Anubis

Anubis was one of the most important gods in ancient Egypt. He had the head of a jackal, a wild dog of the desert. He was the god of mummification and guided the dead to the afterlife. The Egyptians believed Anubis protected their tombs.

Guardian of the Dead

Anubis watched over the process of making mummies. He invented mummification to preserve the body of the god Osiris. Priests who prepared mummies wore jackal masks to honor Anubis. He made sure the dead were treated with respect.

Weighing of the Heart

Anubis had a very important job in the afterlife. He weighed each dead person's heart against a feather of truth. If the heart was light and good, the person entered paradise. If it was heavy with bad deeds, a monster called Ammit ate it.

Fun Facts

• Anubis was painted black, which represented the fertile soil of the Nile.
• Jackals often roamed near cemeteries, which may be why Anubis had a jackal head.
• Anubis was one of the oldest gods in Egyptian religion.

Did You Know?

The monster Ammit, who ate the hearts of bad people, was a mix of three scary animals. She had the head of a crocodile, the body of a lion, and the back legs of a hippopotamus!