The Eccentric Muse: A is for Anubis

I’ve long felt the pull of the Egyptian God Yinepu, aka Anubis, but have never answered the calling. I know very little about him, and have never taken the time to learn. Perhaps that not uncommon human fear of the underworld can be blamed for my procrastination. To be completely honest with myself, inertia is closer to the truth. Whatever the reason, change begins today.

Anubis, whose Kemetic name is Yinepu, is the jackal-headed Egyptian god of the Underworld and has two very important roles. He serves as supervisor over the embalming process and monitor of the Scales of Truth. His jackal persona is probably connected to the underworld and the embalming process. Some have reported that he may not have been represented by a jackal at all, but by a wild dog. Either totem seems fitting to the nature of the god, as both beasts are scavengers and could be found poking around amongst the tombs. His black coloration, which differs from the normal brown coloration of a jackal, has been linked to both the fertile soil of the Nile and the discoloration found in corpses.

Anubis attending the mummy of Seenedjam

Anubis is accredited with the invention of the embalming process, which we find in the story of Osiris and Isis. Set murdered Osiris out of jealousy, cut his body into many pieces, and then distributed the body parts across the land. After Isis gathered up the pieces, Anubis mummified the corpse. It became his duty to embalm and mummify the deceased Pharaohs. He also served as protector of the tombs, keeping the aforementioned scavengers at bay.

In his role as “Weigher of Righteousness”, Anubis presides over the judgment of the ba, or souls of the deceased. After guiding the souls to the Hall of Judgment, Anubis announces the soul’s presence, lists good deeds the person has accomplished, and then performs the Weighing of the Heart. The hearts are weighed against the feather of Ma’at to determine their destination, entrance into the realm of the dead or consumption by Ammit, the Devourer of Souls. This process differs from the Christian concept of judgment in that the heart must be balanced, as opposed to perfect.

In early Egyptian history, Anubis was considered “Lord of the Dead” and “Ruler of the Underworld”. Osiris eventually took over these roles. It is assumed that Anubis stepped down out of respect for the deceased Osiris. While Anubis remains in the underworld, he's been reduced to something of an overseer.

While these tales can give us insight on the personality of the god, they do little to actually connect us to the deity. Meditation and exploration can give us a higher understanding and forge personal relationships. Looks like I have something else to add to my “to do” list.