Cerberus

What can one person do when an army approaches, a household collapses, or someone beloved dies? Hero stories begin where ordinary power feels insufficient. They enlarge the possibilities of action. A shepherd can confront a warrior; a grieving fighter can discover that strength cannot restore the dead.

One extraordinary animal carries a traveler toward a sacred destination; another prevents passage across the boundary of death. In Islamic tradition, Al-Buraq is the white mount brought by Gabriel for Muhammad’s Night Journey from Mecca to Jerusalem.…