Anubis: god of Egyptian mythology

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Anubis, also called Anupo, is the Egyptian god, protector, guardian and guide of the dead. In Egyptian mythology, he assists the dead in their encounter with Osiris.

For this, he is associated with the eye of Horus and also appointed as the god of funerary rites, as the mummification process of the pharaohs.

Note that in Greek mythology, Anubis is associated with Hermes, the messenger of the gods.

Representation of Anubis

Anubis

Represented with the head of a jackal and the body of a man, the cult of Anubis would have started between 3100 BC. Ç. and 2686 a. a., at the time of the first dynasty of Egypt. In his right hand he holds a scepter and in his left the key that represents life and death. In addition, Anubis has as a symbol the whip he carries with his body.

This representation would be explained because at that moment in history, the dead were buried in shallow graves. So, to avoid the action of marauders, dogs and jackals were used as protectors.

History

Some myths indicate that Anubis was the son of Osiris with Nephthys and was god of the underworld. The post was later assumed by Osiris, and Anubis, out of respect for his father, did not take it up again.

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It would be up to Anubis to organize the funerary rites. The first to be subjected was Osiris, whose corpse was embalmed for preservation after being murdered by Set.

In this version, Osiris teamed up with his sister Nephthys and with her he had a son: Anubis. Jealous of the amount of land that Osiris ruled in Egypt, his brother Set decides to kill him.

However, his other sister-wife, Isis, resurrects him and with the help of Nephthys and Anubis they embalm the body of Osiris. After being resurrected by Isis, Osiris goes to live in the underworld. There, he is charged with weighing the hearts of the dead and deciding their fate.

Anubis, in turn, was in charge of preparing the death ritual and embalming the bodies. Furthermore, he was responsible for guiding the souls of the dead. He had some priests who helped him embalm the bodies. In these rituals, his helpers wore jackal masks.

Once mummified, the dead man's heart was given to Anubis, and like his father, he weighed each one.

Legend has it that in this process he used the so-called "truth feather". If the organ was heavier than the object, it was taken to be devoured by Ammit, the lion god. That's because that heart, heavier than the feather, was full of evil.

If the heart was lighter, it was certainly full of goodness. Therefore, he was guided by Anubis to the world beyond, where he ruled over his father Osiris.

Anubis married the goddess of funerals, Anput, and with her he had a daughter Kebechet, associated with the liquid used to embalm the bodies.

Read more about the Egyptian gods:

  • Egyptian gods
  • Egyptian Mythology
  • ha, sun god
  • Horus
  • osiris
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