Wepwawet is the Egyptian god known as the “Opener of the Ways” and commonly depicted as a wolf-like or jackal deity.
His Egyptian name, rendered as wp-wꜣwt, means “opener of ways.” The title reflected his role as a divine scout who cleared routes for armies, royal processions, and the pharaoh’s journey into the afterlife. He was especially associated with Asyut, called Lycopolis—“city of wolves”—by Greek writers.
Wepwawet began as a deity of war, kingship, and funerary rites. He could appear on the first standard in a procession, symbolically leading the other divine standards. Art often shows him as a black jackal or wolf-like animal, sometimes carrying military equipment such as a mace, bow, and arrows.
His funerary role brought him into close association with Anubis, and the two gods are frequently confused. Wepwawet was not simply another name for Anubis: Wepwawet’s distinctive identity centered on opening paths and guiding movement, while Anubis was more strongly linked with embalming and the protection of the dead. In later tradition, Wepwawet helped guide souls through the Duat.