians; symbol of power, protection, fortune.

Year of the Dog

Zodiac sign—loyalty, protection, trustworthiness.

🇲🇽 Aztec & Mayan Cultures

GuidesAfterlife

Xolotl

Aztec dog-headed god of lightning and death, twin of Quetzalcoatl.

Xoloitzcuintli

Hairless dogs believed to guide souls through the underworld.

🇯🇵 Japan

SpiritLoyaltyRituals

Inugami

Spirit dog created via ritual—protector or vengeful force.

Spiritual bond

Dogs remain loyal beyond death.

Hachiko

Modern icon of loyalty; national symbol.

🌍 Final Thoughts

From temple guardians to underworld guides, dogs appear wherever humans imagine courage, loyalty, and safe passage. Across faiths and continents, they remain symbols of protection and deep companionship.