This is one of the most famous characters in the mythology of Ancient Egypt. The god Anubis, who is usually depicted with the body of a man and the head of a jackal, is the master of death, decay, and embalming. The ancient Egyptians believed that Anubis has tremendous power over both the physical body of a person and over his Ka (spiritual essence) after death.
Anubis, the god of Egypt, is found in ancient texts dating back to the period of the Old Kingdom. Over time, he was "replaced" by Osiris, who began to perform the function of the god of the dead. Anubis became Osiris' assistant.
It is believed that the jackal became the image of Anubis for the reason that this animal is a scavenger that does not disdain carrion. But in the color of the jackal there are shades of yellow, red, fawn, while Anubis is black. This color in ancient Egypt was associated with death and with the fertile soil of the Nile.
Functions of the god Anubis
The ancient Egyptians assigned this deity several "positions" at once. First of all, he was the absolute ruler of the Duat kingdom - the underworld. Later in this post he was "replaced" by Osiris. Also, the following titles were assigned to Anubis:
Libra Keeper. The famous Libra of Anubis is described in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. According to this manuscript, Anubis places the soul of a deceased person on a special Scale, and on another bowl he puts a feather (symbolizing "Maat" or truth). Depending on which cup of Libra will win, the soul of the deceased either went with Anubis to the afterlife or was absorbed by the female demon Ammit.
Anubis weighs the soul of the deceased.
Defender of the tombs. The ancient Egyptians were very responsible about the burial places of the dead. Suffice it to recall the Egyptian pyramids, which, according to their purpose, were the tombs of the pharaohs. Anubis was called to guard the peace of the dead, to protect them from vandals and other "tomb robbers". Therefore, the image of this god is often found in burial places.
God of mummification and embalming. Among other rituals in which Anubis participated, one can note the ritual of "opening the mouth" of a deceased person. This was necessary so that the new inhabitant of the afterlife could eat and talk. In the matter of mummification, Anubis was helped by his daughter Kebechet. An interesting fact - priests, whose duties included the embalming of corpses, had to wear jackal masks.
Temple of Anubis
Sanctuaries dedicated to this god, at one time were located throughout the territory of Ancient Egypt. However, the cult center of Anubis was in Cynopolis (or "City of the Dog"), located in the 17th nome (province) of Upper Egypt. There is definitely an analogy between dogs and jackals, the image of which has become one of the symbols of Anubis.
Image of Anubis.
By the way, in the pyramid of Tutankhamun in 1922 a figurine of Anubis was discovered, made of plaster and wood and covered with gold leaf. The statuette depicted a reclining jackal, whose head was oriented to the west.
Other facts
Anubis is the Greek name for the Egyptian god. In ancient Egypt, he was known as Yingpu.
The Book of the Dead often shows priests wearing jackal masks performing embalming rituals.
Anubis helped Isis rebuild Osiris' body (after he was killed by Set) before he became the god of mummification.
Many tombs in the Valley of the Kings were sealed with the image of Anubis as the Jackal, Lord of bows (enemies of Egypt).
Prayer appeals to Anubis carved in stone have been found in the most ancient Egyptian tombs.
The characteristic black color of Anubis symbolizes fertility and rebirth as it resembles the color of the fertile silt of the Nile.
Through his embalming skills, Anubis gained excellent anatomical knowledge that made him the patron saint of anesthesiology.
Legend has it that the priests of Anubis were skillful healers, skillfully healing diseases with herbs.