Do you love dogs? I will reveal to you the ancient and mysterious symbolism of man’s best friend

Associated with loyalty but also with the afterlife, the dog hides numerous symbolic meanings, some more obvious, others decidedly unusual and mysterious

The Celts believed that dogs were closely connected to medicine, hunting, and death, even going so far as to think that certain diseases could be cured by applying dog saliva. While the connection to hunting seems obvious, given that dogs were widely used to chase prey, the association with death comes from the presence of many dogs in the afterlife. Even the god of the underworld, Arawn, was said to be accompanied by a pack of white dogs with red ears, according to Robert Adkinson’s “Sacred Symbols.” Let’s explore the ancient and mysterious symbolism of man’s best friend.

Dogs and the underworld

Dogs have long been considered psychopomps, figures who guide the souls of the dead to the afterlife, thereby linking them to the Underworld.

Think of Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Ancient Greek mythology who guarded the entrance to the Underworld, or the Egyptian god Anubis, who had the form of a canine. In Japanese mythology, there are the inugami, a class of shikigami with a dog-like appearance.

We also find dogs in Mesoamerican mythology, often depicted in scenes of the afterlife from the Maya period and among the Aztecs, where the god Xolotl was portrayed in the form of a monstrous dog.

The dog, loyal friend to humans

On one hand, there is the connection to death and a monstrous aspect; on the other, there is the reputation of the dog as a loyal friend to humans. This reputation dates back to Roman times when Pliny the Elder claimed that dogs and horses were the most faithful animals to humans.

Even on medieval tombstones, dogs are symbols of loyalty, as Claudio Roghi explains in “The Dog Accompanies Man from the Neolithic to Today.” A good example is the work of Jacopo della Quercia for the Tomb of Ilaria del Carretto, where a dog sits at Ilaria’s feet, gazing mournfully at its master.

We also see the symbolism of loyalty in portraits of married couples, where the dog represents conjugal fidelity. One such example is Jan van Eyck’s 1434 painting of the Arnolfini couple.

Dogs as totem animals

People who have the dog as their totem animal, according to the website “What is My Spirit Animal“, are naturally able to give and receive affection. They are also individuals who do not need to be in the spotlight and can work effectively behind the scenes, giving them a clearer overview of situations.

The dog as a totem animal also symbolizes the ability to commit to a spiritual path or personal ethics and does not tolerate pettiness.