What are the hounds of h**l?

Question

What are the hounds of h**l?

Answer 1

Hellhounds, or Black Dogs, are a belief that centers primarily in the British Isles. They are supernatural dogs that appear, usually to lonely travelers at night, and disappear mysteriously. They are often considered to be omens of death. The most commonly reported color is black, but other colors have been reported as well, and they frequently have large, glowing red eyes. In some cultures dogs were considered guardians of the way to the land of the dead (like Cerberus and Anubis) and the cwn annwn were supernatural dogs of the Welsh otherworld (they were white with red ears). Christianity associates them with the devil, since in that belief system there are no options for an otherwold besides Heaven or h**l, and so they are called Hellhounds. They have also been seen in the United States. I personally know more than one witness.

Theo Brown, whose work can be found in "Animals in Folklore", was a well-known folklorist who covered this subject. "Unexplained" by Jerome Clark also has a chapter on Black Dogs.

This website has loads of information and some great photos of various locations of Black Dog lore and sightings: http://tinyurl.com/25lstt

Answer 2

Here is the Wiki explanation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellhound

Answer 3

Since h**l is man made, it depends on the mind of the man/woman. Some depict h**l as   a big party with all of your friends, while others say you'll be toasted every day.

Answer 4

maybe its cerberus the 3 headed dog

Answer 5

In the biblical version, they are spirit hounds sent to the souls of the damned to let them know their owner is watching and will be coming to claim them eventually. They act as the eyes/nose of the devil (usually its the devil, although there is nothing thats says other demons or lesser creatures can't have them as well) in keeping watch, keeping track of, those people who belong to him. Whether or not they are a throwback to the old witche's familiar, and thus a bastardization of paganism into satanism by Christianity, or a stand alone on their own is difficult to say. Many old religions and folklores have many animals that act as 'watchers' over people, and many such animals were also thought to be familiars, or devil helpers, during more hysterical times.

It is not a stretch to say that a bad person, whatever their religion or inclination, is bound to have sentinent beings keeping tabs on their underlings, reporting back whose been naughty or really naughty, and one explanation or mythological construct is not any less true than another, given a different time and place.

Answer 6

I think in the lords of magic computer game they were the souls of men that betrayed their compatriots and spent eternity as a demonic hound that gets tormented by the demons and others they are forced to serve.