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How close was Supernatural’s Anubis to the real Egyptian god?

By Alexandria Ingham

CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 13: Coffins holding the mummies of a brother and sister from Egypt are displayed at the Field Museum on March 13, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. The artifacts are part of the new Mummies exhibit which opens to the public on March 16 and features mummies from ancient Egypt and Peru. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 13: Coffins holding the mummies of a brother and sister from Egypt are displayed at the Field Museum on March 13, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. The artifacts are part of the new Mummies exhibit which opens to the public on March 16 and features mummies from ancient Egypt and Peru. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) /
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Anubis was introduced in Supernatural in Season 14, Episode 8. Just how close was the show’s lore to the Ancient Egyptian god?

In Supernatural Season 14, Episode 8, the series introduced the Ancient Egyptian god Anubis. We got to learn the show’s mythology extremely quickly, linking back to his father, Osiris, who was introduced into the series back in Season 7.

Like all of the show’s lore, the mythology is based on real lore. However, there are some changes to create something a little more unique. Just how close was the show’s lore to real Ancient Egyptian god?

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The show’s lore on Anubis

Episode 8 only briefly introduced the Egyptian god, linking him directly to Osiris. Originally the god who would weigh the heart of someone who had died against justice’s feather, Anubis was called to help out Heaven. With God’s departure, he was asked to judge souls to decide whether they should go to Heaven or Hell.

We learned this when he was called to the Winchesters, who wanted to see if he would consider sending Lily Sunder to Heaven. He doesn’t have any control over where to send them, as it depends on the answer his abacus tells him.

Osiris took over the role of dishing out justice, which Sam and Dean learned a little too personally.

CAIRO, EGYPT – OCTOBER 21: Camels and horses stand tied to a fence below the Great Pyramid of Giza on October 21, 2013 in Cairo, Egypt. The Pyramids of Giza, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and built around 2600 B.C., are one of Egypt’s major tourist drawcards. After a summer of violence, tourist numbers across Egypt are at their lowest levels since a 2010 peak in tourism in the country. While Egypt’s tourism sector took a dive following the popular uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak in early 2011, occupancy rates of hotels in the capital Cairo and across Egypt have been reported as dramatically down since the Egyptian military’s overthrow of President Morsi in July. In 2010, tourism represented 13% of Egypt’s economy and employed one in seven of the country’s workers. (Photo by Ed Giles/Getty Images).
CAIRO, EGYPT – OCTOBER 21: Camels and horses stand tied to a fence below the Great Pyramid of Giza on October 21, 2013 in Cairo, Egypt. The Pyramids of Giza, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and built around 2600 B.C., are one of Egypt’s major tourist drawcards. After a summer of violence, tourist numbers across Egypt are at their lowest levels since a 2010 peak in tourism in the country. While Egypt’s tourism sector took a dive following the popular uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak in early 2011, occupancy rates of hotels in the capital Cairo and across Egypt have been reported as dramatically down since the Egyptian military’s overthrow of President Morsi in July. In 2010, tourism represented 13% of Egypt’s economy and employed one in seven of the country’s workers. (Photo by Ed Giles/Getty Images). /

Real Anubis lore

In real Ancient Egyptian mythology, Anubis was the god who would decide the fate of the dead. He would sniff them to determine if they were allowed to pass on. Some lore states that he weighed the hearts of those who passed on, but other lore says that he tends to oversee the process.

When Osiris became more powerful, he decided to take over his son’s job. Depending on the lore, Anubis was pushed aside or gave up the role voluntarily. After that, he became the patron saint of lost souls, such as orphans.

Supernatural did well to add its own twist to the lore. Instead of moving Anubis into being the patron saint of lost souls, he got the job of assessing souls moving into Heaven, which is a connection to his original role in the Ancient Egyptian lore.

Next. Ghouls: Supernatural vs. real lore. dark

What did you like about Anubis in the series? Which lore would you like to see being used? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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