Jackals were associated with death, because they lurked around cemeteries and would eat decomposing flesh. Therefore, by making Anubis the patron deity of jackals, the Egyptians hoped to protect the bodies from being devoured.
Why did Anubis have a dog head?
Often represented by a man with the head of a jackal (cynocephalus literally means "dogheaded"), Anubis is said to have that feature because jackals specifically were associated with death and were known to lurk around cemeteries looking for meals of decomposing flesh.
Does Anubis have the head of a jackal?
Anubis was an ancient Egyptian god of the dead, represented as a jackal or a man with the head of a jackal. Anubis is sometimes also called Anpu.
Why does Anubis look like a dog?
Anubis is the Greek name for the god of death, mummification, afterlife, tombs, and the underworld in the ancient Egyptian religion. It is usually depicted as a dog or a man with a dog's head. Archaeologists have concluded that the animal that was revered as Anubis was an Egyptian canine, the African jackal.
What does Anubis head represent?
Anubis (/əˈnjuːbɪs/; Ancient Greek: Ἄνουβις), also known as Inpu, Inpw, Jnpw, or Anpu in Ancient Egyptian (Coptic: ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ, romanized: Anoup) is the god of death, mummification, embalming, the afterlife, cemeteries, tombs, and the Underworld, in ancient Egyptian religion, usually depicted as a canine or a man with a ...
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Why does Anubis look like a dog?What does Anubis jackal head mean?
