Full Version: The "White" Anubis
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I have been studying Anubis and have come across several images of Anubis as being depicted as a female, white,and a warrior. There is no description of this form of the deiety other than the name. Can anyone shed any light on this subject?
QUOTE (Azmeaiel @ Sep 23 2004, 09:28 PM)
I have been studying Anubis and have come across several images of Anubis as being depicted as a female, white,and a warrior. There is no description of this form of the deiety other than the name. Can anyone shed any light on this subject?
The discription you have giving of a female warrior goddess with the ressemblance of the god Anubus is most probably the goddess Sekhmet.
Sekhmet or "Powerful Female" First noted in a myth describing Ra's vengeance upon his enemies. As a destroyer and healer Sekhmet's power to destroy things utterly would be invoked against the invisible "demons" of plague and disease, Sekhmet's priesthood in antiquity were trained surgeons of remarkable caliber, given the standards for medicine in the ancient world.
Instead of a jakal's head like Anubus, She had a head of a lioness.
Sekhmet's strongest attribute, like that of the lioness Her symbol, is that of appropriate action, especially appropriate violence/destruction.
Thankyou, But the one I was looking for was still different. I thought this too at first untill I was looking through a very old archeology book and found the two in the same engraving? That is what has left me with a lot of questions. I will try to dig up some of the murals and images i was talking about especially the one containing sekhmet. :ph34r:
hmmmm...
jsut a guess,
we ahve different interpretations of things (different artist different picture same object)
it could be the same in egypt
jsut a guess,
we ahve different interpretations of things (different artist different picture same object)
it could be the same in egypt
yes, but i worry about the symbolism used for each god, Eg Thoth was associated with knowledge and writing so was pretty much always depicted carrying the impliments of his art, usually a scroll and writing impliment. Usually the depictions were very stylised ,symbolic and due to their religious significance were not usually open to interpretation by the workers hired to paint them. The white anubis has a jackal head but is depicted as being a topless female holding a snake and a Spear, Bow and arrows or knife (as close as i can tell what the egyptian weapons were)and is usually depicted in a battle scene. This seems very different in depiction/symbolism to the Black, male Anubis who is usually holding the tools of embalming or flail and staff, usually performing and watching over rites for the dead.
Infinity got to you first with the answer that I was going to give..
This one?
Yep, Thats the one! (Dark Natasha must have noticed them too)
but there is still no information besides a couple of old "we dug this stuff up in Egypt" books from the 20's. Looks like they just put it in a crate somewhere and forgot about it.
thankyou.
but there is still no information besides a couple of old "we dug this stuff up in Egypt" books from the 20's. Looks like they just put it in a crate somewhere and forgot about it.
thankyou.
The only other similar gods i have found are Khentamentiu, Anubis's nephew depicted almost the same as anubis, protects the canoptic jars.
Duamutef a grey jackal: Protector of graveyards (never seen in human form)
and Wepwawet: The warrior and opener of the gates (depiction, a male,brown, jackal or wolf headed god)
Duamutef a grey jackal: Protector of graveyards (never seen in human form)
and Wepwawet: The warrior and opener of the gates (depiction, a male,brown, jackal or wolf headed god)
I just went through all the names in the book of Netjer (Kemetic Orthodoxy) and nothing reguarding a jackel headed female goddes, all female dietys are described as having a lioness, cow, or with headdresses. This book holds is a comprehensive description of Names of Netjer which enjoy moderate to wide following throughout Kemetic history, past and present, and "base" Names behind more obscure forms.
The actual number of gods and goddesses figures in the thousands.
I had made contact with Rev. Christina Paul (trained Saq clergy for Sekhmet) and she suggests the following book:
The Great Goddesses of Egypt Lesko, Barbara S.
University of Oklahoma (Norman) Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8061-3202-7.
She said this is the best reference she knows in reguards to your search.
Good Luck!
The actual number of gods and goddesses figures in the thousands.
I had made contact with Rev. Christina Paul (trained Saq clergy for Sekhmet) and she suggests the following book:
The Great Goddesses of Egypt Lesko, Barbara S.
University of Oklahoma (Norman) Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8061-3202-7.
She said this is the best reference she knows in reguards to your search.
Good Luck!
Thankyou very much for that referance Infinity, I will check it out. :)
Okay Dark Natasha draws fictional characters of her owm creations to my knowledge"
as for a white female dog "even Anubis is only assumed to be a jackal"
than you may want to check other nearby faiths.
My best guess would be the goddess Bau who was at one time depicted as a white dog.
remember most "city gods" those found in well known pantheons are most often combinations of tribal and regional gods that the government stuck together to create common worshipping sites and beliefs so as to better unite the people.
as for a white female dog "even Anubis is only assumed to be a jackal"
than you may want to check other nearby faiths.
My best guess would be the goddess Bau who was at one time depicted as a white dog.
remember most "city gods" those found in well known pantheons are most often combinations of tribal and regional gods that the government stuck together to create common worshipping sites and beliefs so as to better unite the people.
Occasionally Anubis would be shown with a half black- half white or gold face to show that he was earthly and divine. Maybe the 'white anubis' is a statue with some paint rubbed off?
Does anyone have any photos or anything of the White Anubis?
Now, as for the goddess that was usually portrayed as white and a warrior, I'd say Sekhmet hands down. Are we sure that this statue wasn't perhaps a Greek god worshipped in Egypt? Where was it found?
eeek, lots of questions...
Does anyone have any photos or anything of the White Anubis?
Now, as for the goddess that was usually portrayed as white and a warrior, I'd say Sekhmet hands down. Are we sure that this statue wasn't perhaps a Greek god worshipped in Egypt? Where was it found?
eeek, lots of questions...
thats ok Lili, well the whole story goes a bit like this:
I was studying fine arts at university for four years and all my work was built on different symbolism. I would basicly take a modern subject, trace its origins back as far as it was historicly possible and then create a work modern in appearence but heavily referenced with the symbols original meaning. One of the works I was doing traced back to egyptology, there was very little written so I began looking through all the very old (1920-1950) catalogs and inventorys that basicly had a site number, black and white photo and a very brief description of the object that was found before it was locked up in a box in a museum. About three of these had an image of an Egyptian, jackel headed god, depicted holding a snake and a knife/sword or a bow. The body of this god was difinitly female, bare breasted. I have seen several images of this version of the god since that time in everything from an egyptian clip art book to full colour 1200 page catalogs from the cairo museum. There is just no other reference to this god other than "Anubis" even though anubis is black, male and holds enbalming tools or a staff and has never in any egyptian mythology been described as a goddess. I have also never seen Sekhmet as being described or depicted as a "Jackal". The only likley candidate is Daumutef, if this is its human form.
I wish I still had acess to the uni library :ph34r:
I was studying fine arts at university for four years and all my work was built on different symbolism. I would basicly take a modern subject, trace its origins back as far as it was historicly possible and then create a work modern in appearence but heavily referenced with the symbols original meaning. One of the works I was doing traced back to egyptology, there was very little written so I began looking through all the very old (1920-1950) catalogs and inventorys that basicly had a site number, black and white photo and a very brief description of the object that was found before it was locked up in a box in a museum. About three of these had an image of an Egyptian, jackel headed god, depicted holding a snake and a knife/sword or a bow. The body of this god was difinitly female, bare breasted. I have seen several images of this version of the god since that time in everything from an egyptian clip art book to full colour 1200 page catalogs from the cairo museum. There is just no other reference to this god other than "Anubis" even though anubis is black, male and holds enbalming tools or a staff and has never in any egyptian mythology been described as a goddess. I have also never seen Sekhmet as being described or depicted as a "Jackal". The only likley candidate is Daumutef, if this is its human form.
I wish I still had acess to the uni library :ph34r:
hmmm, got me thinking as that definetly isn't Bau you just described.
now a question is the stautue "old Egypt", "middle Egypt", or "New Egypt"?
New Egypt and Middle Egypt are what are mostly known with the amalgomed gods Like Ammon-Ra. "They took the old egypt "Ra" and mixed it with the middle egypt Ammon"
in Old Egypt Anubis was very different than what we commonly think of him. "This was the time when the dog headed and cat headed gods were more common and most their names have been forgotten as mere relics and nearly gone images on old walls. The Old Egypt Anubis wasn't the son of Osiris who didn't appear in Egyptian mythology until the middle dynasties. "The Epytians were said to able to have many different versions of the same myths and believe them all somehow" In fact their were five creation stories and all were believed.
But as I was saying the Old Anubis was a god that came from the west one day and conquered the underworld which was at the time a horrible hellish place, he subjigated it and made it a place for the souls of the dead to peacfully reside.
some believe this warlike supreme ruler of the underworld Anubis lost popularity as the beliefe was that if you were not exactly right "not too evil or too good" than the scale would tip "the one with the feather on it". Later the priests changed this saying a new god Osiris ruled the underworld and the scale only tipped if you were evil.
some Archaeologists say that this old Anubis had many children includeing three daughters "but this is a debate as much of the information is missing and only the image of one daughter "the water bearer" stayed in the Egyption belief system.
They even changed it to say Anubis was the son of either Osiris or Set "both gods he in fact pre-dates"
now a question is the stautue "old Egypt", "middle Egypt", or "New Egypt"?
New Egypt and Middle Egypt are what are mostly known with the amalgomed gods Like Ammon-Ra. "They took the old egypt "Ra" and mixed it with the middle egypt Ammon"
in Old Egypt Anubis was very different than what we commonly think of him. "This was the time when the dog headed and cat headed gods were more common and most their names have been forgotten as mere relics and nearly gone images on old walls. The Old Egypt Anubis wasn't the son of Osiris who didn't appear in Egyptian mythology until the middle dynasties. "The Epytians were said to able to have many different versions of the same myths and believe them all somehow" In fact their were five creation stories and all were believed.
But as I was saying the Old Anubis was a god that came from the west one day and conquered the underworld which was at the time a horrible hellish place, he subjigated it and made it a place for the souls of the dead to peacfully reside.
some believe this warlike supreme ruler of the underworld Anubis lost popularity as the beliefe was that if you were not exactly right "not too evil or too good" than the scale would tip "the one with the feather on it". Later the priests changed this saying a new god Osiris ruled the underworld and the scale only tipped if you were evil.
some Archaeologists say that this old Anubis had many children includeing three daughters "but this is a debate as much of the information is missing and only the image of one daughter "the water bearer" stayed in the Egyption belief system.
They even changed it to say Anubis was the son of either Osiris or Set "both gods he in fact pre-dates"
Here's a thought: maybe it could be the god of a nome or city? I'll ask my Egyptology group. :)
Here's what I got from my Egyptology group:
QUOTE
Dear Lilith
There are a number of canine deities including those mentioned in the email
(Anubis and Duamutef).
I have had a quick look in Wilkinson’s Complete Gods and Goddesses of
Ancient Egypt. There are no mentions of any of the attached attributes for
Daumutef.
The only connection In Wilkinson for Anubis is the last comment he makes
about iconography dating the the Graeco-Roman period: “In very late
representations, as in the walls of the catacombs of Alexandria, Anubis
could be shown dressed in the armour of a soldier in his protective role and
with the lower half of his body in serpent form to reflect some of his later
aspects”. Although he is not holding a serpent in this description, he is
very closely associated with one, but the description implies that this only
occurred in the times when the Greeks and then Romans ruled Egypt. The
Romans in particular were very prone to interpreting local gods (not just
Egyptian ones, but gods of any land they invaded) in the light of their own
gods, or adopting existing indigenous gods but attributing them with special
Roman-centric ideas. This could account for the unusual nature of the
depictions.
Another Egyptian jackal god was Wepwawet, who can usually be distinguished
from Anubis by colouring: Wepwawet is usually coloured grey when shown as
an animal, but in anthropomorphic form, he can only usually be distinguished
from Anubis by reading the hieroglyphs.
Wilkinson describes a female goddess under his “Canines” section – Input.
I’ll quote him directly: “Input was the female counterpart of Anubis.
Although she did not share the level of imprtnace of her consort, she had
her won cult in the 17th Upper Egyptian nome”. This might be worth
investigating some more.
It would be hugely helpful to be able to see one of the images that your
co-list member sourced. If you can send us a link, we might be able to find
out some more information for you.
There are a number of canine deities including those mentioned in the email
(Anubis and Duamutef).
I have had a quick look in Wilkinson’s Complete Gods and Goddesses of
Ancient Egypt. There are no mentions of any of the attached attributes for
Daumutef.
The only connection In Wilkinson for Anubis is the last comment he makes
about iconography dating the the Graeco-Roman period: “In very late
representations, as in the walls of the catacombs of Alexandria, Anubis
could be shown dressed in the armour of a soldier in his protective role and
with the lower half of his body in serpent form to reflect some of his later
aspects”. Although he is not holding a serpent in this description, he is
very closely associated with one, but the description implies that this only
occurred in the times when the Greeks and then Romans ruled Egypt. The
Romans in particular were very prone to interpreting local gods (not just
Egyptian ones, but gods of any land they invaded) in the light of their own
gods, or adopting existing indigenous gods but attributing them with special
Roman-centric ideas. This could account for the unusual nature of the
depictions.
Another Egyptian jackal god was Wepwawet, who can usually be distinguished
from Anubis by colouring: Wepwawet is usually coloured grey when shown as
an animal, but in anthropomorphic form, he can only usually be distinguished
from Anubis by reading the hieroglyphs.
Wilkinson describes a female goddess under his “Canines” section – Input.
I’ll quote him directly: “Input was the female counterpart of Anubis.
Although she did not share the level of imprtnace of her consort, she had
her won cult in the 17th Upper Egyptian nome”. This might be worth
investigating some more.
It would be hugely helpful to be able to see one of the images that your
co-list member sourced. If you can send us a link, we might be able to find
out some more information for you.
Thankyou yery much, that is very helpful. I was definitly thinking it was some kind of pre-Osiris form and i will look up Input. It is hard to get information out of archeologists if they are debating something (anubis's daughters) we may as well wait for the next ice age ^_^ . I found a reference that also said that the deitys didnt always stick to the same animal form 
QUOTE (Azmeaiel @ Oct 2 2004, 06:35 PM)
Thankyou yery much, that is very helpful. I was definitly thinking it was some kind of pre-Osiris form and i will look up Input. It is hard to get information out of archeologists if they are debating something (anubis's daughters) we may as well wait for the next ice age ^_^ . I found a reference that also said that the deitys didnt always stick to the same animal form
Found her! sort of I found "Input" which by the way is a pain in a inthe ass name given that its an actual english word. Input is an alternate name for Anput, the wife "not daughter like i originally thought" of Anubis. here is her information
The goddess Anput (Input, Inpewt, Yineput) - inpwt - was the goddess of the 17th Nome of Upper Egypt, who was depicted as a woman wearing the jackal standard of her nome or a woman with the head of a jackal. She was believed to have been the wife of Anubis, and possibly the mother of Kebechet.
I've got more info also-
The goddess Anput (Input, Inpewt, Yineput) - inpwt - was the goddess of the 17th Nome of Upper Egypt, who was depicted as a woman wearing the jackal standard of her nome or a woman with the head of a jackal. She was believed to have been the wife of Anubis, and possibly the mother of Kebechet.
The Goddess Kebechet (Kabechet, Kebechet, Kebehut, Kebhut) is the daughter of Anubis who was depicted as a snake or ostrich carrying water. She was the goddess of freshness and purification through water who washed the entrails of the deceased and brought the sacred water to Anubis for his tasks.
The goddess Anput (Input, Inpewt, Yineput) - inpwt - was the goddess of the 17th Nome of Upper Egypt, who was depicted as a woman wearing the jackal standard of her nome or a woman with the head of a jackal. She was believed to have been the wife of Anubis, and possibly the mother of Kebechet.
The Goddess Kebechet (Kabechet, Kebechet, Kebehut, Kebhut) is the daughter of Anubis who was depicted as a snake or ostrich carrying water. She was the goddess of freshness and purification through water who washed the entrails of the deceased and brought the sacred water to Anubis for his tasks.
That would explain why in every picture she is carrying a snake, Thankyou.
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