Who Is Anubis & What Are His Symbols in Ancient Egyptian Mythology?

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African mythology experts Adeche Atelier explain who the jackal-headed god is & what symbols represent him

Co-authored by Adeche Atelier and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: February 5, 2026 Fact Checked

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Who is Anubis?

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Symbols of Anubis

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Anubis’s Powers

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Myths

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Worship

Maybe you’ve heard stories about Anubis, the legendary ancient Egyptian god of the dead, mummification, and the afterlife—but what about the symbols associated with him? Anubis was revered as a caring and watchful deity charged with protecting the dead and guiding them to the paradise of the underworld, and his most recognized symbols reflect this! In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the symbols representing Anubis, as well as Anubis’s role in Egyptian mythology and the most important legends surrounding him, with insights from African mythology experts Adeche Atelier. Keep reading to learn more!

Symbols Associated with Anubis, God of the Dead

Symbols associated with Anubis, including a jackal’s head and the ankh.

African mythology experts Adeche Atelier say Anubis is the ancient Egyptian god of the dead and funerary rites. His symbols include the jackal (Anubis is depicted with a jackal’s head), the ankh (a symbol of life and rebirth), and the color black (which represents regeneration and the Nile’s fertile soil).

Section 1 of 5:

Who is Anubis in Egyptian Mythology?

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Anubis is the god of funerary rites, the dead, and the afterlife. According to Adeche Atelier, Anubis is the god of mummification and embalming, and a major protector of the dead, especially of tombs, cemeteries, and the body during burial rites. He acts as a funerary guide who ensures the deceased is properly prepared and safely transitioned into the next phase of existence.^{[1]
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Adeche Atelier
African Mythology Experts

Expert Interview} Unlike gods of death in other cultures, Anubis wasn’t portrayed as evil; rather, he was a benevolent and gentle protector.^{[2]
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- Adeche Atelier adds that Anubis “served as an embalmer and caretaker for the deceased as well as the guardian of tombs and the necropolis.”^{[3]
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- Ancient name: Inpu, Inpw, Jnpw, or Anpu
- Hieroglyphs: 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Adeche Atelier (aka Adwoa Botchey and Solomon Adebiyi) are African mythology experts, content creators, storytellers, and fine artists. They host the Afro Mythos Podcast, which explores the world of African mythology and folklore.

Section 2 of 5:

Anubis Symbols & Their Meanings

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JackalAdeche Atelier explains that Anubis is either depicted as a man with the head of a jackal or in full animal form as a black jackal. This is largely because jackals were associated with cemeteries and the edges of the desert, where many tombs were located.^{[4]
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Adeche Atelier
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Expert Interview} Jackals are scavengers and often roamed tombs and cemeteries at night. They became associated with the dead, since Anubis was not only the god of death but also believed to be a protector of graves and cemeteries.^{[5]
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- Additionally, canines had a role in daily Egyptian life as, potentially, hunting partners, watchdogs, and companions.
- In his jackal form, Adeche Atelier says Anubis was often depicted with an ostrich feather (like the hieroglyph for Ma’at, the goddess of balance) or a flail balanced on his back.^{[6]
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- Additionally, Adeche Atelier says Anubis was closely tied to the scales used to weigh the heart in scenes of judgment.^{[7]
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The AnkhThe ankh—which looks like a cross with a teardrop-shaped loop on top—is a hieroglyph representing the ancient Egyptian word for “life,” thus making it a symbol of life. Not only that, the ankh was a symbol of immortality and life after death, which were gifts believed to be granted by the gods.^{[8]
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Go to source} Adeche Atelier says that Anubis was often depicted with the ankh, representing his divine authority.^{[9]
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- Anubis was often shown with the ankh during funerary rites, signifying his guidance of a departed soul to the afterlife.
- However, Anubis definitely wasn’t the only Egyptian god to be depicted with the ankh!
- Isis—the goddess of magic, motherhood, healing, and fertility—is one of the most prominent gods to be depicted with the ankh, as she was also believed to help the dead on their journey to the afterlife.
- Ma’at, the Egyptian goddess of truth, balance, and justice, was also depicted with the ankh due to her role in measuring souls and determining whether they could reach the afterlife.
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Crook and FlailIn ancient Egypt, the crook and flail were symbols of authority and rulership. While originally attributed mainly to the god Osiris (god of life, resurrection, agriculture, and the afterlife), the flail and crook were later depicted alongside more than one deity, as well as Egypt’s pharaohs (rulers).^{[10]
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- The crook is a rod with a hooked end at the top; meanwhile, the flail is a rod with three strands of beads or fabric attached
- Adeche Atelier adds that Anubis was often depicted with the was-sceptre, which was a symbol of power and divine authority.^{[11]
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Anubis was often depicted with the color black (including his head being that of a black jackal). In ancient Egypt, the color black represented life, regeneration, and the fertile soil along the Nile River. Additionally, Anubis was associated with black because its color represented the discoloration of a body after it was mummified.^{[12]
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The Imiut fetishThe Imiut fetish is essentially a stuffed animal skin (without the head) that’s been tied to a pole, with a lotus bud tied to the top end of the pole and the other end buried in the sand. While the exact purpose of the Imiut fetish is still unknown, it was kept at hand during ancient Egyptian funerary rites, which is why it later came to be associated with Anubis (the god of funerary rites) and mummification.^{[13]
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- Because of its association with Anubis, this item could sometimes be called the Anubis fetish.
- An Imiut fetish was typically made using the skins of a bull or some sort of feline.
- Adeche Atelier adds that in funerary art, Anubis was often depicted standing over a mummy on a bier or holding linen wrappings and ritual implements used in preparing the dead, which link him to the mummification and embalming context.^{[14]
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HieroglyphsFinally, let’s talk about the hieroglyphs (which are, after all, symbols themselves) that make up Anubis’s name. In the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt, which lasted from roughly 2686 BC to 2181 BC, Anubis’s name was written with the sound signs for “inpw” (𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱) and then a jackal (𓃠). Later, the name changed slightly, with the jackal being depicted sitting on a stand, like so: 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣.^{[15]
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- Anubis’s name, as written, was pronounced Inpu or Anpu. “Anubis” is actually a Greek interpretation of the god’s original name.

Section 3 of 5:

Anubis’s Roles & Powers in Egyptian Mythology

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As we’ve already mentioned, Anubis was the patron god of all funeral rites, including mummification—known as “He who is in the place of embalming” or “He who presides over the god’s booth.” He was believed to have invented the process of mummification, and, according to legend, even mummified the god Osiris.^{[16]
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Anubis was a guardian of cemeteries and tombs. Many tombs in ancient Egypt were carved with prayers to Anubis, as it was believed that he would protect the resting places of the dead. In one myth, the god Set attempted to attack the mummified body of Osiris in the form of a leopard, and Anubis intervened. He branded and flayed Set’s leopard hide, wearing it as a warning to other potential attackers.^{[17]
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- Egyptian priests would wear leopard skin while embalming the dead in honor of Anubis’s triumph over Set.
Ancient Egyptians believed that Anubis would guide the dead across the threshold between the living world and the afterlife (a role that was sometimes shared or otherwise fulfilled by the goddess Hathor). In earlier legends, Anubis also ruled the underworld—though Osiris later replaced him in this; thus, Anubis was instead the deity who steered souls into Osiris’s presence.^{[18]
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Anubis was the “Guardian of the Scales.” Anubis had a major role as the god who weighed human hearts on a set of scales to determine if their souls were worthy of entering the afterlife, says Adeche Atelier. The god ensured the scales were correctly balanced before the outcome was recorded and the deceased was allowed to proceed.^{[19]
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- A deceased person’s heart would be weighed against Ma’at, a goddess of balance who was also depicted as a single ostrich feather.
- If the heart was lighter than the feather, it was allowed into the paradise of the afterlife.
- According to legend, if a person’s heart was heavier than the feather (and thus unworthy), it would be devoured by Ammit.
- Ammit was a bestial goddess with the forebody of a lion, the hindquarters of a hippopotamus, and the head of a crocodile.
- The afterlife was sometimes called the underworld, or Duat.

Section 4 of 5:

Myths Associated with Anubis

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Anubis’ birth and parentageAnubis’s parents vary, depending on the myth. Early on, he was said to be the son of Ra, god of the Sun—or possibly a son shared between Ra and Nephthys, a goddess of the night, mourning, childbirth, and the dead. Later, legends changed, depicting Anubis as the son of Osiris and Isis, or alternatively, the illegitimate son of Nephthys and Osiris, adopted by Isis.
- Plutarch, a Greek historian and philosopher, recorded the version of Anubis’s birth in which Osiris mistook Isis’s sister, Nephthys, for Isis herself.
- Nephthys gave birth to Anubis but abandoned him, and Isis found the baby, led to him by dogs. She raised Anubis, and in time, he became her ally and guardian.
- Much later in the history of ancient Egypt, during the Ptolemaic period, Anubis’s myth changed yet again, and he was merged with Hermes, a Greek god; the two became known as a single entity, Hermanubis.^{[20]
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Because Anubis is a protector of the dead, there’s also a long-standing myth that he can curse those who disturb or rob tombs and graves. Egyptian tombs were decorated with images of Anubis—not only for the benefit of the deceased person, but also alongside warnings that anybody who defiled the tombs would be punished by the jackal god.
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Anubis and the myth of OsirisAnubis is also featured heavily in myths surrounding Osiris, who, as we’ve already mentioned, was the ruler of the underworld and god of rebirth. In Osiris’s story, he is murdered by his brother Set. Osiris’s wife, Isis, finds Osiris’s body (which has been scattered into pieces) and recreates it, with Anubis being the one to perform Osiris’s mummification, believed to have been the first mummification.^{[21]
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- In this myth, Osiris is returned to life by Isis, and this is how he becomes the lord of the underworld.

Section 5 of 5:

How was Anubis worshipped in Ancient Egypt?

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Anubis was revered across Ancient Egypt. As the god of funeral rites, priests would wear masks in the image of Anubis when tending to bodies; similarly, statues and carvings of Anubis were situated at burial sites to protect the entombed and buried dead. Additionally, there were temples dedicated specifically to Anubis, one of the most notorious being in the ancient city of Cynopolis (the “city of the dog”).^{[22]
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- Cynopolis was the home base for the cult of Anubis, and even had a specific burial ground for dogs.
- Adeche Atelier notes that as Osiris became the more central ruler of the underworld, Anubis was positioned as Osiris’s attendant and the expert custodian of the funerary process. Anubis anchored the rituals and moral passage that make the afterlife possible.^{[23]
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