In the shadows of ancient tombs, The Egyptian Dog God Anubis stands vigilant, a guide for the souls in transition, ensuring their safe passage to eternity’s embrace.
The Egyptian Dog God ” Anubis” is the Egyptian god of mummification and the afterlife and the patron god of lost and miserable souls.
Anubis is one of the oldest gods of Egypt, and he descended from the much older gods, the jackal and Yboot, so people often confuse the two.
We see the image of Anubis in royal tombs dating back to the First Egyptian Dynasty (3150-2890 BC). Still, a religious sect undoubtedly worshipped Anubis and followed him before this period to supplicate and pray to him on the walls of tombs for protection.
The Egyptian Dog God is believed to have appeared in response to wild dogs and jackals digging up freshly buried graves at some point in Egypt’s pre-dynastic period (6000-3150 BC) when the Egyptians believed in a powerful, dog-like god who would provide them with the best protection against wild dogs.
Anubis.
Photography and links of the Egyptian Dog God Anubis
The Egyptian Dog God Anubis was depicted as a black dog, or a hybrid between a dog and a jackal, with pointed ears, or as a muscular man with the head of a jackal. The color black was chosen for its symbolism, not because dogs and jackals in Egypt are black, but because black is a symbol of the rot and decomposition of the body and also a symbol of the fertile soil of the Nile Valley, which represented renewal and life. At that time, the mighty black dog was the protector of the dead, ensuring that they obtained their legal rights during burial ceremonies and standing by their side in the afterlife to help them rise from the dead.
Anubis was known as “the first of the Westerners” before the appearance of Osiris during the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BC), which meant “King of the Dead.” Westerners were an Egyptian name for mortal souls in the afterlife that departed westward toward the setting sun. In this role, Anubis was linked to eternal justice, and he maintained this connection even after his place was taken by Osiris, who was given the honorary title “First of the Westerners.”
In ancient times, The Egyptian Dog God was considered the son of the God Ra and Heest, but after his integration into the Osiris myth, he became the son of Osiris and Nephthys, his sister-in-law. Anubis is the first god drawn on the walls of tombs and invoked to protect the dead. He usually appears leaning toward the king’s body while supervising the rituals of mummification and funerals or standing next to Osiris, Thoth, or other gods while weighing the heart of the soul in the Hall of Truth in the afterlife.
In his famous drawings, Anubis shows a jackal-headed man standing or kneeling, holding the golden scales on which the heart of the soul is weighed on one palm against the white feather of truth on the other. His daughter Qebhat (or Kapit) brings cold water to the souls of the dead in the Hall of Truth and consoles the recently deceased. Anubis’ association with Nephthys – also known as the Friend of the Dead – and Qabat underscores his ancient role as protector of the dead and guide of souls in the afterlife.
Egyptian Dog God.
Name role in religion
Anubis is a Greek name derived from the Egyptian Anpu or Inpu, which means decay and indicates its ancient association with death. Anubis had many titles besides “the first of the Westerners.” He was also known as “Master of the Holy Land” In reference to the desert in which Necropolis (the city of the dead) is located, and “the one on whose sacred mountain” is in reference to the cliffs and cliffs around Necropolis, where wild dogs and jackals gather, and “the ruler of the nine strangers” in reference to the traditional phrase describing the enemies of Egypt. The drawings depicted them as nine captives bowing before the king and ”the dog that swallows millions.” This title means the role of Anubis as the god of death, “the master of secrets” because he knows what awaits people after death, and “the one who is found in the place of mummification,” referring to This title refers to his role in the mummification process, and “the most important person in the divine chamber.” This title refers to his presence in the mummification chamber and the burial chamber.
Judging by his attributes and titles that explain his role and function (as the protector who stands by the soul after death as judge and guide), Anubis was critical in every aspect of human death. Researcher Gera LedenBensch comments on this: “Anubis helped in judging the dead. He – and his army of messengers – took on the task of punishing people who desecrated the tombs, trespassed on them, or insulted the gods.” Anubis was primarily concerned with curbing those who would spread the seeds of chaos or who sided with it.
Pinch writes: “A recorded story from the first millennium BC tells us how the evil god Set disguised himself in the form of a leopard to approach the body of Osiris. Anubis had no choice but to grab him and iron his body with a hot iron. From here comes the Egyptian myth that explains the black spots on Cheetah. Anubis then skinned Set and wore his bloody skin as a warning to all evil people. In this era, he was said to be leading an army of demonic messengers who inflicted suffering and death on people.”
At the beginning of the First Dynasty (3150-2613) and the Old Kingdom (2613-2181), Anubis was the sole lord of the dead and the legal judge of souls. Still, as Osiris’ popularity increased, the latter took on more of the characteristics of Anubis, who maintained his popularity despite his integration into the Osiris myth, by abandoning his previous origin and history and making him the son of Osiris and Nephthys, who was the fruit of their love affairs.
According to the story, Nephthys (Set’s wife) was attracted by the beauty of Osiris, Set’s brother. So she transformed herself into the form of Isis, the wife of Osiris, who fell in love with her so that she could become pregnant by him with Anubis and then abandon him shortly after his birth for fear that Set would discover the affair. Isis discovers the affair and searches for the child, and when she finds him, she adopts him. Set also knows about the affair, which was one of his motives for killing Osiris.
After The Egyptian Dog God was integrated into the Osiris myth, he was seen as Osiris’ protector and right-hand man, guarding the god’s body, supervising mummification, and helping Osiris judge the souls of the dead. People invoked Anubis – as documented by amulets and burial paintings – for protection and revenge, especially as a powerful ally in casting curses on others and defending oneself from the curses themselves.
Nephthys.
Anubis cult
The priests of the Egyptian Dog God Anubis were primarily males and wore wooden masks of the gods while performing rituals. The center of the cult of the god Anubis in Upper Egypt was Synopolis (the city of the dog), and he had shrines spread throughout Egypt. People revered and glorified him throughout the length and breadth of the country.
Although Anubis does not have a significant role in many myths, his popularity was overwhelming. Like many Egyptian gods, his legend was nourished, and his existence at one time depended on his comparison with other gods in other regions. For example, the Greeks compared him to the god Hermes, who guides death to the afterlife. As Egyptologist SalimaIkram sees it, “Anubis was associated with Charon in the Greek-Roman era and with Saint Christopher at the beginning of the Christian era. Anubis may have been depicted as a supernatural dog combining the Canidae’s most prominent characteristics rather than just a jackal or a dog.
This supernatural dog assured people that their bodies would be respected after death, their souls would be protected as well, and they would receive a fair trial for their earthly deeds. Some people seek the same reassurances and assurances today, and it is easy to understand Anubis’s popularity as a forbearing god. His image – among the images of Egyptian gods – remains the most famous. Replicas of his statues and burial drawings have maintained their popularity, especially among dog owners today.
Anubis.
As we conclude our journey through Egypt’s ancient sands and mystic realms, the legacy of Anubis, the Egyptian Dog God, remains a compelling testament to the Egyptians’ reverence for the afterlife and their deities. Anubis’s role as the guardian of the dead and guide to the beyond underscores the depth of the ancient Egyptians’ beliefs and their quest for eternal peace. May the spirit of Anubis remind us of the profound connections between the divine and the mortal and the eternal cycle of life and death. In the shadow of the jackal, we find a protector and a bridge to the mysteries that lie beyond.
