Jackal Gods Today
Images of Egyptian jackal gods appear frequently in contemporary popular culture — in comics, music videos, computer games, toys, and other media. Their distinctive look forms a convenient shorthand for “ancient Egypt,” but the jackal gods have also taken on a life of their own within our contemporary world and have developed in ways the ancient Egyptians would not recognize.
Modern representations of Egyptian jackal gods veer between the cute and the fierce, with the fierce predominating. We see these gods as warlike and aggressive, even dangerous and sometimes malevolent. In these representations, our versions of Anubis and the other jackal gods are at odds with the ancient Egyptians’ understandings of these gods as protectors and guides.