dogs

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Photo taken camera Nikon S3300 ,from personal archive.
A man is a friend to a dog - everyone knows this.
The dog is the very first of domestic animals, a man's friend; personifies devotion, courage and vigilance. Symbol of protection and self-sacrifice.
In Celtic art, dogs are symbols of mercy, companions of many goddesses who patronize healing, as well as hunters and warriors.
In Scandinavia, the dog's image is painted in black tones: the Scandinavian hell dog Garm and the black dog of Satan are symbols of aggression.
For the Egyptians, the dog is a sacred animal, since it is associated with the star Sirius, or Sotis (Star Dog): it was with this star that the Egyptians linked the origin of their civilization. In addition, the appearance of Sirius in the sky preceded the annual flood of the Nile.
The fact that dogs are always and everywhere accompany a person and, according to common ideas, enter the world of spirits, allowed them to be considered good conductors and guards in the afterlife. They meet in this role and in ancient Egyptian mythology - as satellites Anubis, usually depicted with the head of a jackal or a dog. Sheepdog in Egypt is a symbol of the priestly craft.
The same symbolism of the dog is also characteristic of the Greco-Roman tradition. Charon, the carrier to the land of the dead, is often portrayed as a dog, like many gods and demons of the underworld. For example, the mythical Greek Greek Cerberus, a terrifying three-headed dog, acts as a guard at the entrance to hell. Three-headed dogs also accompanied Hecate, the goddess of death, who often visited graves and crossroads and in honor of which the ancient Greeks sacrificed dogs.
In Central Asia and Persia, the souls of the deceased were in closer contact with the dogs: the bodies of the deceased were fed dogs in antiquity.
In Christianity, the dog was considered a suitable symbol for the shepherd of the Lord and therefore was the emblem of the clergy. The name of the monastic order "Dominicans" (Domini Canes) is translated from Latin as "dogs of the Lord" and directly symbolizes the mission of protecting Christian dogmas. The characters of the Order of Dominicans, who wore white and black robes, are black and white dogs. On the sculptures of the Crusader tombs, dogs were depicted at their feet as a sign that the Crusaders were following the banner of the Lord with the same devotion as the dog follows its master.
On the other hand, the dog is not accustomed to cleanliness and often personifies evil, that is, it is an "unclean" animal. Therefore, the dog is not allowed to enter the Christian churches. Black dogs often symbolize the devil (Mephistopheles is to Dr. Faust in the form of a black poodle) or mired in the fleshly desires of the soul.
In Semitic and Muslim traditions, the dog is an unclean, mean, greedy animal, which can only be used as a watchman (with the exception of beagle dogs who, for understandably reasons, have a higher status). According to Islamic ideas, angels will never visit the house in which the dog lives.
In contrast, in India, a dog is considered a sacred animal. Perhaps here, as in many other countries, religious beliefs are closely intertwined with realistic notions of the great benefits these animals bring. The obedient dog is a symbol of loyalty to the law, although the Buddha said that those who live like a dog after death will turn into a dog.
In Hinduism, dogs are also considered the companions of the god of death of Yama, which again brings us back to the connection of the dog with the afterlife.
The dog is also a hunting symbol.
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