The unique gods of the underworld are related to each other. While they are relatives, we can not help but think about the differences between Osiris vs. Anubis.
Even though many people think they are the same person, there is still more knowledge that you need to know between the two Egyptian gods. Read on.
Osiris vs. Anubis: Who Are They and Where Did They Come From?
Knowing the difference between Osiris and Anubis can give you a head start on Egyptian mythology. Their mythology is abundant with lore and wealth, making you think that gods are essentially ruling the mortals too on Earth.
Osiris
The god of the dead and the living is Osiris. Egypt sees him as an important god in
Egyptian mythology and he has a lot of tales in relation to mummification.
He is the eldest son of Geb, the god of the dry land, and Nut, the god of the sky. He is followed by his brother, Set, Isis, and Nephthys, and Horus, the elder.
He married his sister, Isis, and his brother Set married their sister Nephthys.
His child was Anubis through Set’s wife, Nephthys, because of her disguise as Isis. Not much later on, the god also had his child with his wife Isis, and they called him Horus the Younger. He also had a man-eating baboon named Babi and Sopdet, which is the personification of the star Sirius.
Anubis
As for Anubis, he is the son of Osiris and Nephthys. Because of her deception, she gave Anubis away, afraid that her husband will find out. Isis, later on, found Anubis, and she adopted him, willing to take him as her own, and he pledged his loyalty to her as a return.
There were many stories revolving around this jackal-headed god. One of them was that his father was actually Ra or Set was his father.
Anubis also had a brother named Wepwawet (Upuaut), and in any other mythology, he had a younger brother named Bata. Other of his brothers are also Horus, Babi, and Sopdet.
Even though it does not seem like it, Anubis has a wife, and her name is Anput. She is the female version of Anubis, and together they had a daughter named Kebechet.
Anput is a small god and mainly represents the seventeenth nome of Upper Egypt. She is sometimes depicted the same as Anubis, who has a jackal-headed structure, but more than occasionally, she is the typical woman who wears a headdress with a jackal recumbent upon a feather.
The Roles of Osiris and Anubis in Mythology
Osiris
Osiris serves as the god of the underworld and judge of the dead. He married his sister, Isis, and this god just simply has an interesting take on his life, earning the interpretation of his name as “powerful” or “mighty.”
In his myth, he lives with his parents Geb and Nut, the Earth, and the sky, and then they bore five powerful gods named Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys, and Horus. They grew up, Osiris taking the role of the ruler of the Earth and Isis as his wife.
Osiris became a prosperous ruler, making Egypt civilized with the Lord of the Earth’s rules, the new culture and religious instruction, and the booming agriculture to make their life easy and convenient.
And because of this act, he traveled the world and spread his way of living to the other uncivilized worlds. Osiris made his consort become the ruler while looking for ways to teach other civilizations about the rules. Some accounts state that the Lord also kills anyone who goes against his plans.
Set was unhappy with all of the prosperity that happens in Osiris’s life. He was so jealous of all the things that Osiris is achieving, so he wants to kill him.
Set knew that his brother loves to get attention, so he made a mystery gift, especially for his brother. The mystery gift was a coffin made of Osiris’s exact body measurements and decorated with the thing that quickly catches Osiris’s eyes.
He presented it at a party, and everyone tried to get the mystery gift, but none of the guests could get it unless the one who tried it was Osiris. Osiris was finally down on the coffin made for him, and without any troubles, he fit himself in it. The only problem is that Set sealed the coffin shut immediately and transported the coffin into the river to float.
Isis made sure to find her husband, and it was not exactly easy finding the body of Osiris. She revived the body of Osiris, and they had Horus.
Because Isis was aware of Set’s capabilities, she hid her son, Horus, in the swamps, and when he grew up, he and Set fought for control of the world.
As for Osiris, he became the Lord of the dead in Duat or the Egyptian underworld.
On the other hand, Anubis is the bastard son of Osiris.
Anubis
Even though the god of Duat became a mummy, Anubis is different looking. He has a jackal’s head and tail. He also can shift into other life forms, with an undying devotion to his adoptive mother, Isis.
The god no longer relates to the underworld as he moved on into the role of becoming in charge of the embalming and funerals.
Most of the process in the underworld is that Anubis has to guide the dead and look for Osiris. He also has to weigh the heart and the feather, knowing who can move to paradise or not.
He is the god of mummification, which he first performed with his father, Osiris. The god will have to move the dead from places and judge rightfully if the person has to go to paradise or the void.
Anubis assisted with Anubis’s body with the process of embalming her adoptive mother’s husband’s body. They wrapped his destroyed body and made him a mummy, which became the Opening of the Mouth ritual.
Anubis also faced the jealous brother of Osiris. Set was trying to get Osiris’s body and destroy the body entirely, but then Anubis got wind that Set was attempting to steal the mummy.
The Set became a bull in an attempt to intimidate Anubis. This plan failed because Anubis sent him hot irons and caught the thief again to serve Osiris’s throne for all eternity. But Set escaped, and that led to his death.
Anubis set Set’s body to the flames and killed all of his armies with his sword.
Final Thoughts
Egyptian mythology is exciting as it is rich with stories that will give you a flashback to what they were like before modern times.
Even though the gods seem powerful and entirely in control of their narratives, they also have enemies that loathe them enough to cause such harm.
Anubis and Osiris’s stories are fascinating enough to know the difference between their lives and how they are entirely related to each other. They made sure that they still fulfill their roles concerning one another, like how Anubis stepped down to his role in respect of Osiris.