Phenomenology Of Black Dogs From Anubis And Cerberus To The Christian Representation Of The Damned

Delia, Giuseppe

Abstract

The “black dog syndrome” is a psychological aversion to black dogs that seems to affect the adoption of pet dogs uniquely on the colour of their fur. Statistically, it appears that dark dogs tend to be perceived as more aggressive, ill-tempered and, in general, more dangerous than light-coloured dogs. The paper aims to analyse where and when this diffused mistrust towards black dogs might come from. Gathering and collecting Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Christian images and texts can shed light on our ancestors’ relationship with black dogs, and blackness on a wider scale. A symbol of the syndrome can be the natural threat posed by the wolf in the wilderness lurking outside human settlements from the dawn of civilisation, representing the death of humans and livestock alike. The archaeological and literary evidence suggests that the archetypal fear of the unknown and darkness could also be the reason behind the unconscious dread towards everything (and everyone) that has been described as ‘black’. The aforementioned cultures, although their audience had changed over time, have maintained alive this prejudice since it has been purposely used to depict the foreigner, the enemy, the ‘infidel’, the inhabitant of far lands and/or the ‘uncivilised’. The socio-political implications of the fear for the stranger, or xenophobia, have been an extremely powerful weapon to concentrate people’s frustrations towards outsiders and it still affects languages, literature, and visual culture. Comprehending its origin may encourage the development of a healthier society that challenges obscure stereotypes and dogmas.

Citation

Delia, G. (2021, July). Phenomenology Of Black Dogs From Anubis And Cerberus To The Christian Representation Of The Damned. Presented at V CHAM International Conference Frontiers of Humanity and Beyond: Towards New Critical Understandings of Borders, Lisbon

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: V CHAM International Conference Frontiers of Humanity and Beyond: Towards New Critical Understandings of Borders
• Start Date: Jul 21, 2021
• End Date: Jul 23, 2021
• Acceptance Date: Jul 31, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Mar 1, 2023
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2023
• Deposit Date: Apr 6, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 10, 2025
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Book Title: Frontiers of Humanity and Beyond: Towards New Critical Understandings of Borders
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3781422
• Publisher URL: https://novaresearch.unl.pt/en/publications/v-cham-international-conference-frontiers-of-humanity-and-beyond--2