Egyptian jackal. Anubis - the god-guide to the underworld of Ancient Egypt

Anubis

Playing multiplayer games in your city (and not only) with friends and signing with a pseudonym Anubis, encountered multiple examples of human illiteracy and narrow-mindedness. People kept asking me: “What is Anubis?”... As soon as they did not distort this ancient and noble name. Today I decided to take and correct this disastrous state of affairs... So it’s your turn, dear gentlemen, to find out who he is Anubis.

ANUBIS(Greek) - INPU(Egyptian). IN Egyptian mythology patron god of the dead, guardian of poisons and medicines, “Master of the sacred land” (i.e., necropolis) and “he who is before the hall of the gods” (in which mummification was carried out). As a patron of magic, he had the gift of foresight. Anubis was considered the judge of the gods. Center for the cult of Anubis throughout history Ancient Egypt there was the city of Kassa, the capital of the 17th Upper Egyptian nome (the Greek name of the city is Kinopolis, that is, “Dog City”), but its veneration spread very early throughout Egypt. During Ancient kingdom Anubis was considered the god of the dead, his main epithets are “Khentiamenti”, i.e. the one who is ahead of the country of the West (the kingdom of the dead), “the lord of Rasetau” (the kingdom of the dead), “standing in front of the palace of the gods”. According to the Pyramid Texts. Anubis was the main god in the kingdom of the dead, he counted the hearts of the dead (while Osiris mainly personified the deceased pharaoh, who came to life like a god). Starting from the period of the Middle Kingdom (2100 BC), the functions of Anubis pass to Osiris, who was assigned his epithets, and Anubis, along with other gods (Upuatom, Khentiamenti, etc.) who have similar iconography, is included in the circle of gods associated with the mysteries of Osiris (Anubis introduces the dead and weighs the heart and feather of Maat on the scales of justice; nearby is the terrible dog Anud, who eats the heart of the deceased if it is burdened with sins). One of the most important functions of Anubis was preparing the body of the deceased for embalming and turning it into a mummy (the embalmer, in the process of mummifying the corpse, put on a mask of the jackal-headed god Anubis). Anubis was credited with laying his hands on the mummy and transforming the deceased with the help of magic into ah ("enlightened", "blessed"), who came to life thanks to this gesture; Anubis placed children around the deceased in the burial chamber of Horus and gave each a canopic jar with the entrails of the deceased for their protection. Anubis is closely associated with the necropolis at Thebes, the seal of which depicts a jackal lying over nine captives. At night, Anubis guarded the mummies from evil forces. On the doors of numerous tombs a black dog is depicted lying down; it is the guarding god.
In iconography revered in the form of a lying black jackal or a wild dog Sab. He was depicted as a jackal (dog) or as a man with the head of a jackal or a dog (moreover, the zoological species, be it a dog or a jackal, was not definitely noted by the Egyptian, but presumably it is a mixed creature - a cross between a wild dog, a wolf-jackal and a human) holding in his hand the hieroglyph "ank" ("life"). This divine guardian of the path to the kingdom of the dead is depicted in black, i.e., has the color of sacred embalming resin, which symbolizes faith in the continuation of life in other world.

Son Osiris and Nephthys, Brother god Bata, father Kebhut.
sacred animal: Jackal.
Identification: Khentiamenti, Upuaut (wolf god Upuat), Isdes. IN Ancient Greece- Hermes, Kron.

In a later period Anubis (Anpu), the Egyptian psychopomp (guide of souls), began to be confused with Thoth, although the Energies of both archetypes are very different and each has its own sphere of application (from the point of view of mythology and human psychology). Anubis was the patron deity of travelers, both inside and outside the body. As an intermediary between this world and the next, Anubis is often depicted as a jackal or black hunting dog with a bushy tail (and the latter option, according to Budge, is more accurate). Anubis could travel unhindered throughout all the nooks and crannies of the late kingdom, which naturally made him an ideal companion for the spirit of the deceased, passionately wanting to get to a certain area of ​​​​the kingdom of the dead. As with Thoth, Anubis' connections to the family of Isis are unmistakable. Despite the fact that in the Pyramid Texts he is called the fourth son of Ra. Anubis is more commonly known as the offspring of Nephthys and Osiris; Here we are again dealing with the case when psychological meaning allegories involving Osiris become obvious. Nephthys, Secretive, Revealer, with psychological point view, is seen as deeply unconscious; originally she was the wife of Set (Chaos). Their relationship was purely platonic, which is understandable. The fruit of her union with Osiris (Stability, Order) became Anubis - Defender of the soul in darkness. This implies that chaos is not scary to someone who has mastered the hidden aspects of the deeply unconscious - to someone who is able to look at the face of a terrifying reality, without which the discovery of truth and harmony is impossible. Anubis was (and remains - for the information of those who want to evoke his energy) the patron saint of anesthesiologists, psychiatrists and psychologists; it can also help in finding anything lost or missing. This god was also called the “Opener of Paths,” and in this capacity Anubis was summoned by those who wanted to get out of the labyrinth of earthly existence or who were tired of wandering in the darkness of doubt and uncertainty.

But what an interesting point of view on why Anubis was represented as a man with the head of a jackal/dog I found in Theosophical Dictionary:
GERMANUBIS(Greek) Or Hermes Anubis, “revealing the secrets of the lower world” - not Hell or Hades, as it is presented, but our Earth (the lower world of the sevenfold chain of worlds) - as well as the secrets of sex. Kreuzer must have guessed the truth of the correct interpretation, since he calls Anubis-Thoth-Hermes "the symbol of science and the world of the mind." He was always depicted with a cross in his hand - one of the earliest symbols of the mystery of generation, or generation on this earth. In the Chaldean Kabbalah (Book of Numbers) the symbol Tat, or +, is regarded as Adam and Eve - the latter being a transverse or horizontal line drawn from the side (or edge) of Hadam, a perpendicular line. In fact, in an esoteric sense, Adam and Eve, representing the early third Root Race - those who, while still devoid of reason, imitated the animals and degraded themselves with the latter - were also a double symbol of the sexes. Hence Anubis, Egyptian god birth, is depicted with the head of an animal - a dog or a jackal - and is also considered the "Lord of the Underworld" or "Hades", into which he introduces the souls of the dead (reincarnating entities), for Hades is in one sense the womb, as some of the writings of the Fathers of the Church clearly show .

The god Anubis was depicted by the ancient Egyptians as a man with the head of a jackal. During the Old Kingdom, Anubis was the ruler of the underworld and bore the epithet Khentiamenti. From a certain period in the development of the religion of Ancient Egypt, Anubis began to be depicted as a man with the head of a dog, while the functions of the deity changed. One of the especially revered gods in Egypt was Anubis.

In ancient Egyptian mythology - the son of Osiris. The center of the cult of Anubis was the capital of the 17th Upper Egyptian nome, the city of Kinopol. Anubis himself becomes the guide of the dead through Amenti (ancient Egypt. Egyptologists note the rapid and widespread spread of this cult in the early period. Moreover, before the advent of the cult of Osiris, he was the main deity of the West.

Seth's wife Nephthys fell in love with Osiris and, taking the guise of Isis, seduced him. As a result of intercourse, the god Anubis was born. Isdes (also pronounced Astennu, Asten, Isten or Astes) is one of the patrons of the underworld (Duat, Western Desert) in Egyptian mythology, close in this regard to Anubis. In the Late Period he was identified with Anubis. Anubis helped preserve the body of Osiris.

Kebkhut was considered the daughter of Anubis, who poured libations in honor of the dead. Rite of Anubis. The god Anubis removes the heart of the deceased to weigh it at the court of Osiris. The earliest mention of Anubis is found in the Pyramid Texts during the Old Kingdom in the 23rd century BC, where he was associated exclusively with royal burials. Like other gods of antiquity, Anubis served various roles. The animals in which Anubis was depicted are inhabitants of the desert, that is, the lands bordering the land of the dead Duat.

In the Hellenistic era, Anubis was united by the Greeks with Hermes in the syncretic image of Hermanubis. This god is mentioned as a magician in Roman literature. Some scholars see traits of Anubis in St. Christopher and in medieval stories about cynoscephali (dog-headed people). The center of the cult of Anubis is the city of the 17th nome of Kas (Greek Kinopolis - “dog city”).

The priests of the God Anubis were the most healthy people in Ancient Egypt. This is because Anubis is also responsible for the opposite aspect of death - life. God of the dead and guardian of mummies - Anubis. In ancient Egypt, jackals were not liked because they often rummaged in graves.

Thus, the god of the dead Anubis took on the appearance of a dog or jackal. Wall painting (1) shows Anubis, the guardian god of mummies, in human form with the head of a dog. According to this painting, the mummifying priests also wore jackal masks made of painted clay, since the god was considered an expert in embalming. The god's sacred animals, dogs and jackals, which were kept in nearby temple buildings, were also embalmed and mummified after their death.

God is depicted here in the form of an animal lying on a mysterious box. Presumably, the box could be a sarcophagus or a container in which the entrails were stored. One spelling shows the god as a man with the head of a dog. This hieroglyph may also refer to some other god in the form of a dog, such as Upuaut, the god of Assiut, or Khontamenti, the god of Abydos.

Such statues, together with images of Osiris, Isis and Nephthys, were an important part of the grave goods of the tomb of every noble person. Together with Isis, Nephthys and Thoth, Anubis washes the body of the deceased with sacred water, which embodies the power of his daughter, the goddess Kebkhut. The image of Anubis, lying on nine foreign captives, symbolizing evil, has since ancient times been depicted on the seals of the guards of the Valley of the Kings, the imprints of which covered the walled-up entrances to the tombs of the pharaohs.

The cult of Anubis gained particular popularity in the New Kingdom and Late Times; he was often depicted in vignettes for the text of the Book of the Dead and in the paintings of the tombs of the pharaohs and their subjects. From now on, Anubis is considered the great guide of the soul of the deceased in the afterlife, the god who brings the deceased to the throne of Osiris in the great “Chamber of Two Truths.”

The cult of Anubis flourished in many cities of Upper and Lower Egypt, especially in Kinopolis and Assiut, where he was identified with the local god Upuat. Together with the Egyptian religious ideas The cult of Anubis also penetrated into other countries of the Mediterranean basin. The image of God also influenced Coptic culture: the “wolf’s voice” still exists in Coptic chants, and the Coptic Museum in Cairo contains an icon depicting two saints with the heads of jackals.

Myths associated with Anubis

From the depths of centuries, our ancestors’ ideas about the world and the world order have reached us. Their views were reflected in myths and legends, because people could not explain everything with scientific point vision, so they invented for themselves beautiful fairy tales. Anubis-Sab was considered the judge of the gods (in Egyptian, “sab” “judge” was written with the sign of a jackal). Anubis is closely associated with the necropolis at Thebes, the seal of which depicted a jackal lying over nine captives. Anubis was considered the brother of the god Bata, which was reflected in the tale of two brothers.

Conclusion: Anubis in the modern world

Like Hermes Psychopompos among the Greeks, he, according to the beliefs of the Egyptians, was a guide of the dead to the underworld called Amentes, and together with Horus weighed their deeds before Osiris. When the Egyptian cult penetrated the Roman Empire, Anubis merged with Hermes and his images with a dog's head were accompanied by the signs of the latter.

Appearance and attributes of Anubis

Ideas about Anubis influenced the formation of the image of the Christian saint Christopher the Dog-headed, who, like Anubis, was depicted with a dog’s head. IN modern world Egyptian deities are often used to create images computer games, cartoons and books, for this reason ancient images coming from the depths of centuries should be known and remembered.

During the animist period, Anubis was represented in the form of a jackal. The capital of the 17th Egyptian nome Kinopolis was the center of the cult of Anubis throughout the history of Ancient Egypt. One of its chapters describes the Judgment of Osiris, in which Anubis weighed the heart on the Scales of Truth.

Instructions

Anubis was always depicted with the head of a jackal and the completely athletic body of a human man. He was distinguished by large pointed ears and an elongated nose. On the papyri that have come down to us, the eyes of Anubis are written in the same way as the eyes or priests were written: they are large and wide open, framed by traditional tattooing.

There are 2 types of images of Anubis known - the canonical one, with a black body (the black color was supposed to resemble the mummified human body and the earth), and the “new” one - with a sand-colored body, dressed in a loincloth and a trapezoidal apron. On the head there was always a claft - a dress of the highest nobility in the form of a thick scarf, the two free ends of which fell onto the chest in the form of twisted strands.

The famous uraei - twisted, which seemed ready to jump on the enemy, crowning the head and wrists of the pharaohs, were alien to the image of Anubis; only colored ribbons were visible on his hands, which spoke of his special significance and modesty.

There was a separate hieroglyph denoting this god; translated, the hieroglyph means “knower of secrets.” A figurine of the god Anubis was certainly placed in the tombs of the dead - a figurine of a jackal-shaped dog carved from stone or wood, lying with its paws extended forward.

Anubis served as a guide for dead people to the afterlife. In order to get to acceptable conditions, the Egyptians tried not to anger Anubis - after all, according to myths, every person had to meet him.

It is interesting that Anubis was not always the guide to the world of the dead, that is, the second character. For a long time, it was he who played the leading role, he judged people who ended up in another world, he was the king of the dead. Over time, this function went to his father, Osiris, and Anubis took second place in Egyptian mythology, becoming an important, but not the main character. According to myths, Osiris took over the functions of a judge, removing this burden from his son’s shoulders; the changes that occurred made Anubis a step lower than his father.

The jackal head with which Anubis is depicted is most likely used because it was jackals that hunted on the edge of the desert, near the necropolis, throughout Egypt. Anubis's head is black, indicating that he belongs to the world of the dead. However, in some myths you can find a description of a god with a dog’s head.

The city of Kinopolis is considered the center of Anubis worship, although Anubis was revered everywhere. According to mythology, it was Anubis who initiated mummification, literally collecting his father’s body piece by piece: by swaddling the remains in miraculous fabric, he contributed to the subsequent resurrection of his parent. That is, it was Anubis who could turn the mummy into a living substance, some kind of enlightened, sublime being who could live in the afterlife.

Anubis protected mummies just waiting for a magical transformation from evil spirits, which were feared in Ancient Egypt, considered the main enemies of world of the dead. A correctly carried out ritual of mummification became a guarantee that in the afterlife, in the life that follows earthly existence, Anubis will resurrect the deceased, giving him his protection and protection.

God Anubis, originally Inpu, was originally the god of the underworld.

After Osiris became the ruler there, Anubis remained the conductor of the souls of the dead. In Egypt, he patronized cemeteries and necropolises, and was considered the guardian of poisons and medicines.

The center of his cult was a city called Kinopolis in Greek - that is, “the city of dogs.” This name was associated with the appearance of Anubis, who was depicted with the head of a dog or jackal, and sometimes simply in the guise of these animals.

In the early period, before the advent of the cult of Osiris, Anubis was one of the supreme deities of Egypt. He bore the title “Hentiamenti”, which meant “Lord of the West”; “West” at that time meant the afterlife.

In a later period, Anubis was declared the son of Osiris, so he does not resist when his beloved father reigns in the kingdom of the dead in his place. After all, Anubis personally assembled the body of Osiris, which Seth had cut into small pieces.

Anubis at the Judgment of Osiris

When Osiris becomes the ruler of the underworld, Anubis accompanies the souls of the dead along Amenti - a kind of threshold to this world, from which they go straight to the judgment of Osiris. Anubis stands near the scales and weighs the hearts of the candidates.

At the same time, the criteria for judgment looked peculiar: on one side of the scales there was a heart, which among the Egyptians symbolized soul and love, and on the other side was the feather of the goddess Maat, symbolizing reason, that is, calculation. If the heart outweighed, the soul went to heaven, and if the mind - to hell.

Obviously, such an understanding arose in the era of the Middle Kingdom, when the cult of Osiris and Anubis spread among poor and poorly educated people: education and reasonable calculation characteristic of the ruling class seemed to them lack of spirituality.

How Anubis was born

According to mythological legend, Nephthys, the wife of Set, fell in love with Osiris. She appeared to him in the guise of Isis and copulated with him. As a result, Anubis was born, whom Nephthys hastened to hide in the reed thickets, fearing the wrath of her husband. There Anubis was found by Isis, who nursed him and made him her son.

Anubis among the Greeks and Romans

Anubis was one of the Egyptian gods, especially popular in antiquity. A sufficient amount of information has been preserved about this:

• Virgil described that this god was depicted on the shield of Aeneas, the hero Trojan War and one of the founders of Rome (or an ancestor of its founders);
• Juvenal mentioned that the cult of Anubis was widespread in Rome;
• In Greece, Anubis was identified with Hermes, who also had the function of conducting the souls of the dead; later both deities merged among the Greeks into one - Hermanubis.

Inventor of embalming

According to the mythological story, Anubis was sent by the god Ra to collect parts of the body of Osiris, who was killed by Set. He embalmed the newly folded body; in fact, Anubis is considered the inventor of this method of burying the dead. Therefore, the priest who performed the mummification wore a mask of the jackal god.

In the temples of Anubis there were special rooms where dogs and jackals were kept - sacred animals; after their death, they were also mummified and buried in sarcophagi. IN sacred texts Anubis calls himself the “lord of the chambers of purification,” that is, the embalming chambers.

Input

Anubis also had a female form - the goddess Input. She was also depicted with a dog's head. Sometimes Input was presented as an independent goddess - the wife of Anubis.

Identifications

In Ancient Egypt, whose population was more interested in afterlife, the kingdom of the dead were dedicated to different gods. Subsequently, some of them were identified with Anubis:

• Upuaut is the god of war, who initially served as a guide of souls (which Anubis later did). Depicted as a wolf or a man with a wolf's head.
• Isdes is the patron saint of the “west,” that is, the afterlife. He had the appearance of a large black dog.
• Duamutef is the son of Horus, who protected the ashes of the dead. Also depicted as a dog. In his guise, canopic jars were made - special jugs in which the entrails of the deceased were poured. The canopus was placed next to the sarcophagus, where the mummy itself was located.

The origins of the veneration of Anubis and other “dog” gods

In ancient times, the Egyptians began to notice that dogs and jackals gathered in cemeteries and rummaged near graves. They decided that these animals were somehow connected with death. Until ideas about the afterlife were developed, death seemed to them a gloomy element. To try to drive away the jackals or avoid their harmful influence, they decided to deify them.

Lord of Asyut Asyut was the capital of the 17th nome (province) of Ancient Egypt, which bore the name of Anubis. In his speeches, Anubis appears to be the ruler of this city. Later the Greeks called it Kinopolis, that is, “the city of the dog.” Archaeologists have discovered traces of the very ancient veneration Anubis.

God, the patron of the dead, was depicted in the form of a jackal or a man with a jackal's head. Since Anubis is credited with inventing the custom of embalming the dead, the priest who oversaw the embalming process wore a jackal-Anubis mask.

Anubis (Greek) - Inpu (Egyptian) One of the oldest and most respected gods of the pantheon of Ancient Egypt is God Anubis. One of the functions of God Anubis is the punishment of sinners in the Hell of the Egyptian Underworld. God Anubis is also responsible for wisdom, Karma, rewards and punishments that a person deserves in his earthly life. It is God Anubis who decides how long a person will live on Earth, he determines who has time to leave and who has not yet completed their tasks.

The god Anubis was depicted by the ancient Egyptians as a man with the head of a jackal. It symbolizes protection, hunting, communication with the dead, loyalty and devotion.

The priests of the God Anubis were the healthiest people in Ancient Egypt. This is because Anubis is also responsible for the opposite aspect of death - life. God of the dead and guardian of mummies - Anubis.

In ancient Egypt, jackals were not liked because they often rummaged in graves. People hoped to put an end to these activities through deification. Thus, the god of the dead Anubis took on the appearance of a dog or jackal. The fact that dogs roamed between the graves at night suggested that these animals would protect the dead at night.

The wall painting shows Anubis, the guardian god of mummies, in human form with the head of a dog. According to this painting, the mummifying priests also wore jackal masks made of painted clay, since the god was considered an expert in embalming.

In more late time, when Osiris also acted as the god of the dead, Anubis became a servant and subsequently supervised the weighing of hearts (souls) at the judgment of the dead.

The god's sacred animals, dogs and jackals, which were kept in nearby temple buildings, were also embalmed and mummified after their death. The hieroglyph for the god Anubis means “knower of secrets.” God is depicted here in the form of an animal lying on a mysterious box. Presumably, the box could be a sarcophagus or a container in which the entrails were stored.

One spelling shows the god as a man with the head of a dog. This hieroglyph may also refer to some other god in the form of a dog, such as Upuaut, the god of Assiut, or Khontamenti, the god of Abydos.

The elegant figure of the jackal-headed god Anubis, kept in the Hildesheim Museum, is one of the most interesting and, at the same time, extremely rarely published monuments of this collection. The statue is made of sycamore wood. Due to the fact that the base of the statue is lost and there is no coloring, it can be assumed that the statue could depict both Anubis and one of the sons of Horus - the patrons of canopies - the jackal-headed spirit Duamutef. Such statues, together with images of Osiris, Isis and Nephthys, were an important part of the grave goods of the tomb of every noble person.

The patron god of necropolises and embalming, Anubis was depicted with a black body, not typical for a jackal in nature and associated with the color of mummified flesh and the fertility of the Egyptian land, which brings rebirth. According to legend, the jackal-headed god was the son of Osiris, born of the goddess Nephthys (according to other versions - the cow Hesath or even the cat Bastet), and embalmed the body of the slain god, inventing the process of mummification. Together with Isis, Nephthys and Thoth, Anubis washes the body of the deceased with sacred water, which embodies the power of his daughter, the goddess Kebkhut.

The role of Anubis, the guardian of the necropolis, is reflected in his two main epithets - neb ta djeser - “lord of the sacred land” and khenti sekh necher - “first of the divine canopy”; the second epithet also indicated its connection with the room in which the mummification took place and the burial chamber of the tomb. No less common was another title of the god - tepi ju ef - “he who is on his hill”, which emphasized the role of Anubis - the guardian of the graves, tracking down intruders from the heights of the hills of desert necropolises. The image of Anubis, lying on nine foreign captives, symbolizing evil, has since ancient times been depicted on the seals of the guards of the Valley of the Kings, the imprints of which covered the walled-up entrances to the tombs of the pharaohs.

Prayers addressed to Anubis are already found on the walls of the tombs of nobles of the Ancient Kingdom; in "Texts
pyramids" he is mentioned as the protector of the deceased, the executor of the will of Osiris in the other world, "announcing his orders."

Part human body, associated, according to the Pyramid Texts, with Anubis - head.

The cult of Anubis gained particular popularity in the New Kingdom and Late Times; he was often depicted in vignettes for the text of the Book of the Dead and in the paintings of the tombs of the pharaohs and their subjects. From now on, Anubis is considered the great guide of the soul of the deceased in the afterlife, the god who brings the deceased to the throne of Osiris in the great “Chamber of Two Truths.”

In the Egyptian worldview, Anubis was closely associated with various areas of magic. The texts sometimes call him the "Lord of the Bau", and claim that he has legions of entities under his command, which can be either benevolent or aggressive. The name of Anubis was especially often used in magician protection rituals and predictions. The cult of Anubis flourished in many cities of Upper and Lower Egypt, especially in Kinopolis and Assiut, where he was identified with the local god Upuat. Together with Egyptian religious ideas, the cult of Anubis penetrated into other countries of the Mediterranean basin. The image of God also influenced Coptic culture: the “wolf’s voice” still exists in Coptic chants, and the Coptic Museum in Cairo contains an icon depicting two saints with the heads of jackals.

Without a doubt, Anubis is the most famous god Egypt. His image can be seen in any tomb: in the scene of weighing the soul of the deceased, this god stands next to Osiris.

Anubis is a psychopomp god, or a guide god: one who helps souls on the path to a new destiny. In the minds of the ancient Egyptians he had great importance. The afterlife of Osiris occupied them much more than the fleeting earthly life. And therefore Anubis was especially revered by all those who wished after death to be “justified” by the gods and, therefore, worthy to enter Kingdom of the Dead. In addition, Anubis was considered the inventor of embalming. Let us remember that thanks to this procedure the body avoided decomposition. The Egyptians were deeply convinced of the need for embalming, as they believed that after the final judgment they would return to their original body. The salvation of the soul without a body is unthinkable, just as the afterlife is impossible without Anubis!

Most often, Anubis takes on an anthropomorphic appearance, with the head of a black dog or jackal. The Egyptians noticed these animals roaming desert cemeteries and associated them with the afterlife. Since the animals resembled guards of necropolises, fans of Anubis soon likened them to their god, which was reflected in his appearance. Anubis is usually depicted standing, with his torso half-unfolded. Sometimes he even turns into a wolf or jackal! In this case, it is completely black and lies on a chest in the shape of a naos (another name is cella), the room where the statues of the gods stood in the Egyptian temple. This is how he is depicted on the hieroglyph denoting this god. This drawing also has the meaning “knower of secrets.”

Myths about Anubis

Anubis is so closely connected with the afterlife and with all funeral rituals that the Egyptians, more than other ancient peoples, fascinated by the idea of ​​another life, left countless images of him on the walls of their tombs. It is he who accompanies the deceased to the judgment of Osiris. What will be the verdict? It is not surprising that the Egyptians, foreseeing this moment, treated this god with such reverence!

Before power over Upper and Lower Egypt fell into the hands of one pharaoh and fragmented Egypt was united, each city or locality had its own gods. After this unification took place, the images of many gods merged, giving rise to deities of national importance. In the process of assimilation they were assigned family ties. All this led to the emergence of some very strange families in the Egyptian pantheon!

Anubis Family

In Asyut (the main city of the cult of Anubis), this god was identified with Horus, and therefore was considered the son of Osiris. This version explains the difficulties he went through to revive his divine father in the other world. But who is his mother in this case? According to one version, this is the wife of Set and the sister of Osiris Nephthys. She appeared to Osiris in the guise of his wife, and God did not notice the substitution. Fearing that her husband would punish her for her betrayal, Nephthys hid the baby in the reeds, and Isis found him and raised him. In Memphis they believed that the mother of this god was Isis, the legal wife of Osiris. And according to the most unusual version, the jackal god was given birth to by the cat goddess Baet, the right eye of Ra, the creator of all things.

But one thing is certain: Anubis is one of the main gods of the Egyptian pantheon, associated with other important deities, and because of this he had great power.

Anubis psychopomp

This Greek word means that Anubis accompanies souls. The role of guide made Anubis a trustworthy god in the eyes of the Egyptians. It is he who will accompany and support them in the afterlife journey.

Everything begins at the moment of death. Ka (double soul) separates from ba ( vitality). Anubis meets the soul of the deceased at the threshold of Amenti, the afterlife. The dog god will protect the soul that has just flown away from all the dangers that await it on the way, and will lead it to Osiris, the judge and ruler of the world of the dead.

Anubis and the soul of the deceased go to the end of the world, to one of the four mountains that support the sky. They board Kheper's boat and begin to descend through the gallery of night, where the river of hell flows. In these stormy waters hides the insidious serpent Apep, the eternal enemy of Ra, who is trying to block the boat’s path. Monstrous creatures live on the shores and attack travelers. Giant baboons want to catch the deceased with large nets. Hungry snakes armed with knives, five-headed reptiles gather towards the river... Soul-tearing sobs are heard, homeless shadows rush around howling. The deceased is horrified. But faithful Anubis protects him.

To leave this terrifying kingdom, you must overcome seven gates, each of which is guarded by deities. Anubis helps you guess magic words, opening the gate. “Open the door, be my guards!” - the man shouts. Now all that remains is to cross seven pylons. Having passed through the latter, the soul, accompanied by Anubis, finds itself in huge hall, where Osiris administers judgment.

In the center there is a stepped pyramid that you need to climb. The exhausted deceased is supported by Anubis. At the top stands the throne of Osiris, and in front of it are the scales, the instrument of the judge god. It is here that the fate of a mortal will be decided. And even Anubis no longer has the right to interfere in what is happening.

Psychostasia, or “weighing of the soul”

The soul alone appears before the judges: this is not only Osiris, but also Maat (the goddess of truth and justice) and Thoth (the god of wisdom and writing, who will record the result of the trial). And it is better for the deceased to have high ideals in his heart, and not a heavy burden of mistakes. By the way, those qualities that the gods of Ancient Egypt considered virtues are highly valued in the modern world. There are 42 members of the court present in the hall who listen to the last confession of the deceased. His heart is placed on one of the scales, and Maat balances the other scale. If the confession is true, then the heart (which never lies) will maintain balance. If there are too many sins, it will become heavier and the scales will tip, passing judgment. And then the soul of the deceased will become the prey of Amat, the devourer, a lioness with the head of a crocodile and the body of a hippopotamus.

For those acquitted at the trial of Osiris, the gates to eternity will open. This completes Anubis’ mission, and he hurries to return to the threshold of Amenti, where other dead are already waiting for him!

Anubis - about myself

"I am the lord of Asyut." Indeed, it was in Asyut, a city located in Upper Egypt, that traces of the most ancient cult of Anubis were discovered. Asyut was the capital of the 17th nome (administrative district) of Egypt. On his shield (coat of arms) was depicted a lying black dog - Anubis. Later, in ancient times, Asyut even received the name Kinopol, which is translated from ancient Greek as “city of the dog.” “I am the lord of the chambers of purification.” The purification chamber is where the embalming took place. From this name comes the following.

"I am an embalmer." Of course, Anubis is the patron saint of all embalmers. One of the myths says that Anubis restored the body of the god Osiris from 14 pieces into which his brother Seth, consumed by envy, cut it. And during the embalming procedure, embalming priests often wore a mask of a jackal or a dog made of painted clay to pronounce ritual phrases.

“I am a psychopomp,” that is, in the literal sense, a guide of souls. His role - escorting the souls of the dead to the scales of Osiris's judgment - made him a protector and helper god, although many today would find his appearance frightening. But nowadays people are afraid of completely different things!

Other names for Anubis

Anubis had many other names, which testified to the strength of his cult and the great significance of the texts dedicated to him. Anubis is called the "Lord of the Sacred Land", which connects him with the huge necropolis of Abydos, as well as the "Lord of Rho-Setau", that is, the necropolis of Memphis. Anubis - "Lord of the Cave". By caves we mean the necropolis of Asyut. He is also (especially for the common people) “the one who buries”, “the one who wears bandages” (connection with mummification).

Finally, the main thing: Anubis is “the one who counts the hearts” at the last judgment of Osiris. And although this god does not decide anything during the trial itself, he is very important for every Egyptian, because he supports lost souls.

Dog Gods

Several gods resembled Anubis in appearance, which is typical of Ancient Egypt. And no matter what animals they were - dogs, jackals or wolves, all these gods had an obvious connection with death. But Anubis should not be confused with other dog gods. Although their functions (guides of the dead) were similar, these gods were distinguished by the lower prevalence of their cult. Of the dog gods, it is worth mentioning Hentamentiu, the ruler of the necropolis of Memphis, as well as Upuaut, who was depicted only in the guise of an animal standing on four legs. This god from Asyut in Upper Egypt (where Anubis was deeply revered) was also black, he was associated with death, but he always remained a local deity, never equaling the glory of his famous brother!

And finally there was Duamutef, one of the four sons of Horus who guarded the dead. The lid of one of the funeral canopic vessels was made in the shape of his head. These jars, in which the entrails of the deceased were placed during embalming, were placed in the tomb next to the sarcophagus. That is, as we see, this god was also very closely associated with death. Gradually, as often happened in Ancient Egypt, these gods were identified with Anubis, who eventually became a deity who was worshiped throughout the state. Let us recall that other main gods of the Egyptian pantheon appeared in the same way.