Anubis is the protector of the dead and god of mummification in Egyptian mythology. Depicted with a jackal head on a human body, Anubis — son of Osiris — plays a central role in every stage of the afterlife process.

In the most famous scene from the Book of the Dead, Anubis weighs the hearts of the deceased against Ma’at’s feather. If the heart is heavier, the soul is devoured by the monster Ammut; if lighter, the soul enters Osiris’s presence and attains eternal life.