the ways.” Wepwawet was the opener of the ways
in the south (Upper Kemet), whereas Anubis was
the opener of the ways in the north (Lower
Kemet).
Wepwawet’s Mdw Ntr (hieroglyphs) have
been translated as jackal, dog, and wolf. These
translations have led to some of the confusion
concerning Wepwawet’s image. Mainly, the con-
fusion comes from his association with the
jackal-headed god Anubis. Wepwawet func-
tioned as a colieutenant, along with Anubis, of
Asar (Osiris), God of the Dead. Wepwawet was
leader of the warriors and the mourners, who
guided souls through the netherworld. As a coas-
sistant to Anubis and an officer or a lieutenant of
Asar, in guiding the Dead on their way to and
through the netherworld, Wepwawet was a pop-
ular deity. People of Kemet venerated Wepwawet
in life and death as they sometimes faced unsafe
travels in both life and death, and Wepwawet
was considered a deity who would guide them in
both instances.
In the role of celestial guide, Wepwawet not
only co-led with Anubis, but also was sometimes
shown piloting the sun’s boat during its nocturnal
journeys. Further, Wepwawet is depicted towing
Asar’s boat along the edge of the southern and
northern skies. Some Egyptologists note, in their
translation of Kemetic mythology, that, prior to
his deposition by Asar, Wepwawet was venerated
as the Lord of the Necropolis under the name of
Kenti Amentiu (Khentyamentiu), “he who rules
the West.” As the god of Asyut and a later addi-
tion to the Asarian legend, Wepwawet was consid-
ered one of the chief officers in Asar’s conquest of
the world. Hence, both Anubis and Wepwawet
sometimes appear dressed as Asar’s officers, lieu-
tenants, or soldiers.
In some aspects of the various interpretations
of the myths/legends of the Kemetic story of gods
and goddesses, Wepwawet, Anubis, Djhuti
(Tehuti, Thoth, Hermes), and Asar have been
confused in one way or another. It is written that
Asar sometimes turns into Wepwawet, that Anubis
and Wepwawet are one and the same, that
Wepwawet is Asar’s or Anubis’s son, that
Wepwawet has sometimes functioned in the same
capacity as Djhuti in that both are depicted
standing at the helm of the boat destroying Asar’s
enemies, that both Djhuti and Wepwawet are
openers of the ways, and that it was Wepwawet,
Djhuti, and Anubis who accompanied Asar in the
conquest of Asia.Asia Austin ColterSeealsoSekhmetFurther Readings
Pinch, G. (2002).Handbook of Egyptian Mythology.
Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Redford, D. B. (2003).The Oxford Essential Guide to
Egyptian Mythology. New York: Oxford University
Press.
Spence, L. (1990).Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends.
New York: Dover.
Traunecker, C. (2001).The Gods of Egypt. Ithaca, NY:
Cornell University Press.WESTAFRICAN RELIGION
The earliest debate on West African Religion
(WAR) bordered mainly on whether the termreli-
gionshould be pluralized. Considering the enor-
mity of WAR and its seeming polytheistic nature, as
well as the size and multiethnic structure of the
African continent, some have argued that it is bet-
ter to describe WAR as WAR(s). In this entry, we
hypothesize that the name WAR(s) does not ade-
quately define the religion. An attempt is made to
suggest what might be the acceptable name.
Most of the definitions of earlier writers on
WAR were descriptive, explanatory, pictorial, but
not definitive. Some nomenclatures employed
were derogatory. These include paganism, hea-
thenism, fetishism, idolatry, and animism. When a
religion is properly named, a comprehensive the-
ology of the religion emerges. When a religion
is not properly theologized, it is difficult to fit it
properly into rigorous academic discourse.Problems of Naming
One of the fundamental concerns arising from the
proper nomenclature for WAR is whether the reli-
gion should be described as traditional. In this con-
text,traditioncan be defined as practices and beliefWest African Religion 711