The 411 - Anubis

Continuing with the Egyptian content, a reader asked about the 'dog' god...

By Jeff Dahl - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3257647

Anubis is an ancient Egyptian god who is known as the god of the dead, mummification, and embalming. He was depicted with the head of a jackal and the body of a man, and was believed to guide souls to the afterlife.

The origins of Anubis are unclear, but he was already an important god by the Old Kingdom period, around 2686-2181 BC. He was one of the few gods who was worshipped throughout ancient Egyptian history, and his importance increased during the Middle and New Kingdom periods.

Anubis was associated with the process of mummification, which was essential for preserving the body for the afterlife. He was believed to oversee the embalming process, and to assist in the weighing of the heart ceremony, which was a key part of the judgment of the dead. In this ceremony, the heart of the deceased was weighed against the feather of truth, and if the heart was found to be heavier than the feather, it was devoured by Ammit, the goddess of divine retribution.

Anubis was also associated with the journey of the soul through the underworld. He was believed to lead the deceased through the dangerous and confusing journey to the afterlife, and to protect them from evil spirits along the way.

Anubis was often depicted in funerary art, such as tomb paintings and sarcophagi, where he is shown standing over the mummy of the deceased, or leading them through the underworld. He was also depicted in the form of a statue, which was placed in tombs and temples as a protective talisman.

In addition to his role as a god of the dead, Anubis was also associated with fertility and the regeneration of life. In some myths, he was said to be the son of Osiris and Nephthys, and in others, he was the son of Ra and Hesat. He was also sometimes associated with the god Wepwawet, who was worshipped in the city of Lycopolis and was believed to be a guide to the dead.

Today, Anubis is a popular figure in popular culture and is often depicted in movies, books, and video games as a symbol of the ancient Egyptian civilization. His image has become synonymous with death, mummies, and the afterlife, and he remains an important part of Egyptian mythology and culture.

Source: Some or all of the content was generated using an AI language model