Page from the Book of the Dead of HuneferBritish Museum
The Job of Anubis
The Egyptiangod ofdeath was a jackal-headed deity thatguided souls and deadkings to the afterlife. There they were judgedby Osiristhroughthe weighingofthe heart.Anubiswouldalsoembalm thedead and protect them.
Long Hall Left: The end of the journey to the western necropolis with a kneeling man on a skiff presenting an ox's heart, in front of him is Menna's widow, and Anubis holding an Ankh and was-scepter (without color chart) (2009-03-02/2009-04-04) by Katy DoyleAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Significance
Anubis was one of the most important gods in Ancient Egyptian history. People viewed him with respect as a god of the underworld. He was depicted as a jackal-headed god because jackals were frequently seen roaming around tombs in Ancient Egypt.
Scene from TT219American Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Anubis was said to have invented the mummification process. In world mythology, gods of death are often associated with evil. However, this wasn't the case for Anubis. The Egyptian people viewed him as a good, protective deity.
Statuette of Anubis Statuette of Anubis (332–30 B.C.)The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Symbolism
Anubis was portrayed with the color black, symbolizing regeneration and the Nile river's fertile soil. He was one of the most commonly represented deities in Egyptian art and appeared as early as the First Dynasty in royal tombs.
Faience pectoral (-1250/-1250)British Museum
Craftsmen frequently included Anubis on the coffins of royalty and the elite. Most commonly, he appeared in art with a body of a man and the head of a jackal with pointy ears. He was also depicted in full canine form in all black.
Stela of Siamun and Taruy worshipping Anubis (ca. 1400–1390 B.C.)The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Anubis is often depicted holding a crook and flail, symbolizing authority. He was seen as the primary god associated with death during the Old Kingdom until the 4th Dynasty. Anubis then replaced him as the main god of death and resurrection.
The King with Anubis, Tomb of Haremhab (ca. 1323–1295 B.C.) by Lancelot CraneThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Changing Role of Anubis
As time passed, Anubis’s role within ancient Egyptian funerary religion changed, but he still held an important place in Egyptian mythology. Anubis is still credited with the creation of mummification, allowing mortal lives to continue in the afterlife.
False door Stela in the Broad Hall (2009-03) by Katy DoyleAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Anubis continued to be viewed as a close ally of Osiris,sometimes consideredhis son.
When Seth killed Osiris and chopped up his body, Anubis assisted in resurrecting Osiris through mummification. Anubis embalmed the body, allowing Osiris to live on in the afterlife. Osiris then descended into the underworld and became the king of the dead.
Credits: Story
This story was created as part of ARCE'sArchive Digitization & Publication Project, funded by the US Department of Education. Text and story by Jaden Song and Fares Mousa, students at Northern Virginia Community College (Alexandria Campus), in the course Art 101 - History and Appreciation of Art 1, taught by Sarah Liberatore.
Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
American Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)British MuseumThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
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View themeFAQs
The Egyptian god of death was a jackal-headed deity that guided souls and dead kings to the afterlife. There they were judged by Osiris through the weighing of the heart. Anubis would also embalm the dead and protect them. Anubis was one of the most important gods in Ancient Egyptian history.
What is Anubis in art history? ›
Anubis (/əˈnjuːbɪs/; Ancient Greek: Ἄνουβις), also known as Inpu, Inpw, Jnpw, or Anpu in Ancient Egyptian (Coptic: ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ, romanized: Anoup), is the god of funerary rites, protector of graves, and guide to the underworld, in ancient Egyptian religion, usually depicted as a canine or a man with a canine head. Anubis.
What are 5 facts about Anubis? ›
Represented as an anthropomorphized jackal, Anubis oversaw mummification, weighed souls, guided the dead into the afterlife, defended against chaos, and punished those who violated tombs.
What is the culture of Anubis? ›
Anubis was the Egyptian deity of cemeteries and embalming as well as the protector of graves. As with any other culture or religion around the world, the Egyptians believed in paying respect to their dead.
What is the true story of Anubis? ›
Anubis ( a Greek designation) was the guardian of the Afterlife in Egyptian spiritual mythology…. also responsible for the art of mummification. Originally thought to have the head of a Jackal. It is now indicated by scientific evidence that his head actually represented wild dogs to be found in the Egyptian desert.
Why was Anubis killed? ›
Once a powerful Goa'uld System Lord, Anubis was banished by the others because his actions were deemed unspeakable, even among the Goa'uld. He was believed destroyed, but managed to escape and learn the secrets of ascension.
Is Anubis evil or good? ›
Anubis is the god of mummification and death in ancient Egyptian mythology. He guided the souls of the dead to their tombs and defended them against evil spirits that threatened to steal their bodies or eat their flesh.
Who was Anubis' wife? ›
Who did Anubis marry? Anubis married Anput. Like Anubis, she was also depicted as having the body of a human with the head of a jackal.
What was Anubis' real name? ›
Anubis was an ancient Egyptian god of the dead, represented as a jackal or a man with the head of a jackal. Anubis is sometimes also called Anpu.
What is the Anubis symbol? ›
Symbols Associated with Anubis
Anubis is often depicted with the head of a jackal, an animal associated with cemeteries and death. The ancient Egyptians observed jackals prowling around graves, which likely inspired this connection.
Anubis was worshipped all over Egypt and images of the god were seen in temples, chapels and tombs throughout the pharaonic period. He is usually represented as a seated jackal or in human form with a jackal's head, sometimes wearing a tail.
What powers did Anubis have? ›
Most prefer to manifest in a theriocephalous form with a humanoid body and an animal head. Anubis can manipulate energy, projecting it from his body as beams, and can grant powers to the living and non-living objects. He can also teleport across realms and is an expert combatant without his powers.
What is the written description of Anubis? ›
Anubis, ancient Egyptian god of funerary practices and care of the dead, represented by a jackal or the figure of a man with the head of a jackal. In the Early Dynastic period and the Old Kingdom, he enjoyed a preeminent (though not exclusive) position as lord of the dead, but he was later overshadowed by Osiris.
What is the story of Anubis for kids? ›
Considered benevolent and good, Anubis was present in the underworld (Duat) at the weighing of the dead person's soul and was also at home in the heavenly sky realms of Re. Anubis's mother was the goddess Nephthys. Nephthys, Isis, Seth, and Osiris were all the children of the sky goddess Nut and the earth god Geb.
What is the story of Anubis scales? ›
After a person died, the heart was weighed against the feather of Maat (goddess of truth and justice). The scales were watched by Anubis (the jackal-headed god of embalming) and the results recorded by Thoth (the ibis-headed god of writing).
Who was Anubis girlfriend? ›
The second and more popular version of their relationship has Bastet as the consort, or lover, of Anubis. This association can be traced back to when Bastet became synonymous with the jars used to store perfume by the ancient Egyptians, leading her to be given the pretty new title of 'perfumed protector.
