Anubis - Ancient Greek: Anpu is the Greek name of a god associated with mummification and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian religion, usually depicted as a canine or a man with a canine head. Archeologists identified the sacred animal of Anubis as an Egyptian canid, that at the time was called the golden jackal, but recent genetic testing has caused the Egyptian animals to be reclassified as the African golden wolf.



Anubis was said to have mythical servants called Anubite, who took his form to protect the dwellings of pharaohs. They were fabled to be creatures composed of half-man and half-jackal, impervious to fire and normal weapons. The legendary leader of the Anubites was called Theris Nordo Ichka - he was the first person on record to have a middle name. He was said to be so strong he could break a solid brick of limestone with his own hand, with no tools.



Anubis was the god to protect the dead and bring them to the afterlife. He was usually portrayed as a half human, half jackal, or in full jackal form wearing a ribbon and holding a flail in the crook of its arm. Anubis is the preeminent God of cemeteries and embalming, and hence the preeminent agent of resurrection.



Anubis is depicted in the form of a black canine of uncertain species with a collar and sash around his neck, or as a man with the head of such a canine - painted or carved on coffins and tomb walls, drawn on papyrus Books of the Afterlife, or created as a three dimensional figure in metal, faience, wood, clay, or stone.



Anubis was one of the deities that could also work against humans. He was independent, sometimes helpful, but sometimes punished humans as well. One of his main roles was "The Guardian of the Scales". This was related to the belief that after death a person meets the gods who put his or her heart on a special scale. The scenes of the weighing of the heart ceremony from the Book of the Dead present Anubis - who measured if the person was worthy enough to live an eternal life.



Thus, Anubis could decide the soul's fate. Anubis often has a ribbon/sash tied around his neck. This looped red sash is a version of the sa sign, a word often translated as amulet, and it symbolised the protection of female deities. Not only Anubis wears this sash, it is also worn at the king's waist and by gods and goddesses, again symbolising protective power.



The critical weighing of the heart scene in Book of the Dead also show Anubis performing the measurement that determined the worthiness of the deceased to enter the realm of the dead - the underworld. New Kingdom tomb-seals also depict Anubis atop nine bows that symbolize his domination over the foes of Egypt. Anubis is depicted in funerary contexts where he is shown attending to the mummies of the deceased or sitting atop a tomb protecting it.



In fact, during embalming, the "head embalmer" wore an Anubis costume. The jackal was strongly associated with cemeteries in ancient Egypt, since it was a scavenger which threatened to uncover human bodies and eat their flesh. The distinctive black color of Anubis "did not have to do with the jackal, per se, but with the color of rotting flesh and with the black soil of the Nile valley, symbolizing rebirth."



Like many ancient Egyptian deities, Anubis assumed different roles in various contexts. Depicted as a protector of graves as early as the First Dynasty (c. 3100 - c. 2890 BC), Anubis was also an embalmer. By the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055 - 1650 BC) he was replaced by Osiris in his role as lord of the underworld. One of his prominent roles was as a god who ushered souls into the afterlife. He attended the weighing scale during the "Weighing of the Heart," in which it was determined whether a soul would be allowed to enter the realm of the dead.



Despite being one of the most ancient and one of the most frequently depicted and mentioned gods in the Egyptian pantheon, Anubis played almost no role in Egyptian myths. Anubis' image is seen on royal tombs from the First Dynasty of Egypt (c. 3150-2890 BCE) but it is certain he had already developed a cult following prior to this period in order to be invoked on the tomb's walls for protection.



He was initially related to the Ogdoad of Hermopolis, as the god of the underworld. In the Pyramid Texts of Unas, Anubis is associated with the Eye of Horus who acted as a guide to the dead and helped them find Osiris. There is a reference to "the Jackal, the Governor of the Bows", more exactly, nine bows - nine figures depicted as literal bows, probably representing captives - the enemies of Egypt.



There was motif used in the seal, which was placed upon the entrances to the royal tombs of the Valley of the Kings in the New Kingdom and which showed Anubis crouching above the nine bows, symbolizing his control of evildoers who might endanger the burial. In other myths Anubis and Wepwawet (Upuaut) led the deceased to the halls of Ma'at where they would be judged. Anubis watched over the whole process and ensured that the weighing of the heart was conducted correctly. He then led the innocent on to a heavenly existence and abandoned the guilty to Ammit.



The ancient Egyptians believed that the preservation of the body and the use of sweet-smelling herbs and plants would help the deceased because Anubis would sniff the mummy and only let the pure move on to paradise. According to early myths, Anubis took on and defeated the nine bows - the collective name for the traditional enemies of Egypt, gaining a further epithet "Jackal ruler of the bows".



Anubis was depicted in black, a color that symbolized both rebirth and the discoloration of the corpse after embalming. Anubis is associated with Wepwawet, also called Upuaut, another Egyptian god portrayed with a dog's head or in canine form, but with grey or white fur. Historians assume that the two figures were eventually combined.



Anubis' female counterpart is Anput.

His daughter is the serpent goddess Kebechet.

"Anubis" is a Greek rendering of this god's Egyptian name. In the Old Kingdom (c. 2686 BC - c. 2181 BC), the standard way of writing his name in hieroglyphs was composed of the sound l'npw followed by a "jackal" over a ḥtp sign: A new form with the "jackal" on a tall stand appeared in the late Old Kingdom and became common thereafter: According to the Akkadian transcription in the Amarna letters, Anubis' name was vocalized in Egyptian as Anapa.


The Ancient History
In Egypt's Early Dynastic period (c. 3100 - c. 2686 BC), Anubis was portrayed in full animal form, with a "jackal" head and body. A "jackal" god, probably Anubis, is depicted in stone inscriptions from the reigns of Hor-Aha, Djer, and other pharaohs of the First Dynasty. Since Predynastic Egypt, when the dead were buried in shallow graves, "jackals" had been strongly associated with cemeteries because they were scavengers which uncovered human bodies and ate their flesh.



In the spirit of "fighting like with like," a "jackal" was chosen to protect the dead, because "a common problem and cause of concern, must have been the digging up of bodies, shortly after burial, by jackals and other wild dogs which lived on the margins of the cultivation." The oldest known textual mention of Anubis is in the Pyramid Texts of the Old Kingdom (c. 2686 - c. 2181 BC), where he is associated with the burial of the pharaoh.



In the Old Kingdom, Anubis was the most important god of the dead. He was replaced in that role by Osiris during the Middle Kingdom (2000-1700 BC). In the Roman era, which started in 30 BC, tomb paintings depict him holding the hand of deceased persons to guide them to Osiris. The parentage of Anubis varied between myths, times and sources.



In early mythology, he was portrayed as a son of Ra. In the Coffin Texts, which were written in the First Intermediate Period (c. 2181-2055 BC), Anubis is the son of either the cow goddess Hesat or the cat-headed Bastet.



Another tradition depicted him as the son of his father Ra and mother Nephthys. The Greek Plutarch (c. 40-120 AD) stated that Anubis was the illegitimate son of Nephthys and Osiris, but that he was adopted by Osiris's wife Isis.



For when Isis found out that Osiris loved her sister and had relations with her in mistaking her sister for herself, and when she saw a proof of it in the form of a garland of clover that he had left to Nephthys - she was looking for a baby, because Nephthys abandoned it at once after it had been born for fear of Seth and when Isis found the baby helped by the dogs which with great difficulties lead her there, she raised him and he became her guard and ally by the name of Anubis.



The growing power of the Ennead of Heliopolis resulted in the merging of the two religious systems. However, Osiris was the King of the Underworld in the Ennead and he was more popular and powerful than Anubis. So Anubis was relegated to a god of mummification. To save face it was stated that Anubis had voluntarily given up his position when Osiris died as a mark of respect.



Some myths even stated that Anubis was the son of Osiris and Nephthys, who was herself associated with the funeral rites. Anubis was still closely involved in the weighing of the heart, but was more a guardian than a ruler. He became the patron of lost souls, including orphans, and the patron of the funeral rites. In this respect he overlapped with and eventually absorbed, the Jackal God Wepwawet of Upper Egypt.



An Egyptian papyrus from the Roman period (30-380 AD) simply called Anubis the "son of Isis." In the Ptolemaic period (350-30 BC), when Egypt became a Hellenistic kingdom ruled by Greek pharaohs, Anubis was merged with the Greek god Hermes, becoming Hermanubis. The two gods were considered similar because they both guided souls to the afterlife.



The center of this cult was in uten-ha/Sa-ka/ Cynopolis, a place whose Greek name means "city of dogs." In Book XI of The Golden Ass by Apuleius, there is evidence that the worship of this god was continued in Rome through at least the 2nd century. Indeed, Hermanubis also appears in the alchemical and hermetical literature of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.



Although the Greeks and Romans typically scorned Egypt's animal-headed gods as bizarre and primitive. Anubis was mockingly called "Barker" by the Greeks, Anubis was sometimes associated with Sirius in the heavens and Cerberus and Hades in the underworld. In his dialogues, Plato often has Socrates utter oaths "by the dog" (kai me ton kuna), "by the dog of Egypt", and "by the dog, the god of the Egyptians", both for emphasis and to appeal to Anubis as an arbiter of truth in the underworld.


The Ptolemaic Period
During the Ptolemaic Period Anubis became associated with the Greek god Hermes as the composite god Hermanubis. Hermes was messenger of the gods, while Anubis was principally guide of the dead. Hermanubis was some times given attributes of Harpokrates. He was worshipped in Rome until the second century and was popular with Rennaisance alchemists and philosophers. Priests wore Anubis masks during mummification. However, it is not clear whether the Anubis mask was a later development influenced by the Osirian myth or whether this practice was commonplace in the earlier periods too. Anubis was also closely associated with the imiut fetish used during the embalming ritual. Anubis was credited with a high level of anatomical knowledge as a result of embalming, and so he was the patron of anaesthesiology and his priests were apparently skilled herbal healers.



Tombs in the Valley of the Kings were often sealed with an image of Anubis subduing the "nine bows" - enemies of Egypt, as "Jackal Ruler of the Bows" and it was thought that the god would protect the burial physically and spiritually. One of his epithets, "tpy-djuf" ("he who is on his mountain") refers to him guarding the necropolis and keeping watch from the hill above the Theban necropolis. He was also given the epithet "khentyamentiu" - "foremost of the westerners" i.e. the dead, because he guarded the entrance to the Underworld. The deceased were "westerners", because most of the cemeteries of ancient Egypt were located on the western bank of Nile.



He was originally thought to be the son of Ra and Hesat, Ra's wife, who was identified with Hathor, but later myths held that he was the child of Osiris and Nephthys, or Set and Nephthys. He was sometimes described as the son of Bast because of her link to the perfumed oils used in embalming. His wife, Anput - his female aspect, was only really referred to in association with the seventeenth nome of Upper Egypt.



It is thought that they were the parents of Kebechet, the goddess of the purification. Dogs and jackals often patrolled the edges of the desert, near the cemeteries where the dead were buried, and it is thought that the first tombs were constructed to protect the dead from them. Anubis was usually thought of as a jackal (sAb), but may equally have been a wild dog (iwiw) He was usually depicted as a man with the head of a jackal and alert ears, often wearing a red ribbon, and wielding a flail. He was sometimes depicted as a jackal, such as in the beautiful examples from the tomb of Tutankhamun, but only rarely appears as a man - one example is in the cenotaph temple of Rameses II at Abydos.



His fur was generally black, not the brown associated with real jackals, because black was associated with fertility, and was closely linked to rebirth in the afterlife. In the catacombs of Alexandria he was depicted wearing Roman dress and the sun disk flanked by two cobras. Anubis was worshipped throughout Egypt, but the center of his cult was in Hardai (Cynopolis) in the the seventeenth nome of Upper Egypt.



To the east of Saqqara there was a place known as Anubeion, where a shrine and a cemetery of mummified dogs and jackals was discovered. He was also worshipped at cult centers in Abt (the the eighth nome of Upper Egypt) and Saut - Asyut, in the thirteenth nome of Upper Egypt.

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The role of Anubis was connected with the mummification of the death and the journey through the afterlife. You can't get to your afterlife without Anubis, so he is really, really important! Anubis guided the souls of the dead through the underworld kingdom of his powerful father, Osiris, and played an important role in the mythical rituals of the Underworld, in particular the weighing of the heart to determine the eternal fate of a soul of the dead.



The wakening of the dead was also thought to be a function of Anubis. He would appear by the mummy, and awaken the soul. The mummy was removed from the sarcophagus when it arrived at the door of the tomb and was placed upright against the wall by a priest wearing the mask of Anubis.



The heart of the scribe Ani is weighed in the balance of judgement by Anubis. If the heart did not balance against the feather of Maat (truth and justice) it would be swallowed by the monstrous Devourer and its owner's existence would end. Book of the Dead of Ani, c. 1275 BC. Many Egyptian gods were perceived as "human hybrids" depicted with human bodies with the heads of animals.



In very ancient history Anubis was known to be the absolute ruler of the underworld, called Duat. Later theories indicate that this role was taken over by Osiris. In the Coffin Texts, a collection of ancient Egyptian funerary spells written on coffins in the First Intermediate Period (ca. 2181-2055 BC), Anubis is the son of the cow goddess Hesat, but also the son of Bastet.



Anubis also supports the upright mummy near the tomb entrance in Opening of the Mouth ceremonies, where rituals ensure the justified dead will be able to breathe, speak and see again. The ancient Egyptians did not worship animals - the depiction of a god as an animal was a device to visually convey the identity, qualities and attributes of the god. Egyptian Gods, like Anubis, were always depicted as young & healthy.



For centuries, people believed that tomb robbers would be punished by Anubis as he was the guardian of the dead. Moreover, it was believed that good people would be protected by him and their eternal life would be peaceful and happy due to his care. Any gods with black symbols, like the black headed jackal symbol of Anubis, were closely connected with death and the Afterlife.



He takes various names in connection with his funerary role, such as He who is upon his mountain, which underscores his importance as a protector of the deceased and their tombs, and the title He who is in the place of embalming, associating him with the process of mummification. Like many ancient Egyptian deities, Anubis assumes different roles in various contexts, and no public procession in Egypt would be conducted without an Anubis to march at the head.



Since jackals were often seen in cemeteries, the ancient Egyptians believed that Anubis watched over the dead. The Roman author Apuleius describes the appearance of Anubis during the Procession of Isis: "Immediately after these came the Deities consenting to walk upon human feet, the foremost among them rearing terrifically on high his dog's head and neck - this messenger between heaven and hell displaying alternately a face black as night, and as golden as the day.


Protector of Tombs
In contrast to real wolves, Anubis was a protector of graves and cemeteries. Several epithets attached to his name in Egyptian texts and inscriptions referred to that role. Khenty-imentiu, which means "foremost of the westerners" and later became the name of a different wolf god, alluded to his protecting function because the dead were usually buried on the west bank of the Nile. He took other names in connection with his funerary role, such as "He who is upon his mountain" (tepy-dju-ef) - keeping guard over tombs from above and "Lord of the sacred land" (neb-ta-djeser), which designates him as a god of the desert necropolis.



Anubis also protected dogs, and when pet dogs died, they were mummified and buried in temples dedicated to Anubis - although Anubis was a jackal-god, the ancient Egyptians did not generally differentiate between dogs and jackals, sometimes even using the same word for both canines. His figure was carved on tomb entrances to warn off grave robbers at a time when no other deity could be shown in nonroyal tombs.



The Jumilhac papyrus recounts another tale where Anubis protected the body of Osiris from Set. Set attempted to attack the body of Osiris by transforming himself into a leopard. Anubis stopped and subdued Set, however, and he branded Set's skin with a hot iron rod.



Anubis then flayed Set and wore his skin as a warning against evil-doers who would desecrate the tombs of the dead. Priests who attended to the dead wore leopard skin in order to commemorate Anubis' victory over Set. The legend of Anubis branding the hide of Set in leopard form was used to explain how the leopard got its spots. Most ancient tombs had prayers to Anubis carved on them.


Embalmer
As "He who is in the place of embalming" (imy-ut), Anubis was associated with mummification. He was also called "He who presides over the god's pavilion" (khanty-she-netjer), in which "pavilion" could be refer either to the place where embalming was carried out, or the pharaoh's burial chamber. In the Osiris myth, Anubis helped Isis to embalm Osiris.



Indeed, when the Osiris myth emerged, it was said that after Osiris had been killed by Set, Osiris's organs were given to Anubis as a gift. With this connection, Anubis became the patron god of embalmers, during the rites of mummification, illustrations from the Book of the Dead often show a wolf-mask-wearing priest supporting the upright mummy.


Guide of souls
By the late pharaonic era (664-332 BC), Anubis was often depicted as guiding individuals across the threshold from the world of the living to the afterlife. Though a similar role was sometimes performed by the cow-headed Hathor, Anubis was more commonly chosen to fulfill that function.



Greek writers from the Roman period of Egyptian history designated that role as that of "psychopomp", a Greek term meaning "guide of souls" that they used to refer to their own god Hermes, who also played that role in Greek religion. Funerary art from that period represents Anubis guiding either men or women dressed in Greek clothes into the presence of Osiris, who by then had long replaced Anubis as ruler of the underworld.


Weighing of the heart
One of the roles of Anubis was as the "Guardian of the Scales." The critical scene depicting the weighing of the heart, in the Book of the Dead, shows Anubis performing a measurement that determined whether the person was worthy of entering the realm of the dead - the underworld, known as Duat. By weighing the heart of a deceased person against Ma'at or "truth", who was often represented as an ostrich feather, Anubis dictated the fate of souls. Souls heavier than a feather would be devoured by Ammit, and souls lighter than a feather would ascend to a heavenly existence.



Anubis plays an important role in the judgment scene or weighing of the heart of spell 125 in the Book of the Dead, the heart representing for Egyptians the seat of thought and of the conscience. In depictions of this scene Anubis frequently escorts the deceased, introducing him/her to the assembled Gods and acting as an intermediary, questioning the deceased on their behalf. In the actual weighing of the heart Anubis is said to announce the finding and Thoth to record it (Lichtheim vol. 3 p. 140).



In one version of the spell Anubis says, "A man come from Egypt [the deceased] declares he knows our road and our city, and I agree. I smell his odor as that of one of you i.e. the Gods," playing on the canine power of scent. Anubis is frequently thought of as having searched out the parts of the dismembered Osiris, probably through this power, which perhaps also enables Anubis in the Jumilhac Papyrus, to penetrate all of the deceptive forms assumed by Seth in his attempt to steal aspects of Osiris' essence.



Another canine quality attributed to Anubis is wakefulness or vigilance, a function which is sometimes delegated by Anubis to members of his retinue, such as the seven akhu, or "blessed ones", who are stationed by Anubis to stand vigil around the coffin of Osiris in spell 17 of the Book of the Dead. In other texts these spirits under the command of Anubis are increased in number so that they can take turns hourly watching over Osiris.


Opening of the Mouth
The most crucial role played by Anubis, aside from the embalming, is in the ceremony of the Opening of the Mouth, in which an officiant representing Anubis touches the mouth of a statue of the deceased with an iron adze to render it a suitable habitation for the ka, or spirit, of the deceased. This is represented as restoring to the deceased the power to breathe, eat and speak. The ka statue thus empowered provides a focal point for interaction with the living and in general acts as an idealized stand-in for the deceased.



The ceremony, which is similar to those which rendered the cult statues of the Gods suitable for use by them, is the key moment of the resurrection as such, for it makes a new life possible in the other world, and it may underlie the identification of the deceased's lips with Anubis in spell 42 of the Book of the Dead, as well as the other corporeal identifications previously mentioned.



The ritual of the Opening of the Mouth is present already in the Pyramid Texts (utterances 20-22) and remains constant, albeit growing more elaborate, for the rest of Egyptian history. The instrument used in the Opening of the Mouth ceremony is referred to in spell 816 of the Coffin Texts as having been broken loose from the sky by Anubis, possibly a reference to the meteoritic origin of much Egyptian iron. Anubis is initially thought of as a sky dweller.



In utterance 577 it is said that "Anubis who claims hearts, claims Osiris the king from the Gods who are on earth for the Gods who are in the sky." In utterance 699, the king's ascension takes place by Anubis taking his arm, and in spell 908 of the Coffin Texts Anubis is said to dwell "in the middle sky", descending from there to assist Osiris.


Patroning Orphans
Anubis was also the patron of lost souls, including orphans. During the Greek period, he was associated with the god Hermes. The Greeks created a composite deity called Hermanubis as well. They decided to combine Hermes as a messenger of the gods with Anubis who guided the dead to meet them. Over time, Hermanubis became related to Herpokrates in the eyes of the Romans - a popular god for alchemists and philosophers during the Renaissance.


Lord of the Bau
Anubis was the guardian of all kinds of magical secrets. In the Papyrus Jumilhac, he appears as the leader of the armed followers of Horus. His ferocity is a match for the violence of Seth. In magical texts of a similar date, Anubis is named as "Lord of the Bau". Whole battalions of messenger demons are under his command. In the magical papyri dating to Roman times, Anubis acts as the main enforcer of curses.



The gracious deities of the cult temples are scarcely recognizable in the pitiless gods and goddesses encountered in everyday magic. A story in Papyrus Jumilhac (c. 300 BC) explains the custom by relating how Seth once turned himself into a panther after attacking the body of Osiris. Anubis captured and branded the panther, creating the leopard's spots. The jackal god decreed that leopard skins should be worn by priests in memory of his victory over Seth


Magical Literature
In the magical literature of the late period Anubis is frequently invoked in spells for divination by lamp or vessel gazing (a good example being PDM xiv. 528-53). Here Anubis is the bringer of light, with the wick of the lamp being identified with the bandages Anubis uses to wrap Osiris (PDM xiv. 160-2; 540). The sequence of divinatory visions begins in these spells with the vision of Anubis, who pierces the initial darkness and then acts as an intermediary between the person seeking the divination and other deities from whom the desired information is to be procured. Such spells probably developed from the intermediary role Anubis plays in the judgment scene from the Book of the Dead.


Name & Role
in Religion
The name "Anubis" is the Greek form of the Egyptian Anpu (or Inpu) which meant "to decay" signifying his early association with death. He had many epithets besides "First of the Westerners" and was also known as "Lord of the Sacred Land", referencing the area of the desert where necropoleis were located), "He Who is Upon his Sacred Mountain", referencing the cliffs around a given necropolis where wild dogs and jackals would congregate, "Ruler of the Nine Bows" - a reference to the phrase used for traditional enemies of Egypt who were represented as nine captives bowing before the king, "The Dog who Swallows Millions", simply referring to his role as a god of deat, "Master of Secrets", since he knew what waited beyond death, "He Who is in the Place of Embalming" - indicating his role in the mummification process and "Foremost of the Divine Booth" referencing his presence in the embalming booth and burial chamber.



As his various epithets make clear, Anubis was central to every aspect of an individual's death experience in the role of protector and even stood with the soul after death as a just judge and guide. Scholar Geraldine Pinch comments on this, writing, "Anubis helped to judge the dead and he and his army of messengers were charged with punishing those who violated tombs or offended the gods". He was especially concerned with controlling the impulses of those who sought to sow disorder or aligned themselves with chaos.



Besides his early role as Lord of the Dead, Anubis was regularly seen as Osiris' "right-hand man" who guarded the god's body after death, oversaw the mummification, and assisted Osiris in the judgment of the souls of the dead.

THE BOOK OF DEAD
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Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead, featured in many of the stories, myths and legends in Egyptian Mythology. A major source of information about the ancient Egyptian view of the Underworld was found in an extensive ancient papyrus, called the Book of the Dead. This "book" was commissioned by an scribe called Ani and depicts the dangers and a vision of the Underworld.



The purpose of creating the Book of the Dead was to prepare Ani and his wife for the ordeals they would encounter with the correct responses to questions they would be asked by the gods. In the Book of the Dead Anubis is standing by the scales in which the heart is weighed in the Hall of the Two Truths, and he is sometimes known as the "claimer of hearts." Anubis was perceived to superintend the embalming of kings and courtiers in the mortuary and the subsequent binding with linen bandages.



The color of his coat was thought to be black because of the color of the corpse after the embalming process, which darkened it, and the use of black tar to seal the bindings. His symbol in the context of the mortuary god is an animal skin headdress, dripping blood and tied to a pole. At the subsequent funeral ceremony of the Opening of the Mouth, the priest wore a jackal headdress. The main cemetery sites were on the west side of the Nile where the sun sets, hence on epithet for Anubis was "chief of the westernersy," another "he who is upon the mountain" conjures an image of Anubis guarding the cemeteries from high encampments.



It was an ancient survival guidebook which contained magical spells and instructions to ensure safe passage through the dangers of the Underworld. The journey through the Underworld, guided by Anubis, culminates in the ceremony of justification in the Hall of the Two Truths witnessed by Osiris and 42 judge deities.



The heart was weighed on a set of scales against the feather of truth and their fate would be decided - either entrance into the perfect afterlife or to be sent to the Devourer of the Dead. Additional facts and information are detailed in the Concept of the soul, the Ka and Ba.

THE SYMBOLS
OF ANUBIS
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The most famous of Anubis' shrines found to date was discovered in the tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62). Now it is located in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (JE61444). It was found behind the un-walled entrance which led to the "Store Room". The shrine was located near the canopic chest, which still contained its jars.


The Imiut Fetish
The Imiut fetish, or Anubis fetish, was present in ancient Egyptian funerary rites. A fetish was object that was believed to embody the magical powers of a particular spirit, in this instance Anubis, and used to create a bond between the mortal world and supernatural realm of the Underworld. A fetish represented the spirit to it's owner and acted as a means of protection on a journey, like an amulet or talisman.



The Imiut fetish, took the form of a stuffed, headless animal skin which was tied by the tail to a pole that terminated in a lotus bud. Beautiful, stylised versions of the Imiut fetish were also created for pharaohs or wealthy Egyptians in gold. The fetish was positioned on a stand which was placed in the tomb of the deceased. Fantastic golden Imiut fetishes were discovered in the tombs of Tutankhamen and Hatshepsut.


Flail, Crook & Sceptre
The other symbols of Anubis were the flail, a crook and a was sceptre. A flail was an agricultural tool used for winnowing grain. The flail symbolized the Pharaoh's role as provider of food for his people and the crook symbolized the Pharaoh's role as the "shepherd" of his people. The long staff, called a was sceptre, was a symbol of divine power and an emblem of authority. These symbols linked the divine power of the Pharaohs with the power of the ancient Egyptian gods. The was sceptre was also believed to be another type of magical fetish.


Black Head
of the Jackal
Anubis was depicted with the black head of the jackal even though real jackals are typically brown. The black jackal head of this jackal-god was characterized by its long, alert ears and a pointed muzzle. The color black was highly significant as it was a symbol of death, the color of rotting flesh, and symbolized the Underworld and the night.



Black was also associated with the black soil of the Nile valley and as such also symbolized rebirth. There are many theories as to why the jackal was associated with Anubis. Some say it is because jackals were known to frequent the edges of the desert, near the cemeteries where the dead were buried. The first tombs were built to keep wild animals, like jackals, from desecrating the dead.

A SHRINE FOR ANUBIS
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Anubis was worshiped all over Egypt, and his cult center was in Cynopolis, located in the 17th nome province of Upper Egypt. Translated, Cynopolis is Greek for "city of the dog," which fits well because of the close relation between jackals and dogs, and the fact that some scholars believe Anubis was indeed an ancient wolf. Anubis seated upon a gilded model shrine found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.



Statue of the dog and the jackal as well - it may represent a hybrid of the two animals. A magnificent statue of Anubis, jackal-form, was found in Tutankhamen's tomb, wrapped in a linen shawl and with ribbons tied around the neck. The statue is carved of wood, varnished with black resin with gilded details, including the inside of the ears. The piercing eyes are made of calcite and obsidian, set into gold surrounds and pricked out in gold. The claws are of solid silver. Image credit: Cairo Museum.



A shrine for Anubis was discovered in King Tut's tomb in 1922. Made of wood, plaster, lacquer and gold leaf, the statue depicts Anubis in animal form in a recumbent position exactly how he is in his hieroglyph.



As the sledge it rested on would indicate, the shrine was probably used in the funeral procession of the great Pharaoh, and was oriented to the west to help guide the Pharaoh into the afterlife, which the ancient Egyptians believed was in the direction of the setting sun.

SPHIX vs ANUBIS:
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ANUBIS DOG:
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No public procession would be conducted without an Anubis to march at the head, the "go-between" of gods and men. Although the Greeks and Romans typically scorned Egypt's animal-headed gods as bizarre and primitive - they mockingly called Anubis the "Barker", Anubis was sometimes associated with the dog-star Sirius in heaven, and Cerberus in hell.



Evidence has been found that the worship of Anubis was maintained in Rome at least up to the 2nd century C.E. The Romans claimed that Anubis acted as an enforcer of curses, a role he plays to this day in horror films. In Memphis, the embalmer's quarters of the Late Period and the Ptolemaic era were specifically under the guardianship of Anubis, so much so that modern Egyptologists, who have been excavating the areas since the 1960's, have named it the Anubieion.



He is depicted as a black canine, a jackal-dog hybrid with pointed ears, or as a muscular man with the head of a jackal. The color black was chosen for its symbolism, not because Egyptian dogs or jackals were black. Black symbolized the decay of the body as well as the fertile soil of the Nile River Valley which represented regeneration and life. The powerful black canine, then, was the protector of the dead who made sure they received their due rights in burial and stood by them in the afterlife to assist their resurrection.



He was known as "First of the Westerners" prior to the rise of Osiris in the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BCE) which meant he was king of the dead, as "westerners" was the Egyptian term for departed souls in the afterlife which lay westward, in the direction of sunset. In this role, he was associated with eternal justice and maintained this association later, even after he was replaced by Osiris who was then given the honorary title "First of the Westerners".



In earlier times, Anubis was considered the son of Ra and Hesat, associated with Hathor, but after his assimilation into the Osiris myth he was held to be the son of Osiris and his sister-in-law Nephthys. He is the earliest god depicted on tomb walls and invoked for protection of the dead and is usually shown tending to the corpse of the king, presiding over mummification and funerals, or standing with Osiris, Thoth, or other gods at the Weighing of the Heart of the Soul in the Hall of Truth in the afterlife.



A popular image of Anubis is the standing or kneeling man with the jackal's head holding the golden scales on which the heart of the soul was weighed against the white feather of truth. His daughter is Qebhet, also known as Kabechet, who brings cool water to the souls of the dead in the Hall of Truth and comforts the newly deceased. Anubis' association with Nephthys, known as "Friend to the Dead" and Qebhet emphasizes his long-standing role as protector of the dead and a guide for the souls in the afterlife.


Romanized
Anubis
Early Christians were repulsed by Anubis and outlawed mummification. The writer Tertillian claimed that the Egyptians practiced a "despicable religion" in which the worshiper is led like a slave by the greedy throat and filthy habits of a dog. It seems odd that Anubis should be scorned this way. It is true that his two emblematic creatures, the jackal and the dog, were in the ancient world notorious scavengers.



But one of the main functions of Anubis was to release the human body at death from the uncleanness that possessed it. He washed the body, embalmed it, and perfumed it with myrrh. He wrapped it with clean linen and received it at the door of the tomb - to the Egyptians Anubis was "Lord of the Cleansing Room." As the ancient Greeks and Christians did not embalm the bodies of their dead and to them death itself was considered to be a mysterious and terrifying thing, they unfairly associated the holy Anubis with disease and decay.

WORSHIPPING THE GOD
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Anubis became associated with Charon in the Graeco-Roman period and St. Christopher in the early Christian period. Probably, that Anubis is represented as a super-canid, combining the most salient attributes of serveral types of canids, rather than being just a jackal or a dog. The priests of Anubis were male and often wore masks of the god made of wood in performing rituals.



The god's cult center was in Upper Egypt at Cynopolis - "the city of the dog", but there were shrines to him throughout the land and he was universally venerated in every part of the country. The chapel of Anubis in the temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri may have given continuity to an earlier shrine of the god in that area and provides an excellent example of the continuing importance of the god long after his assimilation into the cult of Osiris.



This "super-canid" offered people the assurance that their body would be respected at death, that their soul would be protected in the afterlife, and that they would receive fair judgment for their life's work. These are the same assurances sought by people in the present day, and it is easy to understand why Anubis was such a popular and enduring god. His image is still among the most recognizable of all the Egyptian gods, and replicas of his statuary and tomb paintings remain popular, especially among dog owners, in the modern day.



Because he was said to have prepared the mummy of Osiris, Anubis became the patron god of embalmers and in the Memphite necropolis an area associated with the embalmers seems to have become something of a focal point for the cult of Anubis in the Late Period and Ptolemaic times and has been termed "the Anubeion" by modern Egyptologists.



Masks of the god are known, and priests representing Anumbis at the preparation of the mummy and the burial rites may have worn these jackal-headed masks in order to impersonate the god - they were certainly utilized for processional use as this is depicted representationally and is mentioned in late texts. The many two- and three-dimensional representations of Anubis which have survived from funerary contexts indicate the god's great importance in this aspect of Egyptian religion and amulets of the god were also common.



Ancient depictions of Anubis have widely varied, there is evidence that the worship of this god was continued in Rome through at least the 2nd century. Although he does not play a major role in many myths, his popularity was immense, and as with many Egyptian deities, he survived on into other periods through association with the gods of other lands. The Greeks associated him with their god Hermes who guided the dead to the afterlife and, according to Egyptologist Salima Ikram.

CANINE CATACOMBS
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Ancient Egyptians built the temple and catacomb in honor of Anubis in Saqqara which once held 8 million mummified dogs, on a burial ground in the country's ancient capital of Memphis. It would have been a busy place - Pilgrims visiting Saqqara likely viewed the display of the mummies as expressions of gratitude that the gods would appreciate!



We have all heard about mummies, probably the most common use for this is when referring to ancient Egyptian tombs. But humans weren't the only blessed beings that were mummified. Tombs were originally built to protect the dead from roaming dogs and jackals. Strange how events can turn so quickly.



Many dogs were also buried in a royal fashion and sometimes also found buried with their owners. But during one specific excavation, scientists discovered a different kind of tomb. They called it Egypt's Ancient Dog Catacombs. Here scientists discovered the remains of not just a few mummified remains of man's best friend, but nearly eight million different animal mummies were buried there. These dog catacombs contained remains upwards to 2,500 years old.



The Dog Catacombs were discovered at the ancient royal burial grounds of Saqqara, buried beneath the desert. Now this discovery dates back over a century ago, but it wasn't until recent years that scientists began to learn some very interesting things about this find. The complex tunnel system that was discovered contained mounds and mounds of animal carcasses.



This tunnel system was dedicated to Anubis which kind of makes sense considering this God of the Afterlife was a jackal-headed man like figure. For those of you that aren't familiar with a jackal, it's quite similar to a dog in appearance. Of course the remains that were discovered were extremely deteriorated and hard to distinguish any characteristics at the time of discovery.



But according to research, it was said these dog mummies were piled and stacked sometime between the late sixth century B.C. and early first century B.C. Some of these piles or burial mounds were upwards of three feet in height and filled the side tunnels of this complex catacomb system.



The catacomb measures 568 feet down the center passageway, with a maximum width of 459 feet from the branch corridors. In addition to canine mummies, they found the mummies of jackals, foxes, falcons, cats and mongoose. But 92 percent of the remains belonged to dogs. Many of the mummies have since disintegrated or been disrupted by grave robbers and industrialists, who likely used the mummies for fertilizer.



Probably, the pilgrims visiting Saqqara probably regarded the display of the mummies as expressions of gratitude to the gods - particularly Anubis, who was depicted with the head of a jackal or wild dog. Many of the dogs were only hours or days old when they were mummified.



Some older dogs had more elaborate burials, and may have lived at the temple, but the younger pups were likely bred for the cult. It's likely that these young pups were separated from their mothers and died from dehydration or starvation. They probably weren't killed by physical action. We don't have evidence of broken necks that you get with cat burials.



The catacomb ceiling also contains the fossil of an ancient sea monster, a marine vertebrate that's more than 48 million years old, but it's unclear whether the Egyptians noticed the existence of the fossil when they built the tomb for the canine mummies. The catacomb ceiling also contains the fossil of an ancient sea monster, a marine vertebrate that's more than 48 million years old, but it's unclear whether the Egyptians noticed the existence of the fossil when they built the tomb for the canine mummies.



The catacombs were likely built in the fourth century B.C., and were made out of stone from the Lower Eocene - about 56 million to 48 million years ago. So, it was a nice surprise when researchers discovered a fossil in the catacomb's ceiling. The fossil belonged to a long-extinct marine vertebrate, likely a relative of modern-day manatees and dugongs.



In addition to canine mummies, they found the mummies of jackals, foxes, falcons, cats and mongoose, although about 92 percent of the remains belonged to dogs, they found. It's unclear why these other animals were buried in the dog catacomb, but it is likely that all "doglike" creatures were interchangeable, and that mythological reasons probably underlie the choice of cats and raptors, the researchers wrote in the study.



Animal cults remained popular from about 747 B.C. to 30 B.C., but they declined during the Roman occupation. The cults likely gained support because they were uniquely Egyptian, and may have been a symbol of national identity when the country was invaded by the people of other nations, such as the Libyans and Persians, the researchers wrote in the study. The temples and catacombs likely spurred trade and commerce. There's probably a vast amount of trade coming in, not only for producing the animal mummies, but people wanting food, lodging and drinks.


The purpose of Dog Mummies
It is believed that these huge piles of dog carcasses were a gift to the God Anubis, it was their attempt to gain the attention of Anubis and show him their loyalty. Something similar to the modern day lighting of candles, the belief is that ones prayers will be carried to God through the smoke. In a similar manner, the mummified dog's spirits were said to carry a person's prayers to the afterlife. They believed that since the dogs and Anubis were the same species, that his ear would be sensitive to the prayers carried by the dogs.


Specific Characters
This large maze, referred to as the Dog Catacombs, was home to dog mummies of all ages and sizes. There didn't seem to be any consistency as far as the characteristics of the animals were concerned. Among the remains were long legged, short legged, long haired, short haired, it didn't seem to matter.



They seemed to be content to bury what ever was readily available at the time. It is said the Egyptians probably had puppy farms where they raised dogs specifically for the purpose of mummification and offering to the catacombs in another attempt to reach the ear of Anubis.



It is calculated that the priests would of had to mummify quite a large number of animals each week for pilgrims to carry to the catacombs as an offering. There did seem to be some dogs mummified with greater care than others, possibly depending on the purpose of the person's prayer, or how important it was.

EGYPTIAN CANINE
INK TATTOO CONCEPTS
ANUBIS DOG TATTOOS
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For an exhilarating rush of enigmatic Egyptian flair, nothing tops the triumphant energy of an Anubis tattoo. This ancient god's immortal legacy will transfer directly to you with the right approach to ink! To swiftly capture the mystique of mummification, Anubis ink is automatically laced with ample ferocity.



This iconic canine proudly presided over the Egyptian notion of eternal existence, so a striking sense of longevity is his impassioned dominion. The appearance of this jackal was permanently tied to everlasting life beyond the tomb. Anubis illustrations are exceedingly excellent for men with a macabre sense of reality, particularly since the deity directly ruled over the processes of embalming.



Before Osiris rose to prominence, this divine entity was the sole master of death. As his mythical father, Osiris frequently accompanies Anubis in inked forms. His mother, Nephthys, is another common source of archaeological brio, and the trinity imbues an enormous legacy. According to the historical record, Anubis is one of the first supernatural creatures ever noted by mankind. His ability to transcend the times is further proof of an immensely prestigious phenomenon. To glimpse the mystical magic of an Anubis design, just partake in our powerful panoply of fiery masterpieces that are fit for a pharaoh.

ANUBIS IN ART
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Anubis was one of the most frequently represented gods in ancient Egyptian art.



In the early dynastic period, he was depicted in animal form, as a black wolf. Anubis's distinctive black color did not represent the coat of real wolves, but it had several symbolic meanings. First it represented "the discolouration of the corpse after its treatment with natron and the smearing of the wrappings with a resinous substance during mummification".



Being the color of the fertile silt of the River Nile, to Egyptians black also symbolized fertility and the possibility of rebirth in the afterlife. Later in the Middle Kingdom Anubis was often portrayed as a wolf-headed human. An extremely rare depiction of him in fully human form was found in the tomb of Ramesses II in Abydos. Anubis is often depicted wearing a ribbon and holding a nekhakha "flail" in the crook of his arm. Another of Anubis's attributes was the Imiut fetish.



In funerary contexts, Anubis is shown either attending to a deceased person's mummy or sitting atop a tomb protecting it. New Kingdom tomb-seals also depict Anubis sitting atop the nine bows that symbolize his domination over the enemies of Egypt. Aside from the Anubis statue discovered in King Tut's tomb, his representation can be found frequently in ancient Egyptian art.



In the Valley of the Kings, an image of Anubis in his role as "Jackal Ruler of the Bows" was often used to seal tombs. The nine bows represented all the enemies of Egypt, and it was believed that Anubis had defeated every one of them. Anubis masks and statuettes dating back to early to late Ptolemaic period (332-30 BC) exist in museums today.

ANUBIS DOG
IN MODERN CULTURE
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Anubis received many additional powers and attributes from modern popular culture. The mysterious god became a popular character in books, video games, and movies during the 20th and the first years of the 21st centuries. Modern artists often imagine Anubis' powers as something more sinister than Ancient Egyptians did.



His bad reputation was created by fear and for modern entertainment value. In the past, there was a belief that people didn't have a choice over their destinies, but there was hope that the jackal god would allow them to enter the afterlife and enjoy it forever.


ANUBIS IN MODERN CULTURE
Anubis is a recurring battle chip in the MegaMan Battle Network series. It creates a black Jackal statue that poisons the enemy until destroyed.

Anubis is the title of a song by Banzai, appearing in the In The Groove series of dancing video games.

Anubis appears as the scheming antagonist in Roger Zelazny's Creatures of Light and Darkness.

Anubis appears in the Dungeons & Dragons supplement Deities and Demigods. Though divorced from his city of worship, it is maintained that he is the son of Osiris and Nepthys. Anubis notably disdains the creation of undead, with the exception of mummy temple guardians.

Anubis appears in the TV show Stargate SG-1 as a highly powerful and hostile "Half-Ascended" Goa'uld. He is deemed the most evil of them all, committing such atrocities that even the Goa'uld could not tolerate.

Anubis is Monster in My Pocket #75.

In the MMORPG RuneScape the God Icthlarin is similar to Anubis

Anubis is mentioned several times within the Mummy films. In The Mummy Returns, the Scorpion King swore an oath to Anubis, who in turn spared his life. Thereafter, the Scorpion King and an army of Anubis-like soldiers decimated most of the populace of Thebes.

Anubis appears as "Mister Jacquel", who co-owns a funeral parlor in Cairo, Illinois with Thoth, as "Mister Ibis" in Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods.

Anubis is the subject of the song Jackal-Head, on Telemetry of a Fallen Angel, by The Cruxshadows

Anubis: Jackal God Of Death is the name of a 1997 album by Ganesha.

Anubis appears in the episode "Grief" of the animated TV series Gargoyles. Anubis is popularized by furry culture, and has appeared in many artworks, comics and stories.

Anubis is worshipped by certain groups of Neopagans

Anubis is the name of a Greek publishing house (www.anubis.gr)

"Anubis the Jackal" is the name of a heavy rock song by White Skull.

Anubis is a primary character in Lars von Trier's made-for-TV adaptation of Stephen King's series "Kingdom Hospital".

The Pokemon named Lucario is visually based on the image of Anubis.

The fictional ship S.S. Anubis appears in Jet Force Gemini.

Anubismon is a Digimon in the Digimon collectible card game based on Anubis.

Anubis is the main villain in Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie. In that movie he was depicted as an evil entity wanting to take over the world, and he had the Pyramid of Light, the most powerful of the Millennium Items. He is also depicted on various cards in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game additionaly, the eye design prevalent on the Millenium Items is reffered to as the "Eye of Anubis" by Upper Deck.

Anubis appears in several computer games such as War Gods, Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon and Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko.

Anubis is the Orbital Frame piloted by the main villain in Konamis Zone of the Enders series.

Anubis is the name of a space ship that appears in the Microsoft PC game Freelancer. The Anubis is a very heavy fighter type available late in the game from the Order. It is often remarked to be the cheapest very heavy fighter in the game at 1,100 credits.

Anubis is the main character of Unreal Championship 2, and is a high-ranking member of the Desert Legion. He enters the Liandri-hosted Ascension Rites to stop Selket's plan.

Anubis, together with Bastet, was the main villain of the "Nikopol trilogy" of graphic novels by cartoonist Enki Bilal.

A Petpet on the virtual pet website Neopets is called the Anubis, and resembles a small version of the god.

Commander Anubis "Doggie" Cruger

A monster in the Nintendo 64 game Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time is called Anubis. The creature is in an Egypt-esque level and resembles the Egyptian version of Anubis.

In Age Of Mythology, the player can worship the "lesser" God Anubis to unlock the Anubite, a creature able to jump into battle, and several technologys and a god power like all gods. Anubis's god power is the Plague of serpents, wich will summon a group of snakes that will defend a specific place. The snakes are from the player who worships Anubis, but they will stand in one place.

In the MMORPG World of Warcraft, Anubisath constructs, living statues resembling Anubis, wander around in the Ossirian room of the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj.

For children it was the best.

his simbol was a cross with a circle on the top.

ANUBIS STARGATE HELMET:
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ANUBIS DOG ART & GRAPHICS
ILLUSTRATIONS GALLERY
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