Anubis
Also called Anpu, Inpu.
In ancient Egyptian religion, this jackal-headed god presides over mummification and the weighing of the dead's hearts. He is defined by his solemn, exacting role as guardian and guide of souls through the underworld.
At a glance
- Tradition
- Egyptian mythology
- Region
- Egypt (place of origin)
- Trait family
- The Threshold-Keepers
Near this figure
Symbols
Judged against the description by a model. Meanings are our own paraphrase.
- Ankh bears The ankh denotes life, generation, immortality, authority, and hidden knowledge, joining male and female principles and restoring breath to the dead.
why
He is frequently shown holding a flail or an ankh, and his jackal form recalls the scavenging dogs and jackals that Egyptians observed prowling desert cemeteries, which likely gave rise to his early association with the dead and the necropolis.
- Jackal is The jackal denotes night, scavenging, and lunar death; Egyptian tradition links it to Anubis’s guidance of souls, while Buddhist usage signifies entrenched evil.
why
In ancient Egyptian religion, this jackal-headed god presides over mummification and the weighing of the dead's hearts.
Traits
Read from the figure's description, which a model wrote. Open "why" for the sentence a trait came from.
Behaviour
- Weighs heart against a feather
why
In the judgment of the dead, Anubis is credited with weighing the heart of the deceased against the feather of Ma'at on a set of scales, determining whether the soul was pure enough to pass into the afterlife or would be devoured by the monster Ammit.
- Underworld gatekeeper
why
He also serves as a psychopomp, guiding souls through the underworld (the Duat) toward judgment, and as guardian of tombs and cemeteries, a role reflected in his epithets "Lord of the Sacred Land" and "He Who Is Upon His Mountain," both referencing the desert necropolis he watches over.
Utility powers
- Embalming mastery
why
Anubis's foremost role is as god of embalming and mummification; funerary texts and temple reliefs depict him bent over the mummy of the deceased, performing or supervising the embalming rites, and priests conducting mummification often wore jackal masks to invoke his presence during the ritual.
Curses
- Soul judgment
why
In the judgment of the dead, Anubis is credited with weighing the heart of the deceased against the feather of Ma'at on a set of scales, determining whether the soul was pure enough to pass into the afterlife or would be devoured by the monster Ammit.
Roles
Judged from the works' own entries, not from the description. Carries: the figure holds the role. Meets: the role is in its stories, held by something it meets.
- Death carries both readings
2 citations
- Geraldine Pinch, Egyptian Mythology, p. 104.
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Anubis."
- Shadow carries
2 citations
- Geraldine Pinch, Egyptian Mythology, p. 104.
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Anubis."
- Threshold carries both readings
2 citations
- Geraldine Pinch, Egyptian Mythology, p. 104.
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Anubis."
- Earth meets
2 citations
- Geraldine Pinch, Egyptian Mythology, p. 104.
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Anubis."
- Father meets
2 citations
- Geraldine Pinch, Egyptian Mythology, p. 104.
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Anubis."
- Hero meets
2 citations
- Geraldine Pinch, Egyptian Mythology, p. 104.
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Anubis."
- Trickster meets
2 citations
- Geraldine Pinch, Egyptian Mythology, p. 104.
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Anubis."