Anubis Anubis by Stephanie Cass Anubis, who the ancient Egyptians called Ienpw (phonetically "Yinepu"), is the mysterious canid funerary deity of ancient Egypt. Even the meaning of his name is unknown -- speculations range from "Royal Child" to having derived from the world for "to putrefy". Both certainly fit the deity, who was at various points in time of Egyptian history known as the lord of the dead before Osiris and, later, became popularly known as the son of Osiris. Just what type of animal Anubis is represented by is unknown as well; definitely canid and most likely a jackal or a wild dog -- or a hybrid of both -- but, as in the case of Seth , with alterations that deliberately smudge the lines of reality. The deep black color Anubis's animal is not reflective of its actual coat but is instead symbolic of his position as a funerary deity. The reason for Anubis's animal being canid is based on what the ancient Egyptians themselves observed of the creature -- dogs and jackals often haunted the edges of the desert, especially the cemeteries where the dead were buried. Anubis is an extremely ancient deity.

The oldest mastabas of the Old Kingdom have prayers to him carved into their walls, and he is mentioned in the Pyramid Texts in his most celebrated role as a guardian and protector of the dead. A standard offering formula for the dead in the Old Kingdom began thusly: "An offering which the king gives and Anubis, who is upon his mountain and in the place of embalming, the lord of the necropolis...." As mentioned previously, Anubis began in the position that Osiris would later command. In the earliest period of Egyptian religion Anubis was clearly the lord of the dead and Osiris the embalmed god while Anubis performed the act of embalming. Titles that were invested unto Osiris -- such as Khenty-Imentiu or "Foremost of Westerners" -- were originally Anubis's. As the drama of Osiris's death and vindication unfolded over the centuries, Anubis assumed the role of the guide who holds steady the scales on which their hearts are measured against the feather of ma'at as "He Who Counts the Hearts".

Should the heart be light as the feather, the soul would then be lead by Anubis (or, in some cases, Harseisis) to be presented to Osiris. Should the heart be heavy, it is fed to Ammit and the soul destroyed. As Imy-ut, or "He Who is In the Place of Embalming", Anubis is the embalmer who washes the entrails of the dead and guards over their physical bodies as well as the places that house them (the tomb and the necropolis). Priests wearing a mask of Anubis were responsible for the Opening of the Mouth ceremony that reawakened a dead person's senses. In a reflection of the royal seal used on the tombs of the Valley of the Kings depicting pharaoh's victory over the "nine bows" (enemies of Egypt), Anubis is shown recumbent over nine bows meant to be hostile forces of the Underworld who he -- as "Jackal Ruler of the Bows" -- has triumphed over. Anubis's parentage is a mystery -- in one tradition he is the son of Nebt-het ( Nephthys ) and Ra .

In yet another, from the Coffin Text period, the cow goddess Hesat is his mother and, from the same source, Bastet is even accounted as his mother (most likely a pun on the ointment jars that comprise her hieroglyphs -- the same jars that were used during the embalming process Anubis was lord of). The Pyramid Texts even supply Anubis with a daughter in the form of the goddess Qeb-hwt ("Cooling Water") -- a celestial serpent or ostrich Who purifies and quenches the monarch. Anubis is depicted most often as a man with the head of a black canid with alert, pointed ears. He is also represented by a full black canid wearing ribbons and holding a flagellum in the crook of its arm. Very rarely is he ever shown fully human, though there are some cases (such as in the temple of Ramesses II of Abydos) of this. Perhaps the most famous representation of Anubis, the gold-gilded wooden canid found in the tomb of Tutankhamen, was doubtlessly placed there as a protector of the dead and guardian of the tomb.

Anubis was worshipped throughout Egypt, but the center of his cult was in Cynopolis (Upper Egypt). The name of Anubis in hieroglyphs. Article details: Gods of Ancient Egypt: Anubis Gods of Ancient Egypt: Anubis Anubis is one of the most iconic gods of ancient Egypt. Anubis is the Greek version of his name, the ancient Egyptians knew him as Anpu (or Inpu). Anubis was an extremely ancient deity whose name appears in the oldest mastabas of the Old Kingdom and the Pyramid Texts as a guardian and protector of the dead. He was originally a god of the underworld, but became associated specifically with the embalming process and funeral rites. His name is from the same root as the word for a royal child, "inpu". However, it is also closely related to the word "inp" which means "to decay", and one versions of his name (Inp or Anp) more closely resembles that word. As a result it is possible that his name changed slightly once he was adopted as the son of the King, Osiris .

He was known as "Imy-ut" ("He Who is In the Place of Embalming"), "nub-tA-djser" ("lord of the scared land"). 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. 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".

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 . 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. 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).

copyright J Hill 2010 The Egyptian God Anubis | God Of Death Hermes The Egyptian God Anubis | God Of Death Anubis is known as the god of death and is the oldest and most popular of ancient Egyptian deities. The ancient Egyptians revered Anubis highly because they believed he had tremendous power over both their physical and spiritual selves when they died. References to Anubis are found in texts dating back to the Old Kingdom. His fame lasted until the Middle Kingdom, when his role as God of death was taken over by Osiris and Anubis became Osiris' assistant. Anubis is the Greek translation of what the ancient Egyptians called him originally: Inpu or Anpu. Although the ancient Egyptian word for royal child is inpu, it is more likely that this god’s name stems from the word “imp” which means “to decay.” Anubis' Form © Parée - * Anubis on Egyptian Block * Anubis was either seen as a man with a jackal head or completely in the form of a jackal. In ancient Egypt, scavengers like jackals ruled the cemeteries. They dug up the freshly buried and tore at their flesh and ate it.

Historians believe that this is what prompted the ancients to portray the god of the afterlife as a jackal, to fight fire with fire. New genetic research indicates that the ancient Egyptian jackal is not a jackal at all, but an ancient wolf. Anubis’ skin is often depicted as black, while jackals are typically brown. The reason is that the color black is a symbol of death, but also a symbol of the Nile’s fertile and black soil. Anubis Wore Many Hats as God of the Afterlife 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. The Guardian of the Scales: one of his many roles surrounding the dead included the Guardian of Scales where he dictated the fate of souls. As depicted in the Book of the Dead , Anubis weighs the decedent’s heart against the weight of a feather. The feather represents “Ma’at” or truth.

If the scale of justice tipped toward the heart, the dead person would be consumed by Ammit, a female demon the ancient Egyptian people dubbed “devourer of the dead.” If the scale of justice tipped toward the feather, Anubis would lead the decedent to Osiris so he could ascend to a worthy existence in heaven. The God of embalming and mummification: Anubis held the important role of overseeing the embalming and mummification of the dead. The daughter of Anubis (Kebechet), is frequently seen as his assistant in the mummification process of the dead. Ancient Egyptians believed that Anubis sniffed the bodies of the dead, so they preserved them with sweet smelling herbs and plants. Anubis also assisted in the “opening of the mouth” ritual to ensure a good burial. This ritual was performed so the dead person could eat and speak in the afterlife. Protector of Tombs: as the Egyptian god responsible for protecting the dead, many prayers to Anubis were carved into their tombs. Anubis held this role until Osiris gained popularity and took it over.

© isawnyu - Paintings from the tomb of Petosiris at Muzawaka (XI) How Anubis Became God of Embalming The mythology of the story varies, but according to legend: Osiris' brother (Seth), killed Osiris by luring him into a fancy coffin, sealing it shut, and pushing it into the Nile. Osiris' wife and sister ( Isis ), retrieved Osiris’ body on the Phoenician coastline, but an angry Seth chopped up Osiris’ body and scattered it throughout Egypt. Anubis, Isis and Nephthys, set about to find the pieces and were successful (except for Osiris’ phallus). Another Egyptian God called Thoth, helped restore the body and Anubis wrapped Osiris in linen, the action of which bestowed on him the title, “He Who is in the Place of Embalming”.

© Asaf Braverman - Anubis Reconstructing Osiris (1350 BC, Tomb of Ramses 1 , Egypt) A Dysfunctional Family Tree Several versions exist of how Anubis came into being: Son of Nephthys and Osiris: the most popular version is that Anubis is the son of Nephthys and Osiris. As the Goddess of Darkness, Nephthys would naturally be mother to a god who oversaw the embalming process and also guided souls into the afterlife. Son of Nephthys and Seth: it is also speculated that Seth is Anubis’ father. In this version, it is believed that Nephthys disguised herself as Osiris’ beautiful sister, Isis, to beget a half brother for Horus . As Seth is the God of darkness, storms and destruction, it is easy to see how Anubis could be his son. Son of Nephtys and Ra: in early mythology texts, Ra (the sun God) , was depicted as being Anubis’ father, while his mother was speculated as being either Hesat the cow goddess, Bastet the cat-headed warfare goddess, or Nephthys.

Anubis' wife is called Anput and has the body of a woman and the head of a jackal. Together they have a daughter called Kebechet, who is the goddess of purification. © NeferTiyi - Stèle de Nes-kai-chouti A Shrine for Anubis 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. 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). © Tony Cash - Anubis Anubis in Art 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. Sneak Peek Anubis Facts Anubis was the god of the dead and the underworld until the Middle Kingdom, when this role was taken over by Osiris. He is one of the oldest gods, references in text go back as far as the Old Kingdom.

Anubis is the inventor and god of embalming and mummification. He guided the death through the underworld (called Duat). Anubis was the Guardian of the Scales, used to weigh the hearts of dead souls. His high level of anatomical knowledge due to embalming made him the patron of anesthesiology. A crouching statue of Anubis took a central place in Tutankhamun's tomb . Priests who performed the embalming of dead corpses wore a jackal mask. Greek mythology blends Hermes with Anubis to result in the god Hermanubis. Anubis | Ancient Egypt Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Anubis's heritage is unsure Anubis growing up in the Netherworld Anubis’s heritage is one of debate among historians. Some scholars suggest that Anubis is the son of Nephthys Anubis after mummifying Osiris and Set . Another legend states that Anubis was spawned from Nephthys and Osiris . Both legends have equal understandings due to the connections that Anubis has through Nephthys and the Underworld . In general mythology, Anubis starts out as the god of the Netherworld.

This was a lonely and dark task for Anubis, as he prevailed over the the various dark and chaotic spirits "spawned" the gods and his father. The god of embalming and cemeteries, Anubis was an ancient deity to whom prayers for the survival of the deceased in the Afterlife were addressed during the early dawn before Osiris rose to prominence as the god of the dead. Anubis continued to assist in the judgement of the dead and accompanied the deceased to the throne of Osiris for the ritual of the Weighing of the Heart. Anubis was first greeted by Isis, after she took refugee in the Netherworld after Set's dark power took over her former kingdom. While Isis resurrected Osiris the first time Set murdered him, Set had taken precautions this time, cutting his body into countless pieces and scattering all across the globe. Isis only managed to find one of these pieces and mournfully turned it into a bird, as she could not resurrect an incomplete body. Isis gave this piece to her host, the dark and mysterious Anubis, to ceremonially prepare the body.

Anubis embalmed and mummified the corpse, and from that moment on he was no longer to god of the Netherworld, but the god of mummification. Lord of the dead Anubis Originally, in the Ogdoad system, he was god of the underworld , and his name is frequently thought to have reflected this, meaning something like putrefaction. He was said to have a wife, Anput (who was really just his female aspect, her name being his with an additional feminine suffix: the t), who was depicted exactly the same, though feminine. He is also both listed to have taken to wife the feminine form of Neheb Kau, Nehebka, and Kebauet . Kebauet, the Goddess of cold water, is also listed as his daughter in some places. His father was originally said to be Ra , as he was the creator god, and thus his mother was said to be Hesat , Ra's wife, who later was identified as Hathor (to whom her identity was remarkably similar).

As the god of death, Anubis was identified as the father of Kebechet , the goddess of the purification of bodily organs due to be placed in Canopic Jars during Mummification . Also set and the goddess of water were his parents. Embalmer Statuette of Anubis Following the merging of the Ennead and Ogdoad belief systems, as a result of the identification of Atum with Ra, and their compatibility, Anubis became considered a lesser god in the underworld, giving way to the more popular Osiris . Indeed, when the Legend of Osiris and Isis emerged, it was said that when Osiris had died, Osiris's organs were givein to Anubis as a gift. Since he had been more associated with beliefs about the weighing of the heart than had Osiris, Anubis retained this aspect, and became considered more the gatekeeper and Ruler of the underworld, the Guardian of the veil (of death). As such, he was said to protect souls as they journeyed there, and thus be the patron of lost souls (and consequently orphans). Rather than god of death, he had become god of dying, and consequently funeral arrangements.

It was as the god of dying that his identity merged with that of Wepwawet , a similar jackal-headed god, associated with funerary practice, who had been worshipped in Upper Egypt , whereas Anubis' cult had centred in Lower Egypt . As one of the most important funerary rites in Egypt involved the process of embalming, so it was that Anubis became the god of embalming, in the process gaining titles such as He who belongs to the mummy wrappings, and He who is before the divine [embalming] booth. High priests often wore the Anubis mask to perform the ceremonial deeds of embalming. It also became said, frequently in the Book of the Dead , that it had been Anubis who embalmed the dead body of Osiris, with the assistance of the other main funerary deities involved - Nephthys, and Isis. Having become god of embalming, Anubis became strongly associated with the (currently) mysterious and ancient Imiut Fetish , present during funerary rites, and Bast , who by this time was goddess of ointment, initially became thought of as his mother.

However, as lesser of the two gods of the underworld, he gradually became considered the son of Osiris, but Osiris' wife, Isis, was not considered his mother, since she too inappropriately was associated with life. Instead, his mother became considered to be Nephthys , who had become strongly associated with funerary practice, indeed had in some ways become the personification of mourning, and was said to supply bandages to the deceased. Subsequently, this apparent infidelity of Osiris was explained in myth, in which it was said that a sexually frustrated Nephthys had disguised herself as Isis in order to appeal to her husband, Set, but he did not notice her as he was infertile (some modern versions depict Set as a homosexual, but these have little bearing on the original myth), whereas Isis' husband Osiris did, mistaking her for his wife, which resulted in Anubis' birth. Other versions of the myth depict Set as the father, and it remains unclear as to weather Set was truly infurtile or not. In later times, during the Ptolemaic period, as their functions were similar, Anubis was identified as the Greek god Hermes, becoming Hermanubis.

The centre of this cult was in uten-ha/Sa-ka/ Cynopolis , a place whose Greek name simply means city of dogs. In Book xi of The Golden Ass by Apuleius, we find evidence that the worship of this god was maintained in Rome at least up to the 2nd century. Indeed, Hermanubis also appears in the alchemical and hermetical literature of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. 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 Crüxshadows Anubis: Jackal God Of Death is the name of a 1997 album by Ganesha (band).

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 ( "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 Pokémon 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.

External links Anubis, Ancient Egyptian God of Embalming and the Dead Updated: December 19, 2012 Anubis (Inpew, Yinepu, Anpu) was an ancient Egyptian god of the underworld who guided and protected the spirits of the dead. He was known as the 'Lord of the Hallowed Land' - the necropolis - and Khentamentiu, 'Foremost of the Westerners' - the Land of the Dead was thought to be to the west, where the Egyptians buried their dead. (Khentamentiu was the name of a previous canine deity who was superseded by Anubis.) The worship of Anubis was an ancient one - it was probably even older than the worship of Osiris. In the pyramid texts of Unas, his role was already very clear - he was associated with the Eye of Horus and he was already thought to be the guide of the dead in the afterlife, showing them the way to Osiris. In these text, according to E. A.

Wallis Budge, it says that "Unas standeth with the Spirits, get thee onwards, Anubis, into Amenti, onwards, onwards to Osiris." He was generally depicted as a black jackal-headed man, or as a black jackal. The Egyptians would have noticed these animals prowling around the graveyards, and so the link between the animal and the dead was formed in their minds. (It has been noticed by Flinders Petrie that the best guides to Egyptian tombs are the jackal-trails.) Anubis was painted black to further link him with the deceased - a body that has been embalmed became a pitch black colour. Black was also the colour of fertility, and thus linked to death and rebirth in the afterlife. Anubis was also seen as the deity of embalming, as well as a god of the dead. To the Egyptians, Anubis was the protector of embalming and guardian of both the mummy and the necropolis. Image © C. Bloch Anubis was often identified by the word sab, which has been translated as 'jackal'. 'Dog' (iwiw), was not generally used to detail this god.

Though, to the Egyptians, there was not a great deal of difference between the different canines, so there is some confusion over which animal Anubis actually was. The animal is sometimes referred to as the 'Anubis animal' as it is unknown which exact species of canine that Anubis actually was based on. In their article, ' The Cryptic African Wolf: Canis aureus lupaster Is Not a Golden Jackal and Is Not Endemic to Egypt ', Eli Knispel Rueness et. al. (2011) note that the animal known as the Egyptian jackal (Canis aureus lupaster), as identified by Hemprich and Ehrenberg in 1833, is not a "large, rare subspecies of the golden jackal (C. aureus)". The group's mitochondrial DNA evidence, in the form of 2055 base pairs from some "larger, more slender and sometimes with a more whitish" Ethiopian golden jackals - a description representative of the Egyptian jackal, over the regular golden jackals. Their results indicate that "C. a.

lupaster shows closer resemblance to wolves than to jackals": The Egyptian jackal (Canis aureus lupaster) has hitherto been considered a large, rare subspecies of the golden jackal (C. aureus). It has maintained its taxonomical status to date, despite studies demonstrating morphological similarities to the grey wolf (C. lupus). We have analyzed 2055 bp of mitochondrial DNA from C. a. lupaster and investigated the similarity to C. aureus and C. lupus. Through phylogenetic comparison with all wild wolf-like canids (based on 726 bp of the Cytochrome b gene) we conclusively (100% bootstrap support) place the Egyptian jackal within the grey wolf species complex, together with the Holarctic wolf, the Indian wolf and the Himalayan wolf. Like the two latter taxa, C. a. lupaster seems to represent an ancient wolf lineage which most likely colonized Africa prior to the northern hemisphere radiation. We thus refer to C. a. lupaster as the African wolf. Furthermore, we have detected C. a.

lupaster individuals at two localities in the Ethiopian highlands, extending the distribution by at least 2,500 km southeast. The only grey wolf species to inhabit the African continent is a cryptic species for which the conservation status urgently needs assessment. ... Our results show that C. a. lupaster should no longer be accepted as a monophyletic subspecies of C. aureus but represents the only grey wolf taxon known to inhabit the African continent. -- Rueness, K., et. al. 2011, The Cryptic African Wolf: Canis aureus lupaster Is Not a Golden Jackal and Is Not Endemic to Egypt A further study, ' Reviving the African Wolf Canis lupus lupaster in North and West Africa: A Mitochondrial Lineage Ranging More than 6,000 km Wide ' by Philippe Gaubert et. al. (2012), notes that, "it has long been emphasized that the so-called Egyptian jackal C.

aureus lupaster Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1832, distributed in North Africa, had cranial and dental sizes that overlapped with the smaller-sized wolves from Arabia and India, but clearly separated from the even smaller golden jackal. On these morphological grounds, Ferguson proposed to consider lupaster as a subspecies of gray wolf, with a distribution restricted to Egypt and Libya. Supporting this view, two recent studies detected a divergent mitochondrial lineage of gray wolf in northern Egypt and Ethiopia that was eventually designated as the African wolf C. lupus lupaster. Wolves (from Ethiopia) were larger - but slender-looking - than the usual golden jackal phenotype, expanding the gray wolf's range more than 2500 km south-east into the African continent." The confusion over the animal is quite understandable, but this mtDNA evidence goes a long way towards clearing it up. The 'jackal god' should really be referred to as a 'wolf god'. However, ' canid god' will suffice until further studies related to the ancient Egyptian depiction of the Anubis animal, and the "cryptic African wolf", are published.

When the Osiris worship came to power, Osiris took over many of Anubis' jobs as caretaker and protector of the dead. As this happened, Anubis became 'He Who is Before the Divine Booth', the god of embalming who presided over the funerary rituals. The funerary stm priests would wear a mask of the canid god during the mummification process, symbolically becoming the god for the rituals. The preliminary stages of mummification involved the opening - the violation - of the body, an action that only Anubis himself would have been allowed to perform. The priest who took on this role was called the 'Overseer of the Mysteries' (hery seshta). It was thought that he would be magically become the funerary god himself and so be able to legitimately cut open the corpse for the mummification process. He is sometimes called the son of Nephthys and Set or of Nephthys and Osiris. In the second version of his origins, it was believed that his aunt Isis raised him, rather than his mother Nephthys , as Set might murder his wife's illegitimate son.

Thus he grew up as a friend and follower of Osiris. He was thought to have a daughter known as ( ) Qebehet (Qebehout, Kebehut, Kebhut, Kebechet, Kabechet, Kebecht), who was depicted as a snake or ostrich carrying water. She was the goddess of freshness and purification (by water) who washed the entrails of the deceased and brought the sacred water to Anubis for his tasks. She was thought to give water to the spirits of the dead while they waited for the mummification process to be complete. She was probably related to mummification where she would fortify the body against corruption, so it would stay fresh for reanimation by the deceased's ka . The goddess Qebehet first appears in the Fifth Dynasty and is mentioned in the Pyramid Texts of Pepi I: "Qebehet, the daughter of Anubis, goes forth to meet Pepi, with four nemset vases. She refreshes the breast of the Great God on the day of his watch, and she refreshes the breast of Pepi with life. She washes Pepi, she censes Pepi." -- Remler, P.

2010, Egyptian Mythology, A to Z, p. 103 At temples throughout Egypt, some of the priests had a special job as part of the daily ritual - that of purifying the temple deity. Using incense to purify the air, the deity was lifted out of his or her shrine, was washed, anointed with oils, dressed in white, green, red and blue cloths and fed. Qebehet washing of Pepi seems to relate to the priestly ritual of serving the gods. Because of her connection with water and purification, she is sometimes linked with the goddess Iabet . The goddess Anput (Anupet, Input, Inpewt, Yineput) - inpwt - was the goddess of the 17th Nome of Upper Egypt, who was depicted as a woman wearing the canid standard of her nome or a woman with the head of this jackal-like animal. She was believed to have been the wife of Anubis, and possibly the mother of Qebehet. Anubis was originally the god of the 17th Nome of Upper Egypt.

The symbol for this nome was, as per Anput's headdress, a canid on top of a standard. In the Ptolemaic temples, Anput takes the form of a jackal or similar canid and is shown carrying sharp knives. It would appear that she has a role in the protection of the dead Osiris, and therefore of deceased humans too. -- DuQuesne, T. 2007, Anubis, Upwawet, and Other Deities: Personal Worship and Official Religion in Ancient Egypt, p. 20 It was believed that Anubis was the one who invented the process of mummification. Anubis helped Isis bring her husband back to life again after Set had killed him. He embalmed the body of the god, swathed it in the linen cloths that had been woven by the twin goddesses, Isis and Nephthys , making sure that the body would never decay or rot. 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, thought to have become the god himself. The 'Opening of the Mouth' ceremony was then performed. It consisted of a number of rituals that would turn the mummy (or a statue of the dead) into an inhabitable vessel for the deceased's ka . The ceremonies involved purification, censing and anointing of the mummy along with incantations. The mummy was touched by ritual objects on various body parts to restore the senses - the spirit would then be able to see, hear, speak and eat as a living being. Some of the tools for this ritual have been found in predynastic Amratian graves, so it is probable that at least some of the rituals involved in the 'Opening of the Mouth' had evolved from this early time. After the the deceased had been placed into the tomb and sealed up, it was thought that Anubis would lead the deceased to the afterlife, along with another god, Wepwawet (Upuaut).

The two are very similar, though Wepwawet was also another ancient jackal or wolf god, appearing on the Narmer palette. He was not just a god of the dead, but he was a warrior god who opened the way to victory for the pharaoh. The 'Opener of the Ways' helped Anubis to guide the dead to the Halls of Ma'ati . It was here that Anubis, as 'He Who Counts the Hearts', watched over of the weighing of the heart and the judging of the deceased. Here it was his duty to see that the beam of the scales was in its proper place, and that the weighing was done correctly. He would then pass judgement on the deceased and Thoth would record the pronouncement. Anubis would protect the innocent from the jaws of Ammut , but would give the guilty to her to meet the final death. He also guided the souls of the dead through the underworld, being assisted in this duty by Wapwawet, another jackal-headed eity, whose name signifies 'Opener of the Ways.' These gods have sometimes been confounded with one another, but in certain texts they are separately alluded to.

The name of the latter deity is significant of his probably early function. Anubis, thinks Dr. Budge, was the opener of the roads of the north, and Wapwawet of those of the south. "In fact," he says, "Anubis was the personification of the summer solstice, and Wapwawet of the winter solstice." -- Spence, L. 2008, Myths & Legends of Ancient Egypt, p. 105 A strange fetish, known as the imiut fetish, was linked to Anubis. It was a headless stuffed skin (usually of a great feline), tied by its tail to a pole which was planted in a pot. Known as the 'Son of the hesat-Cow' (the cow that produced the Mnevis bull was linked to the cow goddess Hesat), another title of Anubis, they is evidence of this fetish as early as the 1st Dynasty. They were linked to the funerary cult, depicted in the Chapel of Anubis at Hatshepsut 's mortuary temple and actual golden fetishes being left in the tomb of Tutankhamen.

These emblems of Anubis were placed at the western ends of the corridors, one on each side of the outermost shrine at Tutankhamen's tomb. The pots were made of calcite and the poles represented the water lily (lotus) stem and bud while the tip of the skin's tail had a papyrus flower attached and the pole and fetish itself were gilded. Other fetishes have been found made of real animal skin that have been wrapped in bandages. In early times there was a god, Imiut, who was known as 'He Who is in His Wrappings' who became a form of Anubis. The fetish was probably linked with mummy wrappings though it also appears to have been related to the royal jubilee festival. Anubis the Dweller in the Mummy Chamber, Governor of the Divine House ... saith:- Homage to thee, thou happy one, lord! Thou seest the Wedjat (Eye of Horus or Ra). Ptah -Sokar hath bound thee up. Anubis hath exalted thee. Shu hath raised thee up, O Beautiful Face, thou governor of eternity.

Thou hast thine eye, O scribe Nebseni, lord of fealty, and it is beautiful. Thy right eye is like the Sektet Boat, thy left eye is like the Atet Boat. Thine eyebrows are fair to see in the presence of the Company of the Gods. Thy brow is under the protection of Anubis, and thy head and face, O beautiful one, are before the holy Hawk. Thy fingers have been stablished by thy scribe's craft in the presence of the Lord of Khemenu (El Ashmunein), Thoth , who hath bestowed upon thee the knowledge of the speech of the holy books. Thy beard is beautiful in the sight of Ptah -Sokar, and thou, O scribe Nebseni, thou lord of fealty, art beautiful before the Great Company of the Gods. The Great God looketh upon thee, and he leadeth thee along the path of happiness. Sepulchral meals are bestowed upon thee, and he overthroweth for thee thine enemies, setting them under thy feet in the presence of the Great Company of the Gods who dwell in the House of the Great Aged One which is in Anu.

-- Wallis Budge, E.A. 1913, The Papyrus of Ani: A Reproduction in Facsimile, Volume 2, pp. 629-631 To the east of Saqqara there was a place known as Anubeion, one of Anubis' cult centres. The burials of mummified dogs and jackals took place there. Although he was worshipped all over Egypt, he had other cult centres at Abt, the 12th Nome of Upper Egypt, Zawty (Asyut) and the city of Hardai (Cynopolis) in the 17th Nome of Upper Egypt where a vast number of dog mummies were buried at dog cemeteries. As protector of the necropolis, Anubis was known as 'He Who is Upon the Mountain'. The Egyptians believed that the god would keep watch over the tombs and graves from a high vantage point in the desert, ready to rush down to protect the deceased from desecration. Images of Anubis as a seated canid above nine prisoners were stamped on many of the seals to tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

They symbolise Anubis' protection against thieves and evil doers who entered the necropolis. He protected not only the souls of the dead, but their eternal resting place, too. The Gods of Egypt: Animal Gods and Goddesses The Gods of Egypt Notes by Dr. Honora M. Finkelstein 6 - Animal Gods and Goddesses (Click on pictures to see larger images.) The Nile Valley teemed with various forms of animal life, and among a people who recognized that each animal had special gifts or powers, it was not too great a stretch to revere them for their powers and essentially make them totem animals. From there it is a short step to worshipping the central or over-lighting spirit of the animal as a god (compare the beliefs of Native American tribes in totem animals and the modern interest in gardening with “devas” at Findhorn in Scotland and Perelandra in Virginia.) Also, anthropomorphic gods might nevertheless become identified with specific animals by correspondences with those animals’ powers. Hence, there came to be a god associated with virtually every form of animal life, especially those that had characteristics with which humans could identify.

Some of the animals associated with gods included the baboon, the beetle, the bull, the cat, the cobra, the cow, the crocodile, the dolphin, the dog, the frog, the fish, the goose, the hawk, the heron, the hippopotamus, the ibis, the jackal, the lioness, the lynx, the rabbit, the ram, the snake, the sow, the scorpion, the swallow, the vulture, and the wolf. Though the list below is not exhaustive, among the animal-human gods not yet described in detail above are the following: Anubis (in center of picture) was the jackal-headed god who helped Isis find Osiris after he was murdered and embalmed the pieces so that they resisted decay, thus inventing the burial rites. Anubis supposedly guided the barque containing the soul of the deceased to the underworld, where he then assisted with the weighing of the heart against a feather (see Maat below). Apis was the sacred bull of Memphis. Supposedly he was born of a virgin cow impregnated by the god Ptah.

A physical bull was worshipped as the son of the god; at the age of 25, the bull would be sacrificed (perhaps in lieu of the sacrificial killing of the king), and a new baby bull was sought to take his place. The cult of Apis came to be so important that Ptolemy I introduced the god Serapis, a combination of Osiris and Apis, who was later honored along with Isis throughout the Roman Empire. Bast was a cat goddess, generally considered the fertilizing power of the sun. She was a patron of music and dance. Her antithesis was her sister goddess, the lioness Sekhmet, who represented the destructive power of the sun. Bes was a dwarf or pygmy god who was generally believed at all levels of society to be the bringer of happiness. He protected the family, presided over marriage, and as a friend to women took concern for their grooming and adornment, as well as childbearing and the protection of newborns. He was often depicted in art dancing around the newborn, playing a small drum and slashing with knives; it was believed the noise and motion, as well as his ugliness, would frighten away evil spirits.

Bes may have been a lion god in ancient times, as his brows and shaggy beard are distinctly leonine. Bes was generally thought to be married to Taueret, the hippopotamus goddess who presided at childbirth. Buto was the Greek name for the uraeus or cobra goddess Wadjet, protector of Lower Egypt. Sometime Buto was equated with Hathor. Her twin sister Nekhebet, the vulture goddess, was the patroness of Upper Egypt. Hence, we see a symbol here of the bird-serpent so prominent in cultures throughout the world. Compare, for example, Quetzalcoatl, the Plumed Serpent of Aztec tradition, and the serpent of the sign of Scorpio, which becomes the eagle when it has cleared away the dross of human experience. Hathor was the cow goddess whose name means the “house of Horus.” In one myth she stood on the earth in the form of a cow and her four legs held up the sky. Each evening Horus, as the sun god, flew into her mouth in the form of a hawk, so he was said to be both her husband and her son.

Hathor represented the Great Cosmic Mother, progenetrix of all life. However, she had her negative side, for in one myth the sun god wanted to punish humanity for their sins, and Hathor was given the job of slaughtering them. Perhaps from this association she became the goddess of Tuat, land of the dead. Because she also loved merriment and dance and because her birth date was a new year celebration, among the Greeks she became associated with Aphrodite. As the cow goddess she was depicted in Egyptian art with a pair of horns encompassing the solar disk, with the head of a cow, and as a cow. Maat or Mayet was the goddess of truth and justice. Sometimes pictured with balance scales, she presided over the judging of the soul of the deceased in the Hall of Judgment in the underworld. She is generally pictured with an ostrich feather, which she supposedly used in the balance scales to weigh the heart of the deceased. Said to be a daughter of Ra, she was in some myths also associated with Thoth as his wife.

The light Ra brought to the world was Maat; when Akhenaten declared the Aten to be the sun god, he said Maat (though she was more an abstract concept in this cult) was the consort of the solar disk. Min, god of rain and crops, was worshipped at harvest festivals in the form of a white bull, an animal associated with him. He was identified by the Greeks with the god Pan, the goat-footed god. He was also sometimes associated with the god Horus. Mut was the principal female counterpart of the solar god Amen-Ra, though she was often depicted with both male and female reproductive organs. In Egyptian art she was sometimes shown with the combined crowns of the North and the South (the cobra and the vulture) and holding the papyrus scepter and the ankh. Nephthys was often regarded as the goddess of death but was sometimes connected with the god Min, who symbolized virility, reproduction, and regeneration. Hence, she was the goddess who represented the regeneration that comes from death. She was therefore considered a friend of the dead. In art, she often appeared with outstretched wings in a gesture of protection. Sebek was a crocodile god.

In ancient times he was associated with the god Set and represented the power of evil and death. Later he came to be revered as a god who was both friend and enemy of Osiris; he was also associated with the sun god Ra. He is depicted as a crocodile or as a crocodile- headed man, sometimes with a solar disk enveloped by the uraeus or by a pair of horns, the disk, and feathers. Set, murderer and dismemberer of his brother Osiris, was associated with darkness, death, and evil. However, it was recognized by the Egyptians that this aspect is always a part of life. Hence, the pharaoh was sometimes known as the “Two Lords” because the darkness (represented by Set) and the light (represented by Horus) were inseparable. Set was associated by the Greeks with Typhon. He is depicted in art as a sometimes red-complected man-beast with pointed muzzle and square ears. Selket or Serket was a scorpion goddess. It was believed in Egypt that scorpions bit only men, not women. Selket guarded one of the four gates of the underworld; as a result, she was regarded as a goddess of fertility and the afterlife.

Taueret or Taurt was a hippopotamus goddess, patroness of childbirth and maternity. She is said to have been a prominent assistant at the birth of Queen Hatshepsut. She is often depicted as a huge female hippopotamus standing upright with large human breasts; she had the legs of a lioness and the tail of a crocodile. Sometimes she wore the solar disk with cow’s horns, a reminder that she was present each day at the rebirth of the sun. She was sometimes called the Eye of Ra, or his daughter, and was even credited in some myths with being the mother of Osiris and Isis. BBC - History - Ancient History in depth: Ancient Egyptian Gods Gallery Ancient Egyptian Gods Gallery Print this page Anubis Anubis was embodied in the jackal, or wild dog, that the Egyptians often saw scavenging in cemeteries: hence he was associated with the dead. He was depicted as a black jackal-like creature, or as a man with a jackal's head. Early on in Egyptian history, before Osiris rose to prominence, Anubis was the great funerary god, lord and guardian of the necropolis. Prayers for the dead were addressed to him.

He carried out the first mummification of the body of Osiris, and therefore became patron-god of embalmers. It was Anubis who guided the dead on the paths of the Underworld. Wepwawet - mythical creature Wepwawet Wanted as a pet (7 votes). Your rating? #3535 Friendly (behaviour) Egyptian Gods (common type) A grey or white jackal-headed god from Egyptian mythology. Apart from the colour of its head he looks identical to Anubis the god of the dead. Wepwawet ushers the souls of others into the Underworld. Some believe that this god was originally a wolf-headed god. It was worshipped at Abydos and Lykopolis which is known as ‘Wolf City’. Wepwawet has been viewed 1115 times. Does Wepwawet Exist?

Cynocephaly and the mythological dog-headed human | Ancient Origins 17 January, 2015 - 12:22 mrreese Cynocephaly and the mythological dog-headed human (Read the article on one page) The characteristic of Cynocephaly describes the head of a dog upon a human body. This trait is a theme upon which there are several variations, with representations showing up in several cultures and legends. Tales of human forms with a dog-like head have been told from ancient Egypt, to ancient Greek, medieval, and Christian stories. These tales, eliciting both fear and fascination, are like an ancient form of a monster tale, often invoking the idea that cynocephaly is not just a myth or legend, but an actual race of creatures living here on Earth. The appearance of cynocephaly in stories throughout the ages illustrates the ubiquitous nature of the creatures, and the flexibility of an image that continuously reoccurs with a similar appearance, but varying stories. The most basic description of cynocephaly is that it is the image of a human figure that has the head of a dog, or, in some instances, a jackal.

This is not to be confused with images of werewolves. Werewolves are a creature where the human forms transforms into a dog-like head and body. Some believe that werewolves and cynocephalic creatures are somehow related, but they are more likely two separate types of creatures that happen to share some dog-like traits. The name cynocephaly sounds much more like an actual disease than a depiction of an image or a human with a dog head shown in prehistoric drawings and renderings. The name is derived from the Greek language, in which cyno- means dog and –cephaly means a disease or condition of the head. Put together, cynocephaly is a disease or condition where the head is in the form of a dog. Man with a dog head. Nuremberg Chronical (Schedel'sche Weltchronik), page XIIr, 1493 AD. ( Wikimedia Commons ) Images depicting cynocephaly date as far back as ancient Egyptian times. Ancient Egyptian gods Hapi and Anubis were both depicted in the cynocephaly form, with a human body and a dog head, or in the case of Anubis, a jackal.

These images were depicted standing and wearing clothing, giving the appearance that in spite of the dog head, these gods are, in essence, humans. It is unknown why these figures are depicted with the head of a dog, but their presence in Egyptian drawings certainly spread to later cultures that followed. Marble statue of Anubis, Vatican Museum ( Wikimedia Commons ) Greek physician Ctesias wrote of a dog-headed figure called Indici in India in the 5 th century BC. Later, the Greek Megasthenes returned from travels to India with tales of a race of cynocephaly living in the mountains of India. This dog-headed race of people would hunt in the mountains while wearing animal skins, and would communicate through barking sounds. Such stories of sub-human creatures would likely invoke many emotions, including fear, fascination, intrigue, and terror. Cynocephaly continued far beyond ancient Egyptian and Greek times, also appearing in some works of medieval literature. Their existence and origin were questioned in City of God, Book XVI, Chapter 8, written by Augustine of Hippo. The Christians had the story of the "Abominable" who had the face of a dog and lived in a city of cannibals.

Once baptized, the doglike features disappeared. The Eastern Orthodox Church viewed Saint Christopher as having the head of a dog, which may have been the result of a misinterpretation of the word Cananeus to say canineus, or canine. Later, German bishop and poet Walter of Speyer wrote of Saint Christopher as a large cynocephalic figure from the Chananeans that barked and consumed human flesh. When the cynocephalic Christopher met Christ, he chose to be baptized, at which point he shed his doglike appearance and began a life devoted to God. This idea that the figure with a doglike appearance would become fully human upon being baptized and accepting god is a story that repeats, illustrating that to the Christians, the doglike appearance was a negative feature, a punishment of sorts that could only be eliminated by choosing to follow a certain set of religious beliefs. Saint Christopher with the head of a dog ( Wikimedia Commons ) Images of cynocephaly continued through medieval culture in a book called Historia gentis Langobardorum, written by Paul the Deacon. Again, the doglike appearance was considered un-Christian as it was applied to the Norse at the court of Charlemagne.

The Nowell Codex, which is the script that contains the story of Beowulf, also contained references to the cynocephalic, with portions referring to "healfhundingas" or "half-dogs." The idea spread into Anglo-Saxon England, where outlaws were referred to as wulfes heafod (“wolf’s head”), again giving the impression that the image of a human body with a dog’s head is an inherently negative trait, meant to refer to an outcast of society. Even the tales of King Arthur refer to cynophaly, as King Arthur’s men fight hundreds of the cynophalic creatures, and the stories morph into tales including werewolves. Pages

Question: The Egyptian god Anubis has the head of what type of creature ?
Answer: JACKAL