Anubis is the Greek name for the ancient jackal-headed god of the dead in Egyptian mythology whose hieroglyphic version is more accurately spelled Anpu (also Anupu, Anbu, Wip, Ienpw, Inepu, Yinepu, Inpu, or Inpw). He is also known as Sekhem Em Pet. Prayers to Anubis have been found carved on the most ancient tombs in Egypt; indeed, the Unas text (line 70) associates him with the Eye of Horus. He serves as both a guide of the recently departed and a guardian of the dead.
Originally, in the Ogdoad system, he was god of the underworld. He was said to have a wife, Anput (who was really just his female aspect, her name being his with an additional feminine suffix: the t), who was depicted exactly the same, though feminine. He is also listed to have taken to wife the feminine form of Neheb Kau, Nehebka, and Kebauet. Kebauet, the Goddess of cold water, is also listed as his daughter in some places. His father was originally Ra in many papyrus records which were found in pyramids.(Anubis is fourth son of Ra.) But in after ages, his father was said to be Osiris, as he was the god of the dead, and his mother was said to be Nephthys. Anubis was identified as the father of Kebechet, the goddess of the purification of body organs due to be placed in canopic jars during mummification.
Anubis was the guardian of the dead, who greeted the souls in the Underworld and protected them on their journey. It was he who deemed the deceased worthy of becoming a star. Ancient Egyptian texts say that Anubis silently walked through the shadows of life and death and lurked in dark places. He was watchful by day as well as by night. He also weighed the heart of the dead against the feather symbol of Ma'at, the goddess of truth. One of the reasons that the ancient Egyptians took such care to preserve their dead with sweet-smelling herbs was that it was believed Anubis would check each person with his keen canine nose. Only if they smelled pure would he allow them to enter the Kingdom of the Dead.
Anubis was portrayed as a jackal-headed man, or as a jackal wearing ribbons and holding a flagellum in the crook of its arm. Some think that he was not pictured as a jackal but as a dog, fox, wolf, or hybrid instead.
age-old Pharaonic traditions) with elements of Greek culture and also made great innovations. Egyptian depictions tended toward the idealistic but stiff, with no attempt to likeness but with the influence of Greek culture, they started to emphasis on the face more than it the past. Smiles suddenly appear. Like on the head of the carved and painted wood featured a large face synonym of smile. It was round and painted in gold. The face was decorated with a fake beard, a wig painted in blue, and has black-lined eyes and eyebrows makes it look exotic. Colors were more expressive rather than natural: blue or gold association with precious materials indicated divinity because of its unnatural appearance; the use of black for royal figures expressed the fertility of the Nile from which Egypt was born. This is probably the reason why the coffin covered with a red net clothing above which many iconography, and gods and goddesses of the ancient Egypt were painted. Animals were also highly symbolic figures. For example, on the coffin of Pedi-Osiris above the painting of a goddess named Nut, there were paintings of a scarab beetle named Khepri, god of the morning sun, with wings and it ball of dung. On each shoulder of the wooden coffin featured paintings of a baboon that was raising its arms in a worshiping position. Also the paintings of two jackals, gods of embalming, appeared on the base of the coffin, representing veneration and protection of the deceased. Symbolism played an important role in establishing a sense of order. The fake beard in ancient Egypt was symbolic and meant wisdom, high rank, wealth, etc. In the usage of hierarchical proportion, the size of figures indicated their relative importance. The figures of gods and goddesses or the divine pharaohs, high officials were usually larger compared other figures: any servants and entertainers,
In the ancient Egyptian culture, the belief was that there was a life force and spirit inside of the body, known as the ‘Ka’. Therefore, mummification was performed as a ritual to preserve the physical features of the body as well as to protect its inner spirit, mainly to ensure that the ‘Ka’ could recognize the body where it may dwell in the eternal life. Thus, the funerary psychology of ancient Egyptians was that death did not bring an end to living, but instead was only an escape from the physical human life and a gateway to immortal being. Due to the fact that a being’s life span was short in ancient times, people’s main hopes rested in their afterlives, where they would be with the gods (Stockstad 121).
Ancient Egyptian culture was largely focused on the afterlife. One of their most important deities, Osiris, became the ruler of the Underworld through death. The pharaoh and elite class prepared for their impending deaths throughout their lives. Much of what survives from ancient Egypt today was found in tombs and temples of the dead. When one of the elite died, the process of laying him or her to rest was extensive. Harold Hays explains that “the ritualized process of embalming and mummification is usually stated as lasting seventy days” (Hays 5). "Funeral Procession, Tomb of Pairy" shows two of the processes that Hays details. The first depicted is the procession to the tomb. Pairy’s body would have already been through several processions, mummification, and embalming. This particular procession’s goal is to lead not just the body, but also the spirit into the afterlife. People of both high and low classes attended this procession, carrying with them the tomb goods (Hays 6-7). The second depicted
Anubis was the Egyptian god of embalming and the keeper of secrets. He was associated with the mummification and protection of the dead and journey to the afterlife. He was portrayed man with a jackal’s head, or in jackal form holding a flail in the crook of his arm and wearing a ribbon. In the Old Kingdom he was the most important God, where he was associated with the burial of the pharaoh. He was very important because the Egyptians worshiped two things: 1. the gods and 2. The dead. The ancient Egyptians also believed in the afterlife. So another reason why Anubis was so important was because, on your travel to the afterlife he was there waiting for you. He takes your heart, weighs it and decides your fate in the underworld depending on how heavy your heart is compared to a feather.
Agoussou or Miché Agoussou (Monsieur Agoussou)-The Master of the Waters. his feast day is June 13 which is also the feast day of St. Anthony. His origin is from Dahomey (Benin). Agoussou is believed to have been a prince who was born from the union of a leopard and a woman. St. Anthony had preached to the fish where the river ran into the sea. A great many fish came to listen. The fish were listening but the men hadn’t been listening. For this reason, St. Anthony and Agoussou are closely related.
Ptolemy I. Serapis was the god whose association with Osiris, the god of the dead, formed the name Asar-Hapi. Asar is the Egyptian name of Osiris and Hapi was the name given to the Apis Bull which was the object of worship at Memphis. The Greeks combined the two together to form Zaparrus. Even though it is not quite clear, it is certain that Serapis is the shape Apis took after death. “Apis is called the “life of Osiris, the lord of heaven, tem (with) his horns (in) his head .”He is said to give life, strength, and health to thy nostrils forever.” At the beginning of the new Empire Osiris and Apis are united by priests of Memphis to represent a funeral character which, at the time, was considered a god of the underworld. This character that was considered to be the god of the underworld was the Apis Bull.
Dionysus, the son of Zeus and Semele, was the only god with a mortal parent. Zeus was the almighty god, ruler of all gods; however, Semele was a princess of Thebes. Zeus came to Semele in the night, no human could see Zeus, but felt his heavenly presence. Semele was honored to be loved by any god. She did not know which one, but she persuaded Zeus to reveal his form. He had no other choice since he vowed to his promise, soon as Zeus revealed himself, she was instantly burned to a crisp. Zeus saved the fetal, Dionysus, and stitched him in his thigh where he would remain until he was born. By Dionysus being born from Zeus made him immortal. Therefore, being immortal made Dionysus a god that any other considerable god should uphold the same title. For example, Osiris, the Egyptian god, is the god of the Underworld. He possessed human form and lived on Earth (Egyptian Mythology 1997.) He was not considered a god until after he was murdered by the Sets. Dionysus was raised by small
They were usually carved from hard stone or made of faience or a glazed pottery. As is usual, the body of this scarab conforms to the Scarabaeus sacer; the surface of the speckled green stone is polished. The eyes and head are deeply carved on the five notched shield (clypeus). The first segment of the upper body (prothorax) and wings (elytrae) are separated by fine, carefully incised double lines around the edges and triple lines separate the wings. The legs (tibiae) are tucked underneath the body and the femora of the legs are indicated by a notch in the stone. At the body end below the wings the under body is suggested by a double row of V-shaped incised lines. The scarab has no bored hole. However, on either side under the shield are two shallow holes. Under the bend in the legs there are three shallow holes and two more above either
At the top of the painting, Hunefer is kneeling in front of a line of crouching deities, professing the good life that he lived. Directly above this scene, Hunefer is being held by the hand of Anubis to the place where his heart will be weighed against the “feather of truth” Maat is on top of the balancing arm of the scales and wears a feather as her headdress. A part crocodile, part lion and part hippopotamus awaits to devour Hunefer, if his sins are found to outweigh the feather. This creature is called Ammit which is known as the, “Eater of the Dead.” Anubis is seen kneeling at the scales weighting the heart against the feather and the ibis-headed god Thoth records the result of the weighing, which in this case, Hunefer’s heart weighs less than the feather, and Hunefer can proceed to move forward in the afterlife. In the next scene, Hunefer is being introduced to Osiris by Horus who is Osiris’s son. Horus has the head of a falcon and is holding an ankh in his left hand, which is a symbol of eternal life. Osiris sits on a great throne behind a lotus blossom, which also represents eternal life. Horus’s four children sit on top of the lotus blossom, representing the four cardinal points, north south, east, and west. The four children are the symbols on the canopic jars that house the organs of the dead, and keep the dead
Athena was the virgin daughter of the great god Zeus and she was also one of the great
His father is Ouranos the god of the sky. His mother is Gaia who is mother earth herself. He was the youngest born titan. His brothers are all the titans. His spouse was Rhea goddess, of fertility, and motherhood. Their children include Zeus, Hestia, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, and Demeter.
The Egyptians during this period took ample time and detail on the mummification process to ensure a successful transition from the netherworld to rebirth. The Coffin of Tentkhonsu, 1025-980 B.C., it’s a depiction of how the Egyptians valued and honored their elite members of society, as well as their gods. The Coffin of Tentkhonsu, itself dates back to the III intermediate period in Egyptian culture. The Egyptian believe was to join Osiris, whom was believed to have ascended to Netherworld and accomplished eternal life.
For this reason, there are several holes throughout each of the three pieces of the amulet that would have been used to attach it. The amulet is reflective of the significance of deities in ancient Egypt. Many deities were worshipped, though some such as Isis were more prevalent. It is also indicative of the role they served in society, whether in life or death or, in some cases, both. Belief in the afterlife was key principle in ancient Egyptian thought. The amulet likely served to protect the deceased in their journey to the afterlife and beyond. By burying the mummy with the amulet, the level of importance placed on ritualistic procedures regarding the dead is highlighted. Permanence was also an important concept, which is illustrated by the amulet. Consistency between the two wings and the sides of the headdress are indicative of this. Moreover, because of her pose and overall design, Isis is depicted in a sense that is not momentary or fleeting, but instead long-lasting, and the amulet is intended to protect the deceased throughout the passage of time. Much of ancient Egyptian art can be found with relation to mummification, burial methods, tombs, and other aspects related to death, illustrating the relevance of this element of life to the culture of the time
...n - (or ANU in the Babaylonian belief).He was the king of the Gods. Ishtar is Anu's second child, daughter of Anu and Antum. She is the goddess of love, procreation, and war. She is armed with a quiver and bow, and her sacred animal is the lion. Her temples have special prostitutes of both genders. The Eanna in Uruk is dedicated both to her and Anu. Even though Anu was a major god and Ishtar a minor goddess, they both were important were believed in heavily in order to build ziggurats for them.
Ares: Son of Zeus and Hera, who both hated him. He was the god of war. Some of his symbols were a spear, a helmet, dog, chariot, boar, Vulture, and a flaming torch. All his daughters, The Amazons, their mother was a peace- loving nymph called Harmony. His sister, Eris, was the goddess of Discord. And then there was Hebe was the goddess of youth.