Читать книгу The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A–Z of Fantastic Beings from Myth and Magic - John Matthews - Страница 317

The Canopic Animals are the guardians of the dead in the mummification process of Egypt, where the internal organs of the deceased were placed in canopic jars, each of which was stoppered by one human and three animal-headed deities. These animals were called the Sons of Horus and the ‘Friends of the King’. They help the monarch ascend into the eastern skies by means of ropes and wooden ladders. In the Old Kingdom, the canopic guardians were regarded as the souls of Horus. Each of the guardians is responsible for holding the internal organs of the deceased. Imsety is the human guardian, under the protection of the goddess Isis, who guards the liver; Hapy is the baboon, under the protection of the goddess Nephthys, who guards the lungs; Duamutef is the jackal, under the protection of the goddess Neith, who guards the stomach; and Qebehsenuef is the hawk, under the protection of the goddess Serket, who guards the intestines.