Even Cerberus is good to the good soul. It has been argued by the eminent Sanscrit antiquary Rajendalala in his late volume on the Indo-Aryans, that this is a reminiscence of an ancient custom of throwing the dead bodies to the dogs to be consumed, rather than have them decay. This to me is not a very satisfactory explanation, but I have none other to offer in its place, and I therefore merely call attention to this singular similarity of notions.
Though I have confined my comparison to these three ancient nations, you would err widely if you imagine that it is for lack of material to extend it. I could easily numberless other analogies from classic, from Persian, from Turanian, from Semitic sources to how that these notions were almost universal to the race of man.
They carried themselves into early Christian teachings, and to-day the wording of this ancient Sun myth is repeated in most of the churches of Christendom. We have but to mention the "river of death" which is supposed to limit human life; we have but to look at the phraseology of the Nicene symbol, where if is said that Christ "descended into Hell (Hades)," and after three days rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, where he sits on the right hand of God, to see how persistently the old idea's have retained their sway over the religious sentiments and expressions of man.
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