Mythical Creatures

Welcome to Egyptian creatures!

Apep

Serpent of Chaos

Apep was the gigantic serpent of chaos who tried to stop the Sun god Ra during his nightly journey through the underworld. His name is also written Apophis, the Greek form. Egyptians did not treat him as a normal god with temples and helpful powers. He represented darkness, destruction and the collapse of the ordered world. Every sunrise proved that he had failed again. I like this myth because dawn becomes more than a pretty view. It is the visible result of a battle that the forces of order must win every night.

Ammit

Devourer of the Dead

Ammit was the terrifying 'Devourer of the Dead' who waited beside the scales in scenes of judgement after death. She combined three animals ancient Egyptians knew could be extremely dangerous: a crocodile's head, the front of a lion or leopard and the rear of a hippopotamus. Ammit did not chase every dead person through the underworld. She had one exact duty. If a person's heart failed the test of truth, she destroyed it. I think she is frightening precisely because she waits so patiently for the result.

The Great Sphinx

Guardian of Giza

An Egyptian sphinx is a creature with a lion's body and a human head, usually wearing royal headgear. Unlike the Greek Sphinx, who asks a deadly riddle, Egyptian sphinxes were generally guardians and images of royal power. The lion suggested strength, while the human face represented the pharaoh's intelligence and authority. The most famous example is the Great Sphinx of Giza. I think it is brilliant that one calm, resting creature can look protective, powerful and mysterious at the same time.

Bennu

The Bird of Rebirth

The Bennu was a sacred bird linked with creation, the Sun and renewal in ancient Egyptian religion. It was associated especially with Heliopolis and the gods Ra, Atum and Osiris. Egyptian art usually shows it as a tall grey heron with a long beak, two feathers rising from the back of its head and sometimes a sun disc. The Bennu is often compared with the later Greek phoenix, but they are not exactly the same creature. I like the Bennu because its power comes from arrival, light and beginning again.

The Serpopard

The Long-Necked Spotted Mystery

A serpopard is the modern nickname for a strange animal in some of the earliest art from Egypt and nearby lands. It has the body and paws of a big cat, but its neck is as long and bendy as a snake. No ancient Egyptian text tells us its name, habits or adventures, so it is better to call it an artistic creature than a fully known god or monster. I think that makes it even more intriguing. We can see exactly what it looked like, but its meaning has to be worked out from clues.