Anubis Facts

10 facts about Anubis

• Anubis had different roles during the history of Ancient Egypt

  Throughout history, Anubis had many roles, including the God of Mummification, Protector of tombs and cemeteries, Guide of souls in the afterlife, Ruler of the underworld, and Guardian of the Scales of Justice..

  Anubis was the god of the dead and the underworld until the Middle Kingdom, when this role was taken over by Osiris.

• He is one of the oldest gods.

  References To Anubis go back as far as the Old Kingdom.

• The color of Anubis has a symbolic meaning.

  The black color of Anubis was not a representation of nature, but it represents how the body changes color after being treated with a substance for dehydration and after the bandages around the body are coated with some resin during the mummification process.

• Anubis is the inventor and god of embalming and mummification.

  In Ancient Egypt, embalming and mummification were essential religious rituals placed in the capable hands of Anubis, the god of preservation. Anubis ensured that the deceased's physical form was prepared for their journey to their final resting place for eternity.

• Guiding Souls to the Afterlife

  On their mission to the spiritual realm, souls looked to Anubis for dependable guidance. As a guardian, he stood firm, shielding them from potential danger and leading them without wavering along the winding and treacherous path.

• Anubis was the Guardian of the Scales, used to weigh the hearts of dead souls.

  Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god, embodied justice and was charged with passing judgment on the hearts of those who had died. He weighed them against the feather of Ma'at to decide if they were worthy of reaching the afterworld. This profound honor was no simple task, as a balance must be carefully maintained.

• His high level of anatomical knowledge due to embalming made him the patron of anesthesiology.

• A crouching statue of Anubis took a central place in Tutankhamun's tomb.

Anubis was a key figure in the protection of tombs, continuously providing a sense of security for the deceased. This regard from the Ancient Egyptians further manifested Anubis' role as an omnipresent entity that ensures the consequences of death are not disturbed by ill-minded entities. As such, resting places were maintained with sanctified peace and harmony.

• Priests who performed the embalming of corpses wore jackal masks to imitate Anubis.

  The primary embalmer was believed to wear a mask of a jackal during the embalming process.

• Greek mythology blends Hermes with Anubis to result in the god Hermanubis.

Bibliography

• Egypt : gods, myth and religionby Lucia Gahlin
• A dictionary of Egyptian gods and goddessesby George Hart
• The gods of the Egyptians : Studies in Egyptian mythologyby Sir E.A. Wallis Budge