| “ | I shepherd the dead to the afterlife of which I rule. This is the part I play in the universe, along with other gods that share my role. | „ |
| ~ Anubis. |
Anubis is widely known as the Egyptian deity of mummification and the dead.
Description[]
He was usually depicted as a jackal and sometimes as a man, but he was always in black, which was a color connected with desolation and rebirth.
Anubis’ main roles were embalming the body, guiding the soul, and protecting the tomb. In this role, he oversees the mummification process of the dead, and is usually seen in hieroglyphic tomb-carvings as overseeing the burial ritual for the pharaohs and those of royal lineage - this is due to the priest involved wearing the masks of Anubis to symbolize him as the overseer of the ritual.
Overview[]
Anubis was one of the deities that could also work against humans. He was independent, sometimes helpful, but sometimes punished humans as well. One of his main roles was The Guardian of the Scales. Anubis measured if the person was worthy enough to live an eternal life. By weighing the heart of a deceased person against Ma'at (or "truth"), who was often represented as an ostrich feather, Anubis dictated the fate of souls. Souls heavier than a feather would be devoured by Ammit, and souls lighter than a feather would ascend to a heavenly existence
According to an Osiris myth, he helped Isis embalm her husband. Anubis also protected the body of Osiris from Set as the latter attempted to attack the body of Osiris by transforming himself into a leopard. Anubis stopped and subdued Set, however, and he branded Set's skin with a hot iron rod. Anubis then flayed Set and wore his skin as a warning against evil-doers who would desecrate the tombs of the dead.
Priests who attended to the dead wore leopard skin in order to commemorate Anubis' victory over Set while the priests who worked during the mummification process wore masks with a jackal face. The legend of Anubis branding the hide of Set in leopard form was used to explain how the leopard got its spots. Moreover, the legends say that when Osiris was killed by Set his organs became a gift for Anubis.