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Sacred Animals of Ancient Egypt, I

© Linda Casselman

Part of the mystique and beauty of a land is most certainly its animals. Animals add a dimension of awe, danger, and exotic mystery to a landscape. And one land that captures our imagination like no other is definitely Egypt, and especially ancient Egypt.

Egypt is a desert landscape refreshed by the Nile river, a river that sustains life and fertility in such a harsh environment. The ancient people depended on the Nile for their survival, but so did many animals. The people soon learned to co-exist with such dangerous creatures as crocodiles, serpents, and scorpions by developing a deep sense of respect and reverence for these animals. Moreover, they were keenly aware of the delicate balance of their existence, the balance of their relationship with the desert, the river, and the animals that shared their domain.

Associating the life-sustaining powers of the Nile river with their great fear and respect for the dangerous animals among them, the people developed a sense of divinity for the deadly creatures, giving rise to many animal worshiping cults that saw their peak in the periods between around 664-30 BC.

Let's have a look then at some of the magnificent creatures worshiped in ancient Egypt.

The animal that strikes the most fear and commands the most respect is probably the mighty crocodile. To the ancient Egyptians the crocodile represented the god Sebek. Impressed by the crocodile's speed, agility, and skill in the hunt as well as with its tremendous strength, they identified the qualities of this regal animal as those necessary in their Pharaoh, especially in battle.

Another animal that terrified the ancient Egyptians was the deadly cobra. The cobra was seen as a dangerous yet protective creature. In its defensive reared posture the cobra becomes the symbol of protection, a symbol found on many shrines. Most importantly, perhaps, it is found on the Pharaoh's regalia, there on his forehead, where it proudly guards the Pharaoh and Egypt.

A smaller creature than the crocodile and cobra, but just as deadly to the ancient Egyptians is the scorpion. The scorpion represented the mortuary goddess Serket. Often depicted as a woman wearing a scorpion headdress, Serket guarded the canopic jars - the jars containing the vital organs of the mummified dead - and protected the Pharaoh's throne.

The crocodile, the cobra, and the scorpion are all fierce and deadly animals respected by the ancient Egyptians. They valued the qualities of these creatures so much that they honoured them by associating them with gods, their gods, fit to be worshiped, offering up small figurines and mummified animals at scared shrines.

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