A very small figurine made by the Ancient Egyptians for whatever spooky reason they ever did anything. Typically of turquoise-glaze faience, but also of other materials and finishes, they came in sets (sometimes of 365) and were dressed as mummies, placed with the dead to help them. (Help them undo the bandages? Help them find their pickled spleens? Whisper in their ears the answers to questions Anubis asked them?)

An Egyptian word for answerer. If the deceased was asked to help with manual labour, the ushabti was supposed to answer for them and go and do it. The spell to cause this was painted or carved on them.

The usual form of the name is ushabti but you sometimes see others such as shabti.