Anubis was the god of the dead and embalming. He would protect the pharaohs from evil sprits. His real name meaning is still unknown. He was the lord of the dead before Osiris and, later, became known as the son of Osiris. The oldest burial sites of the Old Kingdom have prayers to him carved into the walls, and he is mentioned in the Pyramid Text in his most celebrated role as a guardian and protector of the dead.