Anubis Facts & Worksheets

Anubis, also called Anpu, is a jackal-headed ancient Egyptian deity. He is the god of the dead who supervised the embalming process and accompanied dead kings on their passage to the afterworld.

See the fact file below for more information on Anubis, or you can download our 25-page Anubis worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ORIGINS OF ANUBIS

• There are two fundamentally different origin stories for Anubis in Egyptian mythology. The first and less well-known account of Anubis’ birth claims that he was the son of Ra, also known as Ammon-Ra, the Sun god. 
• Anubis’ mother in this story is the goddess Hesat, a cow goddess highly regarded for providing milk to the world.
• The second origin story can be traced back to the Middle Kingdom of Egypt’s second generation of gods and goddesses. According to this version, Anubis’ parents are the god Osiris and the goddess Nephthys. 
• It all started when Nephthys deceived Osiris by posing as his wife, the goddess Isis. As a result of this deception, a child named Anubis was born. Isis, on the other hand, forgave her sister Nephthys and decided to raise Anubis as her own child.

ROLE OF ANUBIS

• The name Anubis is a Greek translation of the Egyptian Anpu or Inpu, which means “to decay,” indicating his early affiliation with death. Before the emergence of Osiris in the Middle Kingdom, he was widely recognized as the “First of the Westerners,” meaning he was king of the dead.
• On the other hand, it is said that Anubis’ name has no known meaning or etymology. Interestingly, his name is derived from a word for “putrefy” in one ancient Egyptian text, although modern scholars consider this baseless.
• As the god of death, Anubis played several roles. He determined the fate of souls as the “Guardian of the Scales.”
• Anubis determined the fate of souls by weighing the heart of a deceased person against Ma’at (or “truth”), who was frequently represented as an ostrich feather. On the other hand, an Ammit would devour souls heavier than a feather, while souls lighter than a feather would ascend to a heavenly existence.
• It was his responsibility to make sure the scales were correctly positioned and that the weighing was measured properly. Following that, he would pronounce judgment on the dead, which the god Thoth would record.
• When someone died, Anubis would also personally accompany the deceased to the underworld along the perilous pathways the dead had to travel before reaching Osiris’ court to be judged. 
• Anubis took part in the Judgment of the Dead, but in different roles other than as a judge. He also kept an eye on tombs to ensure the safety of those buried within them.
• Many believed that Anubis would protect their tombs both physically and spiritually. The Egyptians believed that the bodies of the deceased should be preserved for the afterlife, and Anubis played a significant role in their beliefs.
• It was believed that Anubis was created sometime during the Predynastic era when Egyptian civilization was beginning. 
• In addition, even when other religious cults came and went over the centuries, Anubis remained one of Egypt’s most revered and potent deities. Over time, this necessitated a considerable revision of his origin stories and myths.

RELATION TO OTHER GODS

• Anubis was Ra’s most powerful son at first. The sun god, who later rose to prominence in the underworld, was the most important deity in the early Egyptian dynasties.
• In an alternate version of this story, Anubis was the son of Set rather than Osiris. When Horus, Osiris’ son with Isis, reclaimed the throne from his uncle, Anubis accepted his rule and lived peacefully under it.
• The familiar stories of Anubis and the other gods became more varied rather than less as time passed. Alternative myths identified him as a son of the cat goddess Bastet, a true son of Isis, or in the Greco-Roman era, an alternate Hermes.
• Anubis is associated with his brother Wepwawet, who is also portrayed with a dog’s head or in canine form but with gray or white fur. Historians believe the two figures were eventually combined. 
• Anubis’ wife was the goddess Anput, and their child was Kebechet, the serpent goddess.
• Kebechet is described in the Pyramid Texts as a serpent who “refreshes and purifies” the pharaoh. Kebechet was thought to provide water to the spirits of the dead while they awaited the completion of the mummification process.

SYMBOLISM AND POPULAR CULTURE

• Anubis is often depicted as half jackal and half man in artistic representations. He usually carries the divine scepter. He appears as a black jackal at times, and as a dog next to Isis, at others. 
• His signature image features a blood-splattered black and white ox-hide hanging from a pole. Historians are unsure of the symbol’s significance.
• Anubis is associated with more symbols than most gods. The Jackal is a prominent symbol associated with him. Jackals are known to congregate near tombs and graves, which is one of the factors that led to the Egyptians’ beginning to build tombs.
• Anubis is frequently portrayed as the sinister god of the dead in popular and media culture. He rose to prominence in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries as a result of artists imbuing him with evil powers and a dangerous army in books, video games, and films.
• Despite the fact that Anubis does not appear much in Egyptian mythology, he was revered by the Egyptians and other cultures. He was associated with the Greek god Hermes, who led the deceased to the afterlife. Later, the couple became conflated as Hermanubis. 
• Because he offered hope despite contemporary ideas, Anubis was highly revered. The promise that their body would be respected after death and their soul safeguarded and fairly judged reassured people.
• Anubis’ image remained static and consistent throughout Egyptian history, as was common in the art and writing of that culture, but his story changed dramatically. Anubis demonstrates to modern readers that ancient Egyptian religion was far more fluid than the culture’s overall consistency would suggest.

Anubis Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Anubis across 25 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Anubis, a jackal-headed ancient Egyptian deity. He is the god of the dead who supervised the embalming process and accompanied dead kings on their passage to the afterworld.

Download includes the following worksheets.

1. Anubis Facts
2. The Black Land
3. Symbols of Anubis
4. Anubis Bloodline
5. Phiomicetus Anubis
6. 1912 Anubis
7. When the Time Comes
8. Rest in Peace
9. Gods of the Dead
10. Egyptian Portrait
11. Anubis Summarized

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Anubis?

Anubis is an ancient Egyptian deity associated with mummification, the afterlife, and the protection of tombs. He is often depicted as a man with the head of a jackal or a dog-like creature.

What was Anubis’s role in ancient Egyptian mythology?

Anubis played a crucial role in the ancient Egyptian belief system. He was the god who guided and protected the souls of the deceased through the journey of the afterlife. He was also responsible for embalming and mummification processes, ensuring that the deceased’s body was prepared for the journey to the afterlife.

How was Anubis depicted in art and iconography?

Anubis was typically depicted with the body of a man and the head of a jackal or a dog. He is often shown wearing a crown or headdress associated with his role as a god of the afterlife. In ancient Egyptian art, he is sometimes shown overseeing the weighing of the deceased’s heart against the feather of Ma’at, a symbol of justice.

What was the significance of Anubis’s role in the mummification process?

Anubis’s role in the mummification process was to oversee and protect the procedures that preserved the body for the afterlife. Priests would perform rituals and embalm the body, and Anubis’s guidance was sought to ensure the successful preservation of the deceased’s body, which was considered vital for a smooth transition to the afterlife.

How did Anubis’s worship and influence evolve over time?

Anubis was an important deity throughout much of ancient Egyptian history. His significance increased during periods when beliefs about the afterlife and burial practices were prominent, such as during the Old Kingdom and Middle Kingdom. As the ancient Egyptian civilization changed and developed, the importance of various deities fluctuated, but Anubis remained associated with death, mummification, and the afterlife throughout these changes.

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