In Netflix’s 1899, the ships with the Kerberos namesakes carried European immigrants as they set out for America.
Tourists encounter Prometheus on their trek, whereas he was purportedly lost four months before.
The newest Netflix maritime adventure series, 1899, combines science fiction with a perplexing mystery thriller.
The production team behind the German sci-fi movie Dark, Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar, launched the Netflix original series 1899 on November 17, 2022.
A group of European immigrants is followed as they travel from London to New York City on the steamer Kerberos in the German television series, whose title alludes to the year it is set.
Their journey is cut short when they stumble and find the ship Prometheus, which was lost at sea four months before they set out on their expedition.
The 1899 Ships Kerberos and Prometheus were given such names for a reason, despite having unusual names for ships. They seem to have ties to Greek mythology as well.
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Why Were The ‘1899’ Ships Named Kerberos and Prometheus Named?
Kerberos and Prometheus, the names of two ships built in 1899, have intriguing meanings.
The European immigrants embarked on their voyage to America on the ship Kerberos. Tourists encounter Prometheus on their trek, whereas he was purportedly lost four months before.
1899 Ship Kerberos Meaning Explained
Kerberos could have been made from the combination of the names of two actual ships, Cerberus and Kerberos. Both ships were built in the 1800s, which is when the timeline presentation takes place.
The Victorian Ship of His Majesty (HMVS) The 1860s saw the construction of the warship Cerebus completed in the 1870s. The ships served in Victoria Naval Forces, Commonwealth Naval Forces, and the Royal Australian Navy between 1871 and 1924.
It was relatively inactive for a warship and spent its entire life at Port Philip. Its name was changed to HMAS Cerebus when the independent British colony united to form the Commonwealth of Australia.
The ship was not in use even in the 19th century. Before being awarded the HMAS Platypus II, it operated as a guard ship and weapons storage facility during World War I.
Last but not least, the ship was purposefully sunk by Sandringham Council in 1926 so that it might act as a breakwater for a yacht club.
Unlike the 2003-built and still-in-service bulk carrier Kerberos, these merchant ships typically transport bulk cargo. Kerberos have been the primary means of transport for goods worldwide since the 1850s.
1899 Ship Prometheus Meaning Explained
The ship’s name, Prometheus, has no real reason, although the 1899 season finale provided few suggestions.
The entire eight-episode run of the show ties up all the loose ends and reveals that everything was a simulation and that the ships Prometheus and Kerberos were never accurate.
Like in the Kerberos, Maura (Emily Beecham) and her husband Daniel (Aneurin Barnard) created the Prometheus simulation to keep their dying son Elliot alive.
Therefore, the passengers on the Prometheus are the same as those on the Kerberus, even though they don’t seem to remember anything.
The Greek god Prometheus is associated with the name Prometheus. It is subjected to the same punishment endlessly, much to how one simulation aboard a ship ends after eight days and a new one begins with everyone’s memories reset.
Are Kerberos and Prometheus linked to Greek Mythology
Cerebrus and a Greek Titan God impacted the names Kerberos and Prometheus.
Kerberos might be an allusion to Cerebrus, a three-headed hound dog associated with the Greek god of the underworld Hades.
Everybody who had been banished to the underworld would remain there eternally because the hound of Hades kept guard over it. It has the tail and mane of a serpent, as well as the claws of a lion.
It implies that someone in Kerberos might be monitoring every activity in Prometheus and Kerberos and ensuring the simulation loop is in place to stop anyone from escaping it.
According to Greek mythology, Prometheus is a titan and the god of fire. In addition, he is famed for being a devious con man who tricked the gods.
Similarly, Martha set up a simulation and convinced every Kerberos traveler that Prometheus was a real ship.
He transferred the fire from the gods to humans, allowing civilization to rise. The gods condemned Prometheus for lying, nevertheless.
While he was imprisoned to a rock, an eagle—a metaphor for Zeus—ate his liver; nonetheless, it grew back, and the cycle of his suffering continued. This endless cycle may be the simulation loop of the Netflix series 1899.
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