Vi's Anubis Shrine

Anubis is the bastard child of Osiris and Nephthys. Bastard meaning that the conception was out of wedlock. Nephthys came to Osiris one night in the form of his wife, Isis. Thinking Nephthys was Isis, they had an intimate night. However, Osiris was not too pleased to find that Isis was actually Nephthys in disguise, and neither was Set, Osiris' brother and Nephthys' husband. In a fit of rage that his wife would go to Osiris over him, he cursed her unborn child and tried to kill it within her. However, it survived, and she bore a son, Anubis. He was born of dark skin, most often portrayed as midnight black or stormcloud grey. He also bore the head of a jackal, a scavnaging dog known to hang around the tombs, raiding for scraps.

Nephthys was ashamed of the baby she had born and tried to be rid of it to please her husband. However, it was Isis, the aunt of Anubis who took him in secretly and raised him as her own. He grew to be a loyal adopted son and served her to the best of his ability when he came of age. Osiris also was pleased with how he was growing up, and soon, the entire pantheon had some love of the god with the bad start.

Now, Anubis has an interesting personality. Although he could easily be one of those gloomy self-pitiful deities, he is not. Instead, he is a fun-loving god of pranks and jokes. He is known to be quite mouthy and mischivious to those who know him. However, he also has a serious side. He takes care of those he loves to the best of his ability. He can be very protecting and very gracious.

Tameress sees Anubis as a father-god. This means he is the father-figure of the living, and a king to those who has died. He is, in Tameress, the god of the dead and souls. His companion in the other world is Ammut, the devourer. She is much like a viscious dog in her portrayal, although she is betowed with the head of a crocodile, the forebody of a lion and the rear end of a hippo.

In Tameress, Anubis is paired with Bastet, a maternal deity. During the living seasons, he is with her, while, in the dead and dying seasons, he is beyond the Western Gate with his faithful friend, Ammut.

Anubis, as well as a god of the dead, is also a god of mist, sex, independance, fatherhood, faithfulness and loyalty. Sometimes, he is seen in simply a kilt, or in a kilt and top, or sometimes in a long ceremonial robe.

Anubis has other names too. Another name that is common for Anubis is Anpu, and sometimes he is called Golden Dawn, in which there is a religious group named after it.

Anubis has an interesting humorous side, though a lot of portrayals make him to be a barbaric, viscious deity, which is not the case. In most media portrayals, such as cartoons, he is often a villain, sometimes a great one or a dumb one. However, I must admit, I've seen one of these cartoons and find a lot of similarities in the childish humor between the character and the actual god. One example is on a cartoon called Mummies Alive. In one episode he is struck by lightening and tries to share infinate knowledge. Another part is complaining about doing everyone else's dirty work. Another episode has Anubis giving an interview of himself to his hostage. And yet other episodes have him doing dog tricks and chasing cars. Sure, not all of these would be done by such a "sophisticated deity, but there are many verbal things I could imagine him saying on a whim. This is one such example. Set is scolding Anubis and Anubis gives an odd reply.

He is very intelligent, even if he chooses to act as less. Think of your dog. He/she may be a smart dog, and well trained. But then look at all the stupid things he/she does to amuse you. Anubis is sort of the same way. He enjoys pleasing his followers if he can, giving humor, advice, and sometimes lessons. And he's very tricky at his lessons, I'll tell you first-hand. He's a mysterious god in his own way, and he likes to make people think.