Anubis the Ancient Egyptian God
Anubis, The Jackal, The Guardian
Our story starts with Osiris, an ancient god in Egyptian mythology. The mythology is old as time itself. Osiris was revered and loved. He was the god of the afterlife and resurrection, representing the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, after all. Egyptians always believed in life after death and in judgment. So, Osiris was a figure they respected, and wanted to get on his good side.
Osiris and Set: Old Egyptian Rivalry
Osiris’ brother, Set, didn’t like this. He was always jealous of his brother, and this is where our tale begins. Set imagined that if he wanted to reach Osiris and eliminate him, he would need to be stealthy and swift. Set decided to disguise himself as a leopard!
Leopards are known for their stealth and swiftness. He was sure that would be enough to infiltrate the afterlife world and sneak by its watchful guardian, Anubis. He would then approach the lifeless body of Osiris, and eliminate him.
Set, though, downplayed the strength and vigilance of Anubis, the jackal-headed god charged with protecting the afterlife and the dead. The Egyptian god Anubis would not let anyone cross into his realm and harm the deceased unnoticed!
Anubis, the protective god, could sense the presence of Set, and chased him into the realm of the dead, finally seizing him in the image of the leopard Set was taking. Anubis, then, decided to punish the deceitful god, Set.
The Egyptian Legend of the Leopard and Anubis
Legends say that Anubis subjected the leopard’s body Set was assuming to a painful punishment. Anubis seared the leopard’s body with the head of hot iron! According to legends, this is how leopards were marked with the black spots we see on their fur to this day. Anubis permanently marked them, for that treacherous act.
The legend of Anubis and the spotted leopard tells us how ancient Egyptians thought of deception and treachery. Despite that leopards were esteemed in Egypt for their strength and gracefulness, ancient Egyptians did not forgive when it came to disrupting the natural order of things and allowing themselves to be used by the evil Set, Osiris’ brother. And therefore, forever the marked spots by Anubis will be a reminder for all.
It is a cautionary tale, from ancient Egypt for all times and ages, that betrayal, deception, and disrupting nature, will carry heavy consequences. And who else will uphold justice, other than the black-skinned jackal, Anubis, the Egyptian watchful guardian?
The Legend of Anubis has inspired us to wear his protective emblem on premium cotton t-shirts, on our store now!
- Cleopatra, the last Queen of Egypt