Anubis is the ancient Egyptian god of death, mummification, funerary rites, and the protection and guidance of souls in the afterlife.

Who Anubis Is

Anubis is usually depicted as a man with a black jackal’s head or as a full jackal.

In Egyptian belief, jackals were linked with cemeteries, so making Anubis their patron turned a threat into a protector of tombs.

What Anubis Is the God Of

Key roles people mean when they ask “what is Anubis the god of” include:

  • God of mummification and embalming.
  • God of funerary rites and rituals.
  • Protector of graves, tombs, and cemeteries.
  • Guide of souls to the afterlife.
  • Overseer of the judgment of the dead (the “Weighing of the Heart”).

Short story-style snapshot

In Egyptian myth, when someone died, Anubis would prepare their body, guard the tomb from harm, and then lead their soul through the underworld to the Hall of Judgment, where the heart was weighed against the feather of truth.

If the heart was pure and light, Anubis helped ensure the soul safely entered the blessed afterlife; if not, the soul was destroyed by a fearsome monster instead.

Main Titles and Epithets

Ancient texts give Anubis several titles that hint at what he is the god of:

  • “Lord of the Sacred Land” – ruler of the necropolis and burial grounds.
  • “He Who Is in the Place of Embalming” – master of mummification.
  • “Protector of Graves” – guardian of tombs and the dead.
  • “Master of Secrets” – knower of the mysteries beyond death.

Here is a compact table of his main domains:

html

<table>
  <tr>
    <th>Aspect</th>
    <th>What Anubis Is God Of</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Death & Afterlife</td>
    <td>Transition of souls, guardianship of the dead, presence in the underworld.[web:1][web:5][web:7][web:10]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Mummification</td>
    <td>Embalming, preserving bodies so they can live on in the afterlife.[web:1][web:8][web:10]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Funerary Rites</td>
    <td>Rituals, tomb preparation, funerary ceremonies.[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Graves & Cemeteries</td>
    <td>Protection of tombs, cemeteries, and bodies from desecration or wild animals.[web:5][web:7][web:9]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Judgment</td>
    <td>Weighing of the heart, ensuring fair judgment of the dead.[web:1][web:3][web:9][web:10]</td>
  </tr>
</table>

Anubis in Modern Discussions

Today Anubis appears often in games, movies, and online forums as the “jackal- headed god of the underworld,” though scholars are careful to emphasize his specific roles in funerary rites, not just a generic death god.

People also discuss him in the context of pop culture (novels, video games, fan art) and modern spiritual or symbolic uses, where he represents protection during life changes or “crossing thresholds.”

TL;DR: Anubis is the Egyptian god of mummification, funerary rites, and cemeteries, a protector of graves and a guide and judge of souls in the afterlife.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.