The black dog in the Zone

[saavik256]

I recently watched Stalker again, and came to think about the black dog in the Zone.
Knowing that Tarkovsky was often using mythical elements in his movies (some people argue that the woman washing her hair in the Zerkalo dream sequence is reminiscent of the japanese yurei), I was thinking.. could the dog actually be the Black Shuck ?


(click for full view)

In most of England it's referred to as "Hellhound" or "Doom dog", but in Wales, it's often described as a protector of travellers.

What do you think ?

[blue]

I've seen speculations about the dog representing Cerberus, the guardian of Hades, but never the Black Shuck. Speaking for myself, I've always seen it as a link between Man and the supernatural, the Zone.

The Greek connection isn't very uplifting and, actually, doesn't make much sense, since what would that make of the Room? The Welsh one is a beautiful interpretation since travellers are exactly what they are, our three antagonists. Though, I've no idea how much Tarkovsky knew about Welsh folklore.

[saavik256]

I agree, the Cerberus version doesn't sound plausible. Oh well, if I come up with any more ideas on the subject be sure I'll write them down