Canopic Jars

I know what you’re thinking, this looks like the perfect photo-op for a boy band’s album cover. But, while you’re not wrong, this photo is actually of canopic jars from ancient Egypt. Let’s dig deeper and see if you’ve got the guts to find out what these actually hold.

Canopic jars date back to the Old Kingdom of Egypt. As for what was inside, they were used to store the internal organs of the deceased before being mummified. And while that may seem gross, the Egyptians believed that preserving organs was essential for their journey to the afterlife.

Originally, the jars didn’t feature the iconic-looking heads as stoppers. It was during the Middle Kingdom that they became more ornate, featuring inscriptions along with the notable head design. They’re kind of macabre Pez dispensers, don’t you think?

The New Kingdom era saw the most significant changes, with the heads being modeled to show the four sons of Horus, each protecting a specific organ: Imsety for the liver, Hapi for the lungs, Duamutef for the stomach, and Qebehsenuef for the intestines. There were exceptions to the rule, with examples such as a woman named Didibastet having six jars instead of the usual four.

Just like the owners of the organs, the use of canopic jars died out around the Third Intermediate and Late Period. Instead, the entrails were often wrapped and placed back inside the body or packaged with the mummy. Smaller, symbolic jars were placed in tombs instead.

So, there you have it! Canopic jars are a fascinating glimpse into the ancient Egyptians’ traditions and spiritual beliefs. I’m sure in the world of Ghoul, storing guts in ornate jars would be a popular pastime too.

Now that I think about it, what was inside the other two jars of Didibastet?