What are canopic jars?

Canopic jars are to hold the mummies organs, but if you asked me that is really weird! Who would want their organs mummified outside of their body and then put into canopic jars!?!? All through the Old, Middle, and New Kingdom they used canopic jars to hold the mummies organs! In the Old Kingdom they only used the canopic jars for pharaohs and anyone who was rich enough.
An ancient god called Horus had 4 sons that protect the mummies organs untill the mummy needs them in the afterlife. Each one of Horus's sons are represented by one of the canopic jars. Duamutef is a jackal, Qebehsenuef is a hawk, Ameset is a human, and Hapy is for a baboon.