“They relate also
that Isis, learning that Osiris in his love had consorted with her sister
through ignorance, in the belief that she was Isis, and seeing the proof of
this in the garland of melilote which he had left with Nephthys, sought to find
the child; for the mother, immediately after its birth, had exposed it because
of her fear of Typhon. And when the child had been found, after great toil and
trouble, with the help of dogs which led Isis to it, it was brought up and
became her guardian and attendant, receiving the name of Anubis, and it is said
to protect the gods just as dogs protect men.” – Plutarch, On Isis and Osiris 356f
Hermes and Anubis equated
“The facts are that they do not call the dog by the name Hermes as his
proper name, but they bring into association with the most astute of
their gods that animal's watchfulness and wakefulness and wisdom, since
he distinguishes between what is friendly and what is hostile by his
knowledge of the one and his ignorance of the other, as Plato (Republic, 375 E) remarks.” – Plutarch, On Isis and Osiris 355b
Osiris has affair with Nephthys; begets Anubis
“They relate also that Isis, learning that Osiris in his love had
consorted with her sister through ignorance, in the belief that she was
Isis, Fand seeing the proof of this in the garland of melilote which he
had left with Nephthys, sought to find the child; for the mother,
immediately after its birth, had exposed it because of her fear of
Typhon. And when the child had been found, after great toil and
trouble, with the help of dogs which led Isis to it, it was brought up
and became her guardian and attendant, receiving the name of Anubis,
and it is said to protect the gods just as dogs protect men.” –
Plutarch, On Isis and Osiris 356f
Anubis’ parentage and powers
“When Nephthys gave birth to Anubis, Isis treated the child as if it
were her own; for Nephthys is that which is beneath the earth and
invisible, Isis that which is above the earth and visible; and the
circle which touches these, called the horizon, being common to both,
has received the name Anubis, and is represented in form like a dog;
for the dog can see with his eyes both by night and by day alike. And
among Egyptians Anubis is thought to possess this faculty, which is
similar to that which Hecatê is thought to possess among the Greeks,
for Anubis is a deity of the lower world as well as a god of Olympus.
Some are of the opinion that Anubis is Cronus. For this reason,
inasmuch as he generates all things out of himself and conceives all
things within himself, he has gained the appellation of "Dog." There
is, therefore, a certain mystery observed by those who revere Anubis;
in ancient times the dog obtained the highest honours in Egypt; but,
when Cambyses had slain the Apis and cast him forth, nothing came near
the body or ate of it save only the dog; and thereby the dog lost his
primacy and his place of honour above that of all the other animals.” –
Plutarch, On Isis and Osiris 368e-f
The Speech of Anubis
“Anubis the Dweller in the Mummy Chamber, Governor of the Divine House ... saith:- ‘Homage
to thee, thou happy one, lord! Thou seest the Utchat. Ptah-Seker hath
bound thee up. Anubis hath exalted thee. Shu hath raised thee up, O
Beautiful Face, thou governor of eternity. Thou hast thine eye, O
scribe Nebseni, lord of fealty, and it is beautiful. Thy right eye is
like the Sektet Boat, thy left eye is like the Atet Boat. Thine
eyebrows are fair to see in the presence of the Company of the Gods.
Thy brow is under the protection of Anubis, and thy head and face, O
beautiful one, are before the holy Hawk. Thy fingers have been
established by thy scribe's craft in the presence of the Lord of
Khemenu, Thoth, who hath bestowed upon thee the knowledge of the speech
of the holy books. Thy beard is beautiful in the sight of Ptah-Seker,
and thou, O scribe Nebseni, thou lord of fealty, art beautiful before
the Great Company of the Gods. The Great God looketh upon thee, and he
leadeth thee along the path of happiness. Sepulchral meals are bestowed
upon thee, and he overthroweth for thee thine enemies, setting them
under thy feet in the presence of the Great Company of the Gods who
dwell in the House of the Great Aged One which is in Anu.’” - the Papyrus of Nu and the Papyrus of Nebseni
Excerpts from the Book of the Dead
“In the cxlvth Chapter of the Book of the Dead the deceased says, "I
have washed myself in the water wherein the god Anpu washed when he had
performed the office of the embalmer and bandager”; and elsewhere the
deceased is told that "Anpu, who is upon his hill, hath set thee in
order, and he hath fastened for thee thy swathings, thy throat is the
throat of Anubis {clxxii. 22} and thy face is like that of Anubis"
{clxxxi. 9}
Titles and powers of Anubis
“Come to me, for thou art this lotus-flower that came forth from in the
lotus of Pnastor, and that illuminates the whole earth; hail! Anubis,
come to me, the High, the Mighty, the Chief over the mysteries of those
in the Underworld, the Pharaoh of those in Amenti, the Chief Physician,
the fair son of Osiris, he whose face is strong among the gods, thou
manifestest thyself in the Underworld before the hand of Osiris. Thou
servest the souls of Abydos, for they all live by thee, these souls
(namely) those of the sacred Underworld. Come to the earth, show
thyself to me here to-day.” – The London-Leyden Papyrus Col. II 13-21
Anubis in an oracular rite
“O dog, which is called Anubis by name, who resteth on the box of
myrrh, whose feet are set on the box of frankincense, let there come to
me the ointment for the son of the lamp that he (?) may give me answer
as to everything about which I ask here to-day, truly without falsehood
therein.” – The London-Leyden Papyrus Col. VII 3-6
Bowl divination for Anubis
“Formula: you take a bowl of bronze, you engrave a figure of Anubis in
it; you fill it with water left to settle (?) and guarded(?) lest(?)
the sun should reach it; you finish its (sur-) face (of the water) with
fine oil. You place it on [three?] new bricks, their lower sides being
sprinkled with sand; you put four other bricks under the child; you
make the child lie down upon (?) his stomach; you cause him (?) to
place his chin on the brick of the vessel; you make him look into the
oil, he having a cloth spread over his head, there being a lighted lamp
on his right, and a censer with fire on his left; you put a leaf of
Anubis-plant on the lamp, you put this incense on (the fire); you
recite these spells, which are above, to the vessel seven times. The
incense which you put on (the fire): frankincense (?), wax (?), styrax,
turpentine (?), date-stone (?); grind them with wine; you make them
into a ball and put them on (the fire). When you have finished, you
make the child open his eyes, you ask him, saying, 'Is the god coming
in?' If he says 'The god has come in,' you recite before him: formula;
'Thy bull(?) Mao, ho! Anubis, this soldier(?), this Kam, (26) this Kem
... Pisreithi , Sreithi , Abrithi is thy name, by thy correct name.'
(27) You ask him concerning that which you [desire]; when you have
finished your inquiry which you are asking about, you call to him seven
times; you dismiss the god to his home. His dismissal formula:'
Farewell Anubis, the good ox-herd, Anubis , the son of a (?) jackal
(and?) a dog . another volume saith: the child of . Isis (?) (and ) a
dog, Nabrishoth, the Cherub (?) of Amenti, king of those of.....' Say
seven times. You take the lamp from (?) the child, you take the vessel
containing water, you take the cloth off him. You do it also by
vessel-inquiry alone, excellent , tried (?), tested nine times.
“The Anubis-plant. It grows in very numerous places; its leaf
is like the leaf of Syrian [plant (?)]; it turns (?) white; its flower
is like the flower of conyza. ... you ... eye .... before you ... the
vessel. – The London-Leyden Papyrus Col. XIV 18-33
Assorted magical spells
“The magical spell associated with a niche in the east wall of a tomb
holding a statue of Anubis reclining upon his shrine or on a hill is:
‘Thou watchful one, watchful also is he-who-is-upon-his-mountain. Thy
moment is repelled. I have repelled thy moment of rage. I am thy
protector.’”
“The spell placed on the statue of Anubis guarding the storeroom (The
Treasury of the Innermost) in the tomb of Tutankhamen reads:
‘It is I who hinder the sand from choking the secret chamber, and who
repel he who would repel him with the desert-flame. I have set aflame
the desert, I have caused the path to be mistaken. I am for the
protection of the Osiris.’”
