Influence In Egypt
Later on in Egyptian, two belief structures of Egyptian mythology merged; the Ogdoad and the Ennead system. Consider it a merging of the Roman and Greek mythologies, although in a more similar dialect, and the names being the same. After the merging of the two systems of belief, Osiris became the more prominent god of the Underworld, and Anubis became more of a gatekeeper. Meanwhile, Osiris’ cult grew, and prospered, although, after his death at the hands of another deity, Anubis was given Osiris’ vital organs as a celestial gift. Anubis became a guardian of the souls traveling to the Underworld, as well as the guardians of lost souls. Consequently, this also made Anubis the god of orphans, and a protector of the process of transferring from life to death.
He was the depicted in the process of the “Opening of the mouth” after the funeral rites were performed. This was process in which Anubis took the soul and guided it from the body, from the living world and into the land of the dead. Because Anubis was giving the vital organs of Osiris, this depicted him as the weigher of the dead’s heart. The process was judgement, and while Anubis weighed the heart, he was in the company of the supreme ruler of the Underworld, and his father Osiris. He weighed the heart against the feather of truth, called “Ma’at” also in the presence of Thoth, the scribe and sort of a god of communication between the world of the gods, and the world of the living. Anubis would weigh the heart against the feather; if the heart was heavier with lies and misdeeds than Ma’at, then his soul would be punished. If not, and the heart of the man weighed even or lighter than the feather, the soul would move on.
Since Anubis had become the god of dying, rather than the god of the dead, as a deity he merged with Upper Egypt’s god of the dying, Wepwawet, also associated the funeral process, and also depicted as having the head of a jackal. Osiris became more firmly defined as the father of Anubis, although Isis, Osiris’ wife was not his mother. Instead, his mother was Nephthys, though her husband was Set. Frustrated sexually, Nephthys disguised herself as Isis to try to appeal to her husband Set, who was said to be infertile, so he took no notice of her even then. But, thinking her to be Isis, Osiris took then Nephthys into his bed and conceived Anubis. Because of this transformation, Isis and Nephthys became the same deity, and were rarely afterward depicted separately.