This is the third post of a series about divine canines, gods and goddesses who are dogs, spirits in dog form and other magical canines. Years ago I did a few posts about wolf goddesses but found in my research too many male canine gods and beasts, or non-wolf canid goddesses that I couldn't include. So I promised to do something on the wider subject of myth and canid species linked to ancient legends, spirits, deities and folklore.
Anubis is the Egyptian god of the dead. He is often portrayed as being having a jackal's head and a man's body. Usually he appears black, representing death and darkness, tombs and night. He protected the souls of the departed, and he also protected the corpses and aided in mummification and wrapping up of bodies.
Originally Anubis was a jackal god of graves who looked entirelly like a jackal from Egypt's earliest predynastic history myths. Later, come the Old Kingdom , Anubis became extremely important and was powerful, even loved. That was around when the god's images became a jackel/dog headed man. It's unclear who his parents were, as stories changed over periods of different epochs. The father of Anubis was either Ra, who is mention as a powerful solar god, or Orisis according to the Greeks. But Anubis had various more mothers from Bastet, Nepthys, Hesat and Isis.
More:
Gods of ancient Egypt: Anubis
Anubis
Land of Pyramids: Anubis
Jackals
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