| Son
of Nephthys, who abandoned him. Her sister, Isis, adopted Anubis.
Osiris, husband of Isis, was murdered by their brother
Seth, so Anubls initiated the funeral rites for the god and embalmed
his body. Anubis escorted the souls of the dead into Ameniti, the Egyptian
underworld presided over by Osiris.
After Judgement was passed on the souls, Anubls weighed
the hearts of the dead and this was recorded by Thoth, god of the moon,
wisdom and learning, usually depicted with the head of a sacred ibis.
If the weight of the heart fell short, the soul was
devoured by the Ammlt or Amenait, the Devourer, part crocodile, and
other beasts.
Anubis is usually depicted as a man with the head
of a jackal or dog, or represented as a black jackal or dog with a bushy
tail. He is mainly seen at the court of Osiris, weighing the hearts
of the dead, often against the figure or ostrich feather of Mayet, the
goddess of truth and justice.
The Greeks identified Anubis with their own Hermes,
messenger to the gods and guide for the living and dead. They adopted
Anubls into their gods' pantheon where he became Hermanubis.
|
