Rowing Inspired Dog Names

Ok, so Anibus isn’t a rowing name, but it certainly claims much of the same origins. Rowing has been traced back centuries and is believed to have been common to the ancient Egyptians who used their waterborne crafts to navigate the Nile River, one of their most useful forms of transportation. In turn, they also used it for funerary boats, which were designed to symbolically carry the departed towards the afterlife. 

Although ancient Egyptians were well-known for their close relationships with felines, there is still much to be said about how the culture embraced canines as well. Domesticated dogs were represented in various ways from as far back as 4000-4500 BC and they held numerous positions within the culture. Outside of being companion animals, dogs also served as hunters and guards to both civilians and royalty, many of their duties, dynamics and features known from the names that were marked into their leather collars such as “Brave One”, “Good Herdsman”, “Reliable” and “Antelope”. Many were even buried with their dogs, who were also mummified. 

Unfortunately, because of the age and degradation of the original images, it’s nearly impossible to tell what breed they were, many looking closest to what is called the modern day Pharaoh. 

But it seemed that breed type was significantly less important than individual responsibility and many figures still arose in the era, one of the most important of which was Anubis, the god of mummification and afterlife, his image complete with an iconic mix of a dog/jackal’s head. In Egyptian culture, Anubis was extremely important. He not only adorned many burial sites throughout the Egyptian kingdom, but was believed to protect the bodies of the deceased, as grave robbing was not uncommon to the times. 

But just as important as the guardian of graves was Anibus’ duty to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. As mentioned above, the ancient Egyptians sent funerary boats down the river, their bodies covered by a canopy on top of which stood Anibus himself. Because of the dog’s loyalty and the frequency of finding jackals near burial sites, the god was adopted to perform this primary duty. 

Of course, this was also not the only time a dog-related figure graced Egyptian boats. Over time, as the civilization spread, many of these dogs accompanied explorers and traders, making their way both east and west of modern day Egypt. Eventually, they ended up with the Phoenicians, some of the most successful traders of the time in the world, who then used many of the dogs as trade chips throughout the ancient world.