God of the Underworld
This week the spacecraft New Horizons started sending back images of Pluto. The dwarf planet made of ice aptly named after the cold hearted Roman god of the underworld.
Pluto was originally known as Plutus and was the god of silver, gold and wealth. These riches were mined from the ground so Plutus also become associated which the physical underworld, and in time it is thought he also became associated with the spiritual one.
He was the brother of Jupiter and Neptune, but unlike his more promiscuous sibling Jupiter, Pluto only had eyes for one woman. One of the most famous roman and greek myths that surround Pluto is how he abducted Proserpina and carried her off to be his wife. Although Proserpina and he were eternally bound in the underworld there is no solid mention of him having any children by historians. He did, however, have a very famous pet.
The monster Cerberus was charged with stopping the dead from escaping the underworld, and is the most iconic association with Pluto. He had at least three heads, the claws of a lion and the tail of a serpent. He also enjoyed the taste of raw flesh. The beast Cerberus was the offspring of Echidna who was a hybrid of woman and serpent and the giant Typhon who even the Gods of Olympus were afraid of. This horrific combination of genes produced a monster that was not to be reckoned with. He was capture
d by Hercules during his final labour, but escaped some time later to return to his post in the underworld.
Although he started out as the Plutus, a god of wealth and fortune, Pluto became feared by the Roman people. He was known to be a cold and heartless god. Those who entered the underworld would not be allowed to return to the land of the living and no amount pleading or worship would sway his mind after he had made a decision. Most would not utter his name aloud as they feared that he would hear them and their death would be fated. On top of this it was illegal to sacrifice to Pluto during the light of day and all religious offerings to him during festivals took place at night. Only black animals were sacrificed to him, the blood was then dripped down into pits to ensure it made its way down to the underworld. Pluto was not often celebrated at festivals, as he was a god not many liked to mention. In spite of the fear that shrouded him Pluto was honoured every hundred years in the Secular Games, where black bulls were sacrificed to him in an altar held deep under ground.
He was represented by a black chariot pulled by four black horses, Orphnaues, Aethon, Nycteus and Alastor, and his black helmet was said to render the wearer invisible. This god was truly a god of darkness and one to be respected and feared by all.
Respect Pluto and the souls being judged deep in the underworld the Palatine Pearls of the Underworld [Pp704]. Our other items include Alter Orbis [P722] and The Demon in my Head [P661] which can be coupled with The Choas Signet [R99] and the Ruination Skull [R174] to show your affinity to the old gods.
