Anubis is the god of death, mummification, and the protector of tombs. He is depicted with a jackal head, jet-black skin, a flail, and sometimes the Imiut fetish.
Anubis was born from Osiris and Nephthys, the god of death and resurrection and the goddess of the dead. His portrayal as a jackal most likely comes from the jackals who roamed cemeteries in ancient Egypt, digging up and eating bodies that had recently been buried in shallow graves.
The Egyptians believed that when a person died, they went to meet Anubis in Duat (the underworld), where their hearts were placed on a scale and weighed against a feather. Those whose hearts were heavier than the feather were eaten by a demon; those whose hearts were lighter than the feather were worthy of continuing on to a heavenly ascent into Aaru. Anubis became their guide on their journey to that ascent.
Anubis had a wife named Anput, and together they had a daughter called Kebechet, who was the goddess of purification. Kebechet was thought to help her father as he kept watch over the embalming and mummification process of the dead. Once placed in the tombs, Anubis was thought to protect and watch over the dead’s physical body from thieves and bandits.
Osiris and Nephthys
Mummification, death, and tombs
Anubis is the ancient Egyptian god associated with mummification and the afterlife. He is often depicted as a man with the head of a jackal, guarding tombs and guiding souls to the afterworld.
Anubis symbolizes protection, embalming, and the safe passage of souls to the afterlife. He represents the importance of funerary practices and the preservation of the dead in Egyptian culture.
Anubis is shown with a jackal head because jackals were commonly seen near cemeteries, and Egyptians believed this animal protected the dead and warded off evil spirits.
Anubis was thought to oversee the mummification process, ensuring that bodies were properly prepared for the afterlife and performing rituals to protect the deceased from harm.
Anubis mainly focused on funerary rites and guiding souls, while Osiris ruled over the afterlife itself. Anubis prepared the dead; Osiris judged them.