The skeletal nature of this small bird evokes the thought of ancestors, of fossils, of the bones of life, of passing on a lineage to another generation. Its loss impacts more than just this present time, it signifies the loss of a future, those who had survived since the dawn of time would be no more — if this life was the last of its line. Anubis, the ancient guardian god who knew the secrets of preserving the physical body for the soul, also kept watch over the mummy all through the night with the loyalty of a canine companion.

In this image from the temple at Abydos, the Anubis priest raises the light of spirit, its fierceness softened in an act of respect for life. Gifts of the sky god Horus, wholeness and protection in the form of the lunar wedjat-eye, are bestowed while a blue light soothes the troubled terrain.

Photography notes for bird: 1999, sidewalk near home, San Jose, California

Photography notes for Anubis: 2006, Canon Powershot, Abydos

Archetype and Symbols: Anubis, Horus, wedjat-eye

K. M. Ehrenfeldt, 2013