Anubis, the original god of death in Ancient Egyptian mythology, was the judge of the underworld.
During the Middle Kingdom, after the great pharaoh Osiris was mummified, people bestowed upon him the title of lord of the underworld, originally held by Anubis, to honor his achievements. From then on, Anubis became the guide and guardian of the dead, responsible for escorting their souls into the underworld to face divine judgment.
He would remove the deceased's heart and place it on the Scales of Truth. If their lies and wicked conduct in life tipped the scales out of balance, the crocodile-headed Ammit would devour their heart, preventing their resurrection and leaving their soul to suffer endlessly in the underworld.
Anubis had a human body topped with the head of a jackal. His jackal head had sharply defined features, upright ears, and deep-set eyes that exuded majesty and mystery.
The fur on his jackal head was as black as night, and his exposed body was powerful and muscular. White linen wrapped his lower body, secured at the waist by a golden belt that proclaimed his sanctity and authority.
Anubis often held a scepter symbolizing authority in his hands, his bearing solemn, as though he stood perpetually ready to judge the world's good and evil and weigh its souls. When faced with injustice, he hated evil with a passion, upheld his principles, and would not rest until his goal was achieved.
Osiris stared at the enormous lightning-wreathed claws before him, and at their owner-the white-haired youth who had questioned the fairness of his judgment and decisively challenged his authority.
The youth's figure gradually overlapped with that of the irritating fellow in his memories.
Osiris fell into a momentary daze.
His previous attack had missed, and the power his opponent displayed seemed all too