| Anubis |
the Egyptian god Anubis (a modern rendition inspired by New Kingdom tomb paintings). |
| God of judgment and the dead |
| Major cult center |
Lycopolis, Cynopolis |
| Symbol |
the fetish, the flail |
| Parents |
Nephthys and Osiris or Set |
| Siblings |
Horus (in some accounts) |
| Children |
Kebechet |
|
|
Anubis is the Greek name[1] for a jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in Egyptian mythology. In the ancient Egyptian language, Anubis is known as Inpu, (variously spelled Anupu, Ienpw etc.)[2]. The oldest known mention of Anubis is in the Old Kingdom pyramid texts, where he is associated with the burial of the king.[3] At this time, Anubis was the most important god of the Dead but he was replaced during the Middle Kingdom by Osiris.[4]
He takes names in connection with his funerary role, such as He who is upon his mountain, which underscores his importance as a protector of the deceased and their tombs, and the title He who is in the place of embalming, associating him with the process of mummification.[3] Like many ancient Egyptian deities, Anubis assumes different roles in various contexts, and no public procession in Egypt would be conducted without an Anubis to march at the head.
Portrayal
Anubis was associated with the mummification and protection of the dead for their journey into the afterlife. He was usually portrayed as a half human, half jackal, or in full jackal form wearing a ribbon and holding a flail in the crook of its arm[5]. The jackal was strongly associated with cemeteries in ancient Egypt, since it was a scavenger which threatened to uncover human bodies and eat their flesh[6] The distinctive black color of Anubis "did not have to do with the jackal [per se] but with the color of rotting flesh and with the black soil of the Nile valley, symbolizing rebirth."[6]
Anubis is depicted in funerary contexts where he is shown attending to the mummies of the deceased or sitting atop a tomb protecting it. In fact, during embalming, the "head embalmer" wore an Anubis costume. The critical weighing of the heart scene in Book of the Dead also show Anubis performing the measurement that determined the worthiness of the deceased to enter the realm of the dead (the underworld). New Kingdom tomb-seals also depict Anubis atop nine bows that symbolize his domination over the foes of Egypt.[3]
Embalmer
Following the merging of the Ennead and Ogdoad belief systems, as a result of the identification of Atum with Ra, and their compatibility, Anubis became a lesser god in the underworld, giving way to the more popular Osiris during the Middle Kingdom. However, "Anubis was given a place in the family of gods as the...son of Osiris and Nephthys, and in this role he helped Isis mummify his dead father."[6] . Indeed, when the Myth of Osiris and Isis emerged, it was said that when Osiris had died, Osiris' organs were given to Anubis as a gift. With this connection, Anubis became the patron god of embalmers: during the funerary rites of mummification, illustrations from the Book of the Dead often show a priest wearing the jackal mask supporting the upright mummy.
Perceptions outside Egypt
In later times, during the Ptolemaic period, Anubis was merged with the Greek god Hermes, becoming Hermanubis[7][8]. The centre of this cult was in uten-ha/Sa-ka/ Cynopolis, a place whose Greek name simply means "city of dogs". In Book XI of "The Golden Ass" by Apuleius, we find evidence that the worship of this god was maintained in Rome at least up to the 2nd century. Indeed, Hermanubis also appears in the alchemical and hermetical literature of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Although the Greeks and Romans typically scorned Egypt's animal-headed gods as bizarre and primitive (they mockingly called Anubis the "Barker"), Anubis was sometimes associated with Sirius in the heavens, and Cerberus in Hades. In his dialogues (e.g. Republic 399e, 592a), Plato has Socrates utter, "by the dog" (kai me ton kuna), "by the dog of Egypt","by the dog, the god of the Egyptians" (Gorgias, 482b), for emphasis.
Life sized Anubis statue from the Tomb of Tutankhamun (
Cairo Museum
Anubis attending the mummy of the deceased
See also
References
- ^ Charles Russell Coulter, Patricia Turner, Encyclopedia of ancient deities,Sammy Northam Rocks 2000, ISBN 0786403179, p.58
- ^ The Gods of Ancient Egypt - Anubis
- ^ a b c Wilkinson, Richard H. (2003). The complete gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt. London: Thames & Hudson. pp. 188–190. ISBN 0-500-05120-8.
- ^ Charles Freeman, The Legacy of Ancient Egypt, Facts on File, Inc. 1997. p.91
- ^ Ancient Egypt: the Mythology - Anubis
- ^ a b c Freeman, op. cit., p.91
- ^ Hermanubis
- ^ Hermanubis | English | Dictionary & Translation by Babylon
External links
