Anput

**Anput**
Anput
Name in hieroglyphs
Symbol	jackal, canopic jars, mummy gauze
Consort	Anubis
Offspring	Kebechet

Anput is a goddess in ancient Egyptian religion. Her name is written in hieroglyphs as jnpwt (reconstructed in Middle Egyptian as /ʔan.ˈpa.wat/ or /jan.ˈpa.wat/).^[1] In English, her name also is rendered as Anupet, Input, Inpewt, and Yineput.^[1] As the female counterpart of her husband, Anubis, who was known as jnpw to the Egyptians, Anput's name ends in a feminine "t" suffix when seen as jnpwt.

She also is depicted as a woman, with a headdress showing a jackal recumbent upon a feather, as seen in the statue of the divine triad of Hathor, Menkaure, and Anput. She is occasionally depicted with the body of a woman and the head of a jackal, but this is very rare.^[2]

As the consort of Anubis, Anput is a goddess of the dead, presiding over funerals and mummification. Additionally, she is a goddess of protection and also represented in relation to the desert, which was the realm of the dead for Ancient Egyptians. Unlike Anubis, Anput does not have a prominent role in Egyptian mythology, but she is thought to watch over the body of the god of the afterlife, Osiris, assuming the role of his protector for the duration of his death.

Together with Anubis, Anput has a daughter named Kebechet. She is depicted in the Pyramid Texts as the serpent who "refreshes and purifies" the pharaoh and is believed to bring water to the spirits of the dead, as they wait for the completion of their mummification.

Mythology

Anput is the female counterpart of the god Anubis.^[3] She is also a goddess of the seventeenth nome of Upper Egypt.^[4] She is also considered the protector of the body of Osiris, the god of the afterlife.

References

^ ^a ^b Seawright, Caroline (October 8, 2001). "Anubis, God of Embalming and Guide and Friend of the Dead". Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
^ Hill, J (2010). "Gods of ancient Egypt: Anput". Ancient Egypt Online. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
^ Wilkinson, Richard H. (2003). The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. p. 190
^ DuQuesne, Terence (2007), Anubis, Upwawet, and Other Deities: Personal Worship and Official Religion in Ancient Egypt, p. 20