Friday, September 2, 2016

Hermanubis


Hermanubis was a combination of Hermes of the Greek mythology and Anubis of the Egyptian Mythology.  The popularity of Hermanubis spread during the Roman domination in the land of Egypt.  He is said to be the son of Nephthys and Osiris.

Hermanubis is depicted with the head of a jackal similar to Anubis and winged sandals similar to Hermes.  He is also believed to be carrying the same caduceus with that of Hermes.  Just like Anubis and Hermes, Hermanubis main task is to guide the souls of the deceased to the underworld.  He was also said to be a representation of the priesthood in their eternal pursuit for the truth.

Hermanubis is known to be a product during the conquering of Egypt by the Greeks and Romans.  It is believed that the people who worship Anubis became well acquainted with the Greeks gods and goddesses, thus producing a new variety of god. 

People who worship this deity were often found in Cynopolis, a Greek term which means city of dogs.  In the year 1990, a scholar named Hugh Trotti claimed that the vague account of the sightings of the priest wearing a wolf mask may be the inspiration of the Greeks and Romans about werewolves.


A combination of two Gods is uncommon for the Greek religion.  But the origin of Hermanubis can be traced back to the earlier period in Rome particularly in the period of 4th BC when they created a god name Hermaphroditus which is clearly a combination of Hermes and Aphrodite.

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