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The Stop
Anubis was the ancient Egyptian god of funerary practices and care of the dead, and was credited with the invention of embalming. Represented as a black jackal or a muscular man with the head of a jackal, his name appears as far back as the Early Dynastic period and the Old Kingdom (ca. 3150-2130 BCE),1 when Anubis held the title ‘lord of the dead’ and was associated with eternal justice. For centuries, he was considered the ‘guardian and protector’ of the dead, but in time his importance was overshadowed by the growing popularity of the cult of Osiris.2
One of the most important Egyptian gods, Osiris embodied a dual role as a god of fertility and (initially) the embodiment of the dead king. Though Osiris would always be considered the source of power given to all life from the underworld – from ‘sprouting vegetation to the annual flood of the Nile River’ - from around 2000 BCE his association with the deceased king expanded to include ‘every man.’ While this connection ‘did not imply resurrection,’ but rather symbolised the ‘renewal of life both in the next world and through one’s descendants on Earth,’ the sense of universality made Osiris’s cult very popular. It quickly spread throughout Egypt, blending with various fertility cults and assimilating other underworld deities, including Anubis. The Osiris myth began incorporating more and more of Anubis’s attributes, so that by the time of the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BCE), Anubis was no longer lord of the underworld, but instead had become ‘Osiris’s protector and ‘right-hand man.’’
The most common depiction of Anubis is in his role assisting Osiris in the judgement of the souls of the dead. At the appointed time, Anubis would lead the soul of the deceased to the halls of Ma’at, the personification of truth, justice, and cosmic order. Overseen by Osiris and meticulously recorded by the god Thoth,3 Anubis would weigh the deceased’s heart on a scale against Ma’at4 as a ‘test of conformity to proper values.’ Souls lighter than the feather would be guided by Anubis into a heavenly afterlife, whereas heavier ones would be immediately devoured by the goddess Ammit - the ‘devourer of the dead’ - who was represented as having the forequarters of a lion, the hindquarters of a hippo, and the head of a crocodile.5
Anubis is the earliest Egyptian deity depicted on tomb walls and was believed to be a ‘powerful ally’ able to both enforce curses placed on others while providing defence against curses in return. Offering people the assurance that ‘their body would be respected at death, that their soul would be protected in the afterlife, and that they would receive fair judgement for their life’s work,’ Anubis - though not playing a major role in the popular Egyptian myths - nevertheless remained ‘immensely’ popular. Always painted in black - symbolic of both the decay of the body and the fertile soul of the Nile River Valley which ‘represented regeneration and life’ - his cult centre was in Upper Egypt at Cynopolis,6 and shrines dedicated to him have been found throughout the Egypt. He also – ‘as with many Egyptian deities’ – survived in various forms by becoming associated with other cultures’ gods. For example, the Greeks associated him with Hermes – who, among other responsibilities – guided the dead to the afterlife. In a great example of assimilation, Anubis and Hermes merged into the composite deity Hermanubis:
The Detour
Today’s Detour is to a very short (1:27) video excerpt from Peter Jackson’s mammoth nearly eight hours long Beatles documentary, The Beatles: Get Back.7 In this clip, George Harrison is trying to figure out the words to his song 'Something' with the help of John Lennon.
The Recommendation
Today’s recommendation is John Romer’s A History of Ancient Egypt (2012). I have been fascinated by ancient Egypt since I was a child, and this is one of the most interesting books I’ve read on the topic in years. It’s the first in a trilogy dedicated to the subject - and highly readable.
From the back: How, over a thousand years, did a culture of semi-itinerant farmers create the rich, vivid, world of ancient Egypt, culminating with the Great Pyramid? In this extraordinary book John Romer draws on a lifetime of research to tell one of the greatest human stories.
Showing how archaeological evidence has allowed this long-vanished civilisation to gradually re-appear from under the sand, and the changing interpretations to which its breathtaking but enigmatic remains have been subjected, Romer reveals what these highly idiosyncratic objects have to tell us. The result is an engrossing detective story, as we discover what we really know of Nile civilisation - and where the record remains silent.
You can buy A History of Ancient Egypt from Amazon, but you can also get it from your local new or used bookstore - or check it out from your local library. And these options are better for everyone.
The Sounds
Today’s playlist is composed of five tracks built around a couple that my 16 year old recently played in the car on the school run:8 ‘Sure Thing’ (Miguel, 2010), ‘Till It’s Done (Tutu)’ (D’Angelo, 2014), ‘Lights Out’ (Santigold, 2008), ‘Super Rich Kids’ (Frank Ocean, 2013), and ‘Provider’ (N.E.R.D., 2001). Enjoy!
The Thought
Today’s Thought is from Albert Camus:9
‘As I usually do when I want to get rid of someone whose conversation bores me, I pretend to agree.’
If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:
And that’s the end of this Stop - I hope you enjoyed the diversion!
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Until the next Stop …
Though this is when his image starts to be seen in royal tombs, it is ‘certain’ Anubis already had a cult following by this time, most likely originating in the Predynastic Period (ca. 6000 - 3150) as a response to ‘wild dogs and jackals digging up newly buried corpses’ - a ‘powerful canine god’ emerging to provide protection against wild canines.
The confines of a single Stop meant I chose not to look at his origin myths or the embalming process as they’re complicated enough for their own Stops. Perhaps in the future …. Sources for today’s Stop include Anubis (Britannica), Anubis (World History) and Ma'at (Britannica).
For more on Thoth, see The Bus Vol. 1; Issue 18 (6 June 2022).
Ma’at is often represented as her hieroglyph - an ostrich feather.
The three deadliest creatures in the Egyptians’ daily lives.
Literally, the ‘city of the dog.’
Which, having watched the entire thing, is unlike anything I’ve seen before. Its three episodes cover 21 days in the studio during the recording of what would be their final album, Let it Be, and culminates with the full 42-minute rooftop concert which would prove to be their last. If you’re a Beatles fan, it’s certainly worth the time. If you’re not … well, it’s probably best to skip this one.
To be precise, tracks 1 and 4 are her suggestions. The other three are favourites of mine (and thanks to David for the D’Angelo and Santigold tracks which were on a mixed CD he sent quite some time ago - though it pains me to see the dates of their release.) And the N.E.R.D. track is brilliant: ‘I’m a provider, girl - and I love you.’ Tragedy in eight words.
For more information about Camus, see: Albert Camus (Britannica).