When a family loses someone they love, the first questions are often practical: What happens next? Who do we call? What choices do we haveâand how do we make them without feeling like weâre âdoing it wrongâ?
Long before modern funeral planning checklists and price comparisons existed, ancient Egyptians asked the same human questions in their own way. Their answers were woven into stories, rituals, and images meant to steady the living and protect the dead. Few figures hold that role as clearly as Anubisâthe jackal-headed guardian who stands at the threshold between worlds.
Itâs easy to think of Anubis as a single, dramatic icon: a black jackal head, a still gaze, a god of death. But in ancient Egypt, Anubis was less a symbol of fear and more a symbol of care. He appears where protection is needed mostânear tombs, around the body, beside the scales of judgment. In a time when the journey after death was imagined as real and perilous, Anubis was the one who knew the way.
And while todayâs families may not believe in the Duat, the deeper impulse behind these traditions still feels familiar: we want to honor the person who died, keep them safe in memory, and choose a memorial that fits who they were. Thatâs where modern options like cremation urns, pet urns, and cremation jewelry meet the same emotional groundâhelping families move from shock into meaning, one steady decision at a time.
Why Anubis looks like a jackal
Anubis is often described as a god of funerary practices and the care of the dead, depicted as a jackal or a man with the head of a jackal. Encyclopaedia Britannica notes that he held an early prominence as a lord of the dead before later being overshadowed by Osiris. That âjackalâ detail isnât random decorationâit connects Anubis to the landscape of burial itself.
In the deserts bordering the Nile, canines were associated with cemeteries and the edges of settled life. The imagery is haunting, but the religious meaning is surprisingly tender: what threatened the dead in nature was transformed into a divine protector. Anubis became the guardian of the necropolis, the one who watches what humans cannot watch forever.
Artifacts and museum records echo this protective role. The Metropolitan Museum of Art describes Anubis as overseeing the embalming process and bearing epithets tied to protecting burial grounds; it also notes his role in supervising the weighing of the heart. The point is consistent across sources: Anubis is not simply âdeath.â He is the skilled guide who stands near the body with intention and care.
Anubis in the embalming chamber
In Egyptian belief, the body mattered. Preservation wasnât about vanityâit was about continuity. To survive after death, a person needed to be prepared, protected, and recognized. That preparation is where Anubis becomes âclose,â not distant: he is present in the rituals that tend to the body with reverence.
One of the clearest educational resources on Anubisâs role as an embalmer comes from the University of Michiganâs Kelsey Museum exhibition site, which explains that Anubis was in charge of preserving the dead bodyâan essential requirement for life after death in Egyptian thought. University of Michigan (Kelsey Museum) frames him as âEmbalmer and Protector of the Dead,â emphasizing the practical-spiritual link: care for the body supported hope for the afterlife.
If you picture the classic tomb scenesâAnubis leaning over a body on a lion-shaped bierâyouâre seeing more than a myth. Youâre seeing an ideal: that the dead should be handled skillfully, not hurriedly; that the passage from life to death deserves attention and dignity.
Modern families often feel a version of that same need, even if the forms have changed. After a cremation, the question becomes: What now? Where do the remains go? How do we keep them safely? In ancient Egypt, preservation was the pathway. In modern life, the pathway might look like choosing cremation urns for ashes that feel secure and respectfulâor selecting a simpler temporary solution until a family is ready to decide.
The weighing of the heart and Anubisâs steady hands
If embalming scenes show Anubis as protector of the body, judgment scenes show him as protector of truth. In Egyptian afterlife belief, the heart of the deceased was weighed against the feather of Maâatâan image that has endured for thousands of years because it turns morality into something visible.
The Met notes that Anubis had a significant role in the judgment of the dead, supervising the weighing of the heart. The Metropolitan Museum of Art describes him as overseeing embalming and also supervising this judgment momentâlinking preparation and passage, body and soul, into one ritual arc.
In stories, Osiris is the one who presides as ruler of the underworld, but Anubis is the one beside the scaleâcareful, watchful, and exact. That detail matters. It suggests that what happens after death is not chaos; it is guided. For families today, grief often feels chaotic. Decisions about disposition, memorials, and cost can pile up quickly. The emotional craving underneath is not ancient at all: we want the process to feel guided, not overwhelming.
From canopic jars to urns: why containers carry meaning
Ancient Egypt gives us one of the earliest examples of a truth modern families still discover: containers are never âjust containers.â They hold what is physically precious, yesâbut they also hold story. A jar, a coffin, an amulet, a sealed chamberâthese objects did practical work, but they also helped the living say, âThis mattered.â
That is why the modern choice of an urn can feel unexpectedly emotional. You may be shopping for an object, but what youâre really doing is choosing the shape of remembrance. The good news is that you donât need to decide everything at once. A respectful âfor nowâ plan can be part of wise funeral planning, especially when family members need time to agreeâor when the ceremony will happen later.
If youâre beginning that process, Funeral.comâs main collection of cremation urns for ashes can help you see the landscape of options in one place, from classic shapes to modern designs. For a calmer, step-by-step explanation, the Journal guide How to Choose a Cremation Urn walks through materials, placement, and cost considerations without pushing you toward a single ârightâ answer.
Choosing cremation urns for ashes in real life
Most families start with one practical question: size. In urn shopping, size is often measured in cubic inches, and the right capacity depends on the personâs body size and whether youâre keeping all remains together or sharing. If youâre looking for a full-capacity option meant to hold an adultâs complete remains, Funeral.comâs full size collection is a helpful starting point.
But many families arenât looking for one âforeverâ container right away. They may want something smaller because theyâre sharing ashes, planning travel, or creating multiple memorials for different households. That is where small cremation urns and keepsake urns come in.
A small cremation urns option is often chosen when a family wants a meaningful portion of ashes in a compact formâsomething that still feels like an urn, but fits more easily on a shelf or in a small memorial space. Funeral.comâs small cremation urns for ashes collection focuses on these practical, share-friendly sizes. If what you really want is a tiny portion to keep close (or to share among several relatives), Funeral.comâs keepsake urns collection is designed for that purposeâoften the best fit when families say, âWe donât need a lot. We just need something meaningful.â
If you want a deeper âwhat this looks like in real familiesâ explanation, the Journal article Small & Tiny Urns for Ashes is especially helpful for sorting out the confusing way online listings use words like mini, small, and keepsake.
Pet urns for ashes: when your grief has four legs
Anubis is sometimes called a guardian of the dead, and itâs hard not to think of the loyalty we know from animals when we hear that. When a pet dies, the grief can be intense and strangely isolatingâbecause the loss is daily and physical. The house changes. The routines vanish. The quiet feels different.
That is why choosing pet urns can feel as significant as choosing an urn for a person. Youâre not âoverreacting.â Youâre memorializing a relationship that shaped your life.
If youâre comparing options, Funeral.comâs pet urns for ashes collection includes a wide range of materials and styles, including classic boxes, artistic designs, and personalized options. Families who want a shareable memorial can also explore pet keepsake cremation urns, which are designed to hold a small portionâespecially helpful when multiple family members (or children) want a way to keep a piece of the bond close.
Some families find comfort in choosing a memorial that looks like their pet, not just something that holds ashes. Thatâs where pet cremation urns in figurine form can be deeply healingâmore like a tribute sculpture than a container. Funeral.comâs pet figurine cremation urns for ashes collection offers breed- and pose-based designs that can feel like a gentle âyes, that was them.â
For guidance on size and decision-making, the Journal post Choosing the Right Urn for Pet Ashes explains how capacity relates to your petâs weight and what personalization choices typically matter most.
Cremation jewelry and the desire to keep someone close
In Egyptian tradition, amulets were not just decorationâthey were protection and connection. That idea has a clear modern parallel in cremation jewelry, which many families choose not as a trend, but as a way to carry love into everyday life.
Today, cremation necklaces and other jewelry pieces typically hold a very small amount of ashes. For some people, that smallness is the point: it doesnât replace an urn; it complements it. One memorial stays at home, steady and rooted. Another travelsâwith you on anniversaries, hard days, or long flights when you wish you could talk to them again.
If youâre browsing styles, Funeral.comâs cremation jewelry collection is a broad starting place, while the cremation necklaces collection focuses specifically on wearable pendants. For the practical questionsâhow it seals, what it holds, how to fill it safelyâFuneral.comâs Journal guide Cremation Jewelry Guide walks you through the details with the kind of calm you want when your hands are already shaking.
Keeping ashes at home: comfort, safety, and long timelines
One of the most common modern questions is also one of the most human: is keeping ashes at home okay?
For many families, having ashes nearby feels grounding. A photo, a candle, a small shelf with an urnâit can feel like an anchor while grief is still fresh. And from a practical standpoint, it also gives you time. You can keep ashes at home while you plan a future burial, a scattering trip, a family gathering, or a decision that requires siblings to agree.
Funeral.comâs Journal article Keeping Ashes at Home: How to Do It Safely, Respectfully, and Legally offers a thoughtful look at placement, visitors, kids, pets, and how to make the space feel respectful rather than frightening. If youâre still deciding what to do with ashes long-term, the guide What to Do With Cremation Ashes can help you see options without pressureâbecause youâre allowed to move at the speed of your family, not the speed of a checklist.
Water burial, biodegradable urns, and choosing a return-to-nature plan
Ancient Egyptian funerary imagination was shaped by the Nile. Water was not only lifeâit was a pathway. Today, many families feel something similar when they consider water burial or a burial-at-sea ceremony. The setting can feel honest and fitting, especially for someone who loved the ocean, boating, fishing, or simply the calm of open water.
Planning matters here, because rules can affect what is possible. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains that there is a general permit under federal regulation for burial at sea, including the release of cremated remains. U.S. EPA provides guidance tied to the regulation, and the federal rule itself specifies that cremated remains must be buried in or on ocean waters no closer than three nautical miles from land. eCFR (40 CFR 229.1)
For families who want an environmentally gentle option, biodegradable urns can support a water ceremony or earth burial in a way that aligns with that intent. Funeral.comâs biodegradable and eco-friendly urns for ashes collection includes water-soluble and earth-burial designs. If youâre unsure how these urns behaveâfloat, sink, dissolve, or break down over timeâthe Journal guide Biodegradable Water Urns for Ashes is a practical companion for the moment youâre trying to picture how the ceremony will actually feel.
Cremation trends, costs, and planning with less panic
Cremation is no longer a niche choiceâand that shift is part of why so many families are now searching for cremation urns, keepsake urns, and cremation jewelry. According to the Cremation Association of North America, the U.S. cremation percentage reached 61.8% in 2024 based on the reportâs data tables and trend summary. CANA (2025 Statistics Preview PDF) And according to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to reach 63.4% in 2025, with cremation projected to account for 82.3% of dispositions by 2045. National Funeral Directors Association
More cremation means more families holding ashes and asking the next question: how much does cremation cost, and what parts of the process can we control?
If youâre in that place, it may help to separate two layers: the cost of the cremation arrangement itself, and the cost of memorialization (an urn, keepsakes, a service, a niche, a scattering plan). Funeral.comâs Journal guide How Much Does Cremation Cost in the U.S.? breaks down common fees and helps you compare options without feeling blindsided. For planning aheadâespecially if your goal is to protect your family from rushed decisions laterâthe guide Cremation Preplanning offers a clear way to document preferences, compare providers, and decide whether prepaid options fit your situation.
In other words: you donât have to do what ancient Egypt did, but you can learn from the same underlying wisdomâcare matters, preparation reduces fear, and choices become gentler when theyâre made with time rather than panic.
A modern way to carry the same ancient care
Anubis stands in Egyptian art as a steady presence: the one who protects, oversees, guides, and ensures the passage is handled with respect. You donât need to share ancient beliefs to recognize the comfort of that image. In grief, people still want a guideâsomeone (or something) that makes the next step feel less frightening.
Today, that guidance can look like choosing cremation urns for ashes that fit your home and your family, selecting small cremation urns when sharing feels right, choosing pet urns for ashes that honor a companionâs place in your life, or wearing cremation necklaces as a quiet way to keep love close. It can also look like giving yourself permission to pauseâbecause a respectful plan doesnât have to be final on day one.
If thereâs one lesson Anubis leaves behind, itâs this: caring for the dead is also caring for the living. The rituals were never only about the person who died. They were about helping the people left behind take the next breath, then the next step, until life begins to hold meaning again.
