Anubis: The Egyptian God of the Afterlife Explained

The jackal-headed god who weighed your heart against a feather. Egypt's gatekeeper between worlds. Here's the complete story of Anubis — and why his image still belongs on modern walls.

This is part of our complete Egyptian Wall Art Guide series.

You've seen him. Long pointed jackal ears. Black skin. Always alert, always watching. Anubis is one of the most recognizable Egyptian gods — and one of the most misunderstood.

Most people think of him as the "god of the dead." That's almost right, but it misses the bigger picture. Anubis wasn't a death god. He was a god of transitions — the deity who guided souls between worlds, weighed hearts, and protected the boundary between life and what comes after.

Here's the complete story of Anubis, his role in Egyptian mythology, and why hanging his image on your wall today is one of the oldest "protection" gestures humans have.

Who Is Anubis?

Anubis (Egyptian: Anpu) is the ancient Egyptian god of mummification, the afterlife, and the protection of tombs and souls. He's depicted as a man with the head of a jackal, or sometimes as a full jackal lying on a shrine.

The jackal connection isn't accidental. Egyptian jackals scavenged in cemeteries — so the Egyptians made their cemetery god a jackal-headed deity, transforming a creature of death into a divine protector of the dead. It's one of the most psychologically sophisticated moves in any ancient mythology.

Anubis's Three Sacred Roles

1. Embalmer of the Dead

Anubis was the original mummifier. According to Egyptian mythology, when Osiris was murdered and dismembered, it was Anubis who reassembled and embalmed his body — inventing the entire mummification process. Egyptian embalmers wore Anubis masks during their rituals as a form of channeling his divine work.

2. Guardian of the Tomb

Egyptian tombs almost always featured Anubis imagery near the entrance. He was believed to actively protect the dead from grave robbers, evil spirits, and disturbance. Painting Anubis on a tomb wall was the spiritual equivalent of an ancient security system.

3. Weigher of Hearts

This is Anubis's most famous role. In the Egyptian afterlife judgment, the deceased's heart was placed on a scale opposite the feather of Ma'at (truth and cosmic order). Anubis operated the scale. If the heart was lighter than the feather, the soul passed into eternity. If heavier — burdened by lies, cruelty, dishonor — the soul was devoured by Ammit.

This is why our Ankh & Ma'at Feather Canvas captures the same scene that Anubis presided over.

Why Anubis Has Black Skin (And It's Not What You Think)

Anubis is almost always depicted with jet-black skin, despite real jackals being tan or brown. This wasn't an artistic mistake. It was symbolic.

In Egyptian symbolism:

• Black represented the fertile black soil of the Nile floodplains — the soil that gave life
• Black also represented resurrection and rebirth (the same soil that buried the dead grew the food for the living)
• Black represented the protective darkness of the underworld

So Anubis's black skin was a triple statement: life-giving soil + resurrection + protective darkness. The opposite of how Westerners read the color today.

Anubis vs Other "Death Gods"

People often lump Anubis in with figures like Hades, Hel, or the Grim Reaper. He's actually quite different:

• Anubis is benevolent. Egyptians weren't afraid of him. They wanted him on their side.
• Anubis is a guide, not a punisher. He doesn't drag souls to the underworld — he weighs them fairly and protects the worthy.
• Anubis represents transition, not death. His role is at the threshold, not the end.

Modern psychologist Carl Jung referenced Anubis as the archetype of the psychopomp — the guide of souls through transitions. The same archetype shows up in Hermes (Greek), Mercury (Roman), and even certain angelic figures in Western traditions.

Why Hang Anubis on Your Wall?

Three reasons Anubis works as wall art beyond aesthetics:

1. Active Protection

The Egyptians literally believed Anubis imagery protected spaces. Hung in an entryway, hallway, or office, he becomes a guardian symbol — 5,000 years of cultural belief that this image watches over rooms.

2. Symbol of Honest Work

Anubis weighed hearts against truth. For people who care about integrity — lawyers, judges, writers, philosophers, leaders — his image is a daily reminder of that standard.

3. Transition Guide

If you're going through a major life transition — career change, divorce, recovery, grief — Anubis is the original "between worlds" deity. His image becomes a daily anchor for navigating change.

Where to Hang Anubis in Your Home

• Entryway or hallway — traditional Egyptian threshold protection
• Home office or study — daily anchor for honest, intentional work
• Masculine living room — statement piece with depth
• Above a desk — for ambitious professional environments
• Sacred space or altar — for spiritual practice involving transition or grief work

Choose Your Anubis Canvas

Our Anubis — Guardian of the Afterlife canvas captures the jackal god in his full guardian form, rendered in luxury museum-grade detail with the traditional black skin and gold accents. Comes with a meaning card explaining his mythology.

For a powerful 3-piece protection gallery wall, pair Anubis with:

• Eye of Horus Portal (the watching eye)
• Ankh Portal (life force)

Browse the full Gods & Pharaohs collection for more masculine Egyptian deities including Tutankhamun, Horus, and the Pharaoh Mask.

The Bottom Line

Anubis isn't a death god. He's a guardian, a guide, and a weigher of truth — and his image has protected sacred spaces for 5,000 years. Hanging him on your wall is a small act of carrying that ancient guardianship forward into a modern home.

New customer? Use code KEMET10 for 10% off your first Anubis canvas.

→ Continue reading: The Complete Guide to Egyptian Wall Art · Egyptian Symbols Complete Reference