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| - Hellhounds are demons or evil spirits that takes the form of a dog. Throughout history and in numerous cultures creatures known as hellhounds have appeared in mythology, legend and folklore - sometimes as guardians of forbidden areas or as sinister drifters that spread death and misery wherever they tread. Although similiar a Hellhound is not a demon that takes the form of a wolf, this is more accurately known as a Warg (or Worg depending on preference) - though the two terms are likely interchangable as a dog is little more than a domesticed wolf. Hellhounds date back at least as far as Ancient Greece with the legend of Cerberus, the three-headed guardian of the Underworld who was feared by many - this fearsome beast appeared in one of Hercules' twelve tasks and remains a popular figure in fantasy fiction. In the British Isles the idea of ghostly black dogs, often of inhuman size, is an ancient one and almost always symbolises death - these creatures are embodied in such legendary monsters as Black Shuck and served as the inspiration for the Hounds Of The Baskervilles. Japan told stories of the shapeshifting Kitsune, although they were technically foxes - Koreans had an even more evil fox-spirit known as the Kumiho, which was almost always chaotic and evil. In modern fiction the Doberman and other large breeds of dogs are nicknamed "Devil Dogs" after their portrayal as servants of the antichrist in The Omen and Damien himself is suggested to of been born of a jackal. The Devil himself is sometimes portrayed as a wild dog, perhaps due to the savage nature of these animals in the wild - it is also a common urban legend in parts of Australia that dingoes carry off and devour human infants. The Hellhounds is a supernatural dog, found in folklore. A wide variety of ominous or hellish supernatural dogs occur in mythologies around the world, similar to the oft-seen dragon. Features that have been attributed to hellhounds include black fur, glowing red, or, sometimes, yellow eyes, super strength or speed, ghostly or phantom characteristics, foul odor, and sometimes even the ability to talk. Certain European legends state that if someone stares into a hellhound's eyes 3 times or more, that person will surely die. In cultures that associate the afterlife with fire, hellhounds may have fire-based abilities and appearance. They are often assigned to guard the entrances to the world of the dead, such as graveyards and burial grounds, or undertake other duties related to the afterlife or the supernatural, such as hunting lost souls or guarding a supernatural treasure. In European legends, seeing a hellhound or hearing it howl may be an omen or even a cause of death. Some supernatural dogs, such as the Welsh Cŵn Annwn, were actually believed to be benign. However, encountering them was still considered to be a sign of imminent death.
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