imiut

Imiut


 * Other Names:**

//Imyut//, Anubis Fetish, Flayed-skin Motif


 * Meaning of Name:**

"He Who is in His Wrappings"


 * Hieroglyphics:**



A symbol that has baffled Egyptologists for centuries, the //Imiut// was a headless and pawless animal, often a feline, canine, or bull, which was tied to a pole. One end of the pole was set in a pot for stability, standing upright. Often the blood of the animal was shown dripping into the pot. Although its origin and purpose is unknown, the //Imiut// dates as far back as to the 1st Dynasty. One idea is that it represents a sacrificial animal, or that it symbolizes Anubis as an embalmer. In some instances the //Imiut// was thought to be a deity.

It is theorized that the //Imiut// had a protective purpose, as it was placed near the royal throne and depicted in Egyptian temples. There were sometimes models of the //Imiut// included with the funerary equipment - two made of gold were found in the burial chamber of Tutankhamen. Some theories associate the //Imiut// with the flayed skin of the god Nemty.

Egyptian Symbols