Yamata no Orochi food, but lacks a phonological connection. Polycephalic or multi-headed animals are rare in biology but common in mythology and heraldry. Multi-headed dragons, like the 8-headed "Orochi" and 3-headed "Trisiras" above, are a common motif in comparative mythology. For instance, multi-headed dragons in Greek mythology include the wind-god Typhon who had several polycephalic offspring, including the 9-headed Lernaean Hydra and the 100-headed Ladon, both slain by Heracles. Two other Japanese examples derive from Buddhist importations of Indian dragon myths. Benzaiten, the Japanese name of Saraswati, supposedly killed a 5-headed dragon at Enoshima in 552 AD. Kuzuryū 九頭龍 "9-headed dragon", deriving from
Orthrus overcome by Heracles in one of his labours. Orthrus In Greek mythology, Orthrus (, "Orthros") or Orthus (, "Orthos") was, according to the mythographer Apollodorus, a two-headed dog who guarded Geryon's cattle and was killed by Heracles. He was the offspring of the monsters Echidna and Typhon, and the brother of Cerberus, who was also a multi-headed guard dog. His name is given as either "Orthrus" ("Ὄρθρος") or "Orthus" ("Ὄρθος"). For example, Hesiod, the oldest source, calls the hound "Orthus", while Apollodorus calls him "Orthrus". According to Hesiod, Orthrus was the father of the Sphinx and the Nemean Lion, though