threeheaded

Threeheaded is an adjective used to describe a being, creature, or object that has three heads. It is most commonly applied to fictional creatures in myth, folklore, or fantasy, but the term can also describe things with three distinct components or leaders in a figurative sense. The form threeheaded (without a hyphen) is used in some texts, though three-headed is more common in contemporary writing.

Etymology: from three + headed, with the standard hyphenated form depending on style guides. It appears in English from the medieval period and remains a productive compound in modern usage, particularly in fantasy genres.

Mythology and literature: The best-known threeheaded figure in Western myth is Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog of the underworld in Greek myth. In addition, some accounts describe monsters with three heads or with three heads sharing a body, and the term is used for other tri-headed figures in folklore. The Hydra, though typically multi-headed and capable of head regeneration, sometimes inspires related three-headed variants in later retellings.

In modern culture: Threeheaded creatures appear in fantasy novels, role-playing games, films, and video games as antagonists or bosses. The term is also used in descriptive prose or game design to convey a triune form or to emphasize multiplicity of origin or threat.

See also Cerberus; hydra; multi-headed creature; three-headed dragon.