Many monsters in myths have several heads, making them even more dangerous, which might be compared to the many hats Trump wears as the head of a real estate empire, a reality show host, owner of multiple companies with the Trump brand, and now a presidential campaign.
Previously, I compared Trump to the dragon St. George fights, to a Chimera, to the fearsome horse monster of Scotland, the Kelpie, and to the monsters of the sea, including the Kraken and Charybdis.
Now there are two more monsters with multiple heads that might be compared to Trump - the Hydra, a serpent-like water monster with nine or so heads, and Cerberus, the guardian of Hades, with three or more heads. Both were among the twelve labors of Heracles, which he carried out as a penance over 12 years for King Eurystheus, due to killing his own wife, son and daughter in a fit of insanity. But in return for atoning for his actions, as the Oracle of Delphi advised him, he would be rewarded with immortality. In any event, Heracles' second labor was to kill the nine-headed Hyrda and his sixth was to capture and bring back Cerberus. Both were considered especially deadly monsters, so that's why Heracles was asked to kill or capture them for the king.
The Hydra, a serpent-like water monster with reptilian characteristics, was considered extremely dangerous because of its deadly venom. Its breath could be lethal to anyone who came near, and it could quickly regrow any of its decapitated limbs. Moreover, if any of its heads were severed, apart from its central core head, two more would grow in their place. The Hydra was elusive, too, since it hid in Lake Lerna in an underwater cave that some considered an entrance to the underworld. At first, Heracles seemed to have an impossible battle. Initially, he covered his mouth and nose with cloth to remain safe from the Hydra's deadly fumes from its many mouths when he attacked the Hydra with a sickle, sword, or club. But that attack didn't work very well, since each time he lopped off a head, the Hydra grew two more. . However, with a little help from his nephew Iolaus, he found success. After he cut off each head, Iolaus cauterized the open stump with a torch, and the Hydra couldn't produce anymore heads. Then, Heracles was finally able to kill the Hydra by cutting off its last head.
As for Cerberus, this was the huge hound with three heads that guarded the entrance to Hades, the underworld. Supposedly, the beast only liked to eat living flesh, so he would consume any living mortal who came near him, while allowing the deceased spirits to pass by. As the story goes, Heracles had to get Hades' permission to bring Cerberus to the surface, and Hades agreed if Heracles could subdue the beast without any weapons. So Heracles did, using his great strength to overpower the hound with his hands. Then, he carried the beast over his back, dragged him to the surface, and brought him back to King Eurystheus. But the king was so terrified that he begged Heracles to return the hound of hell back to Hades, which he did. And after that, Eurystheus agreed to release Heracles from any further labors.
Well, in this case, the comparison certainly fits for Trump and both monsters. Trumps' insults and humiliating words might be compared to the Hydra's deadly venom, and Trump uses his words to attack his many enemies through Tweets, put-downs at press conferences, and calls at his rallies, such as when he yells out "Get him outta here," to his security guards, who promptly throw out the victim. Also, it seems that whenever someone attacks Trump with one claim, like pointing to his failed Trump University, Trump fights back, like growing another head, such as by calling the attacker a loser or having his lawyers tie up the opponent, if threatening enough, with litigation in court. Likewise, the way Trump has destroyed other candidates, such as Jeb Bush, by calling him low energy; Ben Carson, by tagging him as a child molester; or Marco Rubio, by mocking him as Little Rubio for his little experience, low attendance record in the Senate, and being short, might be compared to the Cerberus eating living mortals. As for Cerberus' willingness to let the deceased spirits go through the gates of Hades, that might be comparable to Trump's embrace of anyone who supports him, even the often languid Ben Carson, who some have compared to the living dead, because he often seems so lethargic and seems to have sold his soul to get on Trump's good side, with a view to becoming a cabinet member, such as the Secretary of Education, or even a VP.
So now it would seem the world is waiting for its modern day Heracles - also called Hercules by the Romans, after the Roman Empire captured Greece and the Romans transformed the Greek myths into their own. Might it be Ted Cruz or John Kasich, who have engaged in difficult labors on the campaign trail? Or perhaps if they can't do it, Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders can, and they have both similarly engaged in many labors all over the country in their many stops in what has become an especially long arduous campaign.
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Gini Graham Scott, PhD, writes frequently about social trends and everyday life. She is the author of over 50 books with major publishers and has published 30 books through her company Changemakers Publishing and Writing. She writes books and proposals for clients and has written and produced over 50 short videos through Changemakers Productions and is a partner in a service that connects writers to publishers, agents, and the film industry. Her latest books are Scammed, Lies and Liars: How and Why Sociopaths Lie and How to Detect and Deal With Them, and The New Middle Ages: How the Growing Inequalities Between Rich and Poor Threaten Our Way of Life.