Who was Anubis
Anubis was one the most recognised gods of ancient Egypt that have several responsibilities of protecting and keeping evil out of the kingdom. These were several other gods that have different responsibilities. The most significant role of Anubis was overshadowed by Osiris who is known as the god of death. Apart from this, Anubis has a responsibility to oversee the funerals and care for death and to judge whether the dead one is eligible for rituals. Anubis appeared in Egyptian history as a man with the head of a dog; a similar presentation has been seen in the ancient arts; however, some rare arts depicted Anubis in full human form during the time of Ramesses II. Anubis was also referred to as Anpu in ancient Egypt. Furthermore, other mythological include Osiris, Anpu, and Kebechet. Osiris has been called judge or the lord of the death. there are also different depictions of Osiris; however, the most developed form of Osiris was shown wearing a crown, a similar white crown used in upper Egypt. Kebechet is another mythological god who was the daughter of Anubis and his wife Anpu. During the ancient time, Kebechet referred to the serpent who had the responsibility to purity and refresh the pharaoh.
Different Versions of Egyptian Mythological Gods Through History
Thew were more than 2000 deities in ancient Egypt; however, all of them have not received significant recognition compared to Osiris and Anubis. A total of eleven major deities appeared in the early history of ancient Egypt that includes the god and goddesses such as Osiris, Anubis, Isis, Horus, Seth, Ptah, Re, Hathor, Thoth, Bastet, and Amon. However, different versions of these gods have been portrayed throughout history that includes major, minor, less-known, and group deities. Deities in these categories have been shown according to their work and status in ancient Egypt; for example, Amun Horus are the major Egyptian deities who have been called creator god, and major god respectively. Amun was also the preeminent deity in Egypt during the New Kingdom, while Horus has the role of protector and healer. Some major Female deities such as Isis have been also recognised as major gods. Similarly, minor deities are those who have been less portrayed and recognised due to their work, and status; for example, Djefa was the minor god who was known as the God of Abundance. In addition, some less know gods such as Aakhu, Ari, and Ati have also appeared in Egyptian mythology.
Existing Egyptian Mythological Gods
Thousands of mythological gods existed in ancient Egypt; however, only a few have been recognised in historic literature, books, and movies. The earlier mentioned eleven Gods and some others have been shown in several books, plays, movies, and art. These Gods include Horus, Anubis, Osiris, Iris, Amun-Ra, and Hathor; however, Anubis, Horus, Amun-Ra and Osiris were the most significant gods that have been recognised in different times, and in modern days they appeared in many books and movies; for example, Gods of depicted some of these Gods, and Anubis has been the main antagonist in some books. The role and presentation of these Gods in historic movies and literature show that they played a significant role in ancient Egypt. Similarly, their roles and works show that they were responsibilities for specific jobs; for example, the Gods of death Anubis and Osiris were responsible to keep evil out of the Egyptian kingdom. This is also a reason why Anubis was considered good in many historic books and literature. Amun-Ra was also considered one of the strongest mythological God during the New Kingdom, many Gods have combined to from Amun-Ra. It is also believed in Egyptian mythology that Amun-Ra provide sun, and light, and responsible for the creation of entire world.
Anubis had an important role related to death and paying respect to dead people. Similar to other religions and cultures in the world, Egyptians used to follow the rituals for dead people which include an important ceremony of mummification. Thus, Anubis was assigned for this important role; with a black head of a jackal or similar to a dog, Anubis helped the Egyptians during the new Kingdom. It has been found that the Black colour of Anubis’ head represented the fertilise soil of the Nile that has been significant for the Egyptians, while jackals were associated with death. Therefore, a combination of death and soil indicates the power and authority of Anubis. He has the power of death and can walk between worlds. It has been also found that if Anubis decided that the dead people are not worth entering the afterlife, they would get eaten; thus, he has the power to decide the faith of the dead.
The guardian of the scales
Being the god of death Anubis has been recognised as one of the most significant and powerful gods in Egyptian history; he was also one of those deities responsible for the protection of graves, and weighing the dead people to identify if they can be placed in pyramids. Similarly, he had a couple of important jobs related to the ritual of dead weighing the heart of the dead against the feather which presented trust. Therefore, he has been called the guardian of scales. In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, Faulkner and Andrews described the process of judgment by Anubis after the death of people. They explained that Anubis was responsible to stand in the Hall of the Two Truths where he used to weigh the heart of people to make further decisions. The human heart used to measure against the feather. If the heart of a dead person weights more than a feather, they Ammit of the deity eats the heart and the soul of the person would be destroyed. However, if the heart has less or equal weight to a feather, then the dead person must pass through the underworld and into the afterlife.
The Egyptians followed a concept of order, peace, and balance; thus, death has an important role in peace and balancing, and Anubis was the administrator who controlled the transition of life to death and back to life again. Historical literature and texts that reference Anubis can be found dating back to the Old Egyptian Kingdom between 2613 to 2181 BCE which is also known as the age of pyramid; this shows that Anubis was one of the oldest gods in the Egyptian mythology. Another example that shows the significance of Anubis in Egypt is the administrative seal. Anubis’ face or head was depicted on these seals which have been used from the early dynasty of Egypt to the early days of the Roman Empire. Some historians argue that the Anubis was first described and adapted by the early Christians during Roman Empire as the dog-headed martyr; however, earlier texts and other pieces of evidence denied the same.
Conclusion
Mythological gods have received significant recognition in Egyptian mythology and existed during the Old and New Kingdoms of Egypt. These Gods had different levels based on their authority, and work. Some powerful and major gods of Egypt include Osiris, Amun-Ra, Anubis, Iris, and Horus. Anubis has received more recognition in literature, books, and other pieces of art as he has a powerful god with the power and authority to decide whether a soul has the right to go in the pyramid or not. Anubis is also recognised as the God of death, and due to his significant role in death ritual and mummification, he is known as the guardian of the scales.
