Closely tied to his name, the role of Wepwawet was to guide individuals through the underworld and help them navigate their life choices or paths. Often paired with Apis Bull who represented Lower Egypt, Wepwawet may have been a symbol of the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. Locate the cities of ancient Egypt on this great map. Most popular during the Old Kingdom, this wolf god originated in Upper Egypt and was one of the earliest to be worshipped in the city of Abydos (south of Asyut). The city of Asyut in Upper Egypt was also home to a similar god known as Wepwawet, meaning “Opener of the Ways (or Roads).” Wepwawet was closely associated with wolves and was depicted as a wolf or man with the head of a wolf. He was not only a protector, but also the overseer of all stages of transition from death into the afterlife, including judgment.Īnubis was not the only Egyptian deity to take the form of a canine. What better protector from wild jackals than a powerful jackal god? Anubis symbolized both decay and rebirth. His appearance as a jackal may have grown out of the natural behavior of these animals, which likely involved scavenging newly dug and shallow human graves. He is depicted as a black canine with pointed ears, or as a muscular man with a head of a canine. In fact, Egyptian images of Anubis seem to merge the characteristics of jackals, dogs, and foxes. Anubis, a supreme deity with a jackal or dog-like countenance, presided over mummification and the afterlife. Jackals were “top dogs” in ancient Egyptian culture. Scanned by Andrea Martinez with Artec Spider 3D Scanner Ancient Egyptian Jackal Figurine, Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near EastĪ Museum Perspective This statue of a jackal is accompanied by two rearing cobras that symbolize divine power.

(Click image to enlarge and see 3D view.)Įgypt, Third Intermediary Period, Dynasty 22, c.

Jackal egypt