The ancient Egyptians believed that the gods, taking the form of various animals, surround them in the earthly world and, thus, influence the fate of people. Therefore, the sacred animals of Ancient Egypt, the list of which included bulls, cows, cats, crocodiles, as well as a number of birds and even insects, became objects of worship. Hunting was forbidden, and violation of this law was punishable on a par with the killing of a person. The only exceptions were ritual sacrifices and those cases when embodied deities began to multiply so rapidly that their numbers created a threat to people.
Sacred bulls in the temple and in the fields
Since in ancient times the inhabitants of the banks of the Nile fed mainly on the fruits of agriculture (the annual floods of the great river created the necessary prerequisites for this), it was impossible for them to do without reliable draft power, the duties of which the bull performed, during field work. According to the role that he played in the life of an entire nation, he was assigned one of the leading places among other deified representatives of the animal world.
The most revered sacred animal of Ancient Egypt is a bull named Apis, regularly selected by priests from hundreds of other animals. His cult was so great that the chosen one was given a place in the temple of the fertility god Ptah, who was in Memphis. There this minion of fate lived there, graciously accepting the honors offered to him, which, however, did not save his congregations from the hard everyday work under the scorching sun.
The Life Cycle of God Apis
According to the belief, every night his wife, the goddess of heaven, Nut, taking the form of a cow, went to his temple. After the god Apis fertilized her, his next incarnation appeared - the calf-sun shining with rays, rising to the sky and making his daily journey along it. By evening, pretty old, he again returned to the temple and assumed its former appearance. The next night everything was repeated again.
So the god Apis in the form of a bull was both a husband and a father, and his own child. When he was already dying for real, the priests had to find a replacement. To perform such an important mission, not every animal was suitable, but only possessing certain signs. In particular, the applicant should have had a white triangle on his forehead, a bright spot on his side, resembling a crescent in shape, and another one on his neck, but in the form of an eagle.
The deceased himself was mummified according to all the rules of this ancient art and, laying in a special sarcophagus decorated with jewels and sacred amulets, was placed in the underground Necropolis, which was also located in Memphis, on the west bank of the Nile. If we take into account that the lifespan of a bull (even a sacred one) is on average 15-20 years, and it has been worshiped for centuries, then it is clear that over time a whole city of the dead was formed from such sarcophagi.
The worship of cows by the ancient Egyptians
Universal veneration on the banks of the Nile was surrounded not only by strong, but sometimes very aggressive bulls, but also by their more peaceful friends. The sacred cow has always been an integral character of the Egyptian pantheon of gods and has never been used for sacrifices. This is explained by the fact that, according to the most ancient myths, she was a constant companion of another goddess - Hathor, who patronized femininity, love and fertility. In addition, the sacred cow, like any other, supplied the family with milk, which, of course, deserved gratitude.
Over the centuries, Egyptian mythology has included ever new images. In its later period, the Pantheon was replenished with the Great White Cow of Heliopolis, which was under the auspices of the goddess Isis, as well as Hathor, who was in charge of issues of love and the continuation of the human race. Heliopolis is considered the mother of the sacred bull Apis, whose residence was in the Memphis temple.
Feathered gods of Egypt
Another very revered representative of the Egyptian fauna was the ibis bird, considered one of the earthly incarnations of the god of wisdom, Thoth, always depicted with her head and human body. According to the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, it was he who was the creator of writing and literature. In the rays of glory of the god-sage, this largest bird bathed in nature, endowed with a long curved beak. According to the law of those years, the perpetrator of her death was subjected to severe punishment until the death penalty, and his victim was embalmed.
In the pantheon of feathered Egyptian deities, the falcon was also given an honorable place. In the early period of history, he was identified with Horus - the god of heaven, sun and regality. To this day, many of his images have survived in the form of a human figure with the head of a falcon or winged sun. At a later stage in Egyptian history, the falcon began to be associated with the concept of the human soul-Ba, which was a combination of his emotions and feelings.
During the life of a person, she could travel freely both in the world of dreams and in the dark labyrinths of the kingdom of the dead. Some time after the death of its master, the soul-Ba fell into a lethargic dream. According to the Egyptians, it had the appearance of a falcon with a human head, which was different from the images of the god Horus.
Sacred animals of ancient Egypt: cat
However, the birds made up only part of the pantheon of the gods. Another sacred animal of Ancient Egypt, which was the object of universal worship - is a cat. It is known that in its status it was slightly inferior to the bull. In general, the history of these animals is directly related to Ancient Egypt. There is even an opinion that it was there that they were domesticated, and the modern Egyptian sphynx cats became a monument to this - a breed that is characterized by a complete lack of hair.
Once upon a time, life on the banks of the Nile was a golden age for cats. They were loved and cherished, as in no other historical era. The cat was considered the guardian of the hearth, and if peace and prosperity reigned in the family, this merit was attributed to her. In addition, protecting crops from rodents, they rendered people invaluable service, saving them from hunger. This, in particular, was one of the reasons why cats were revered by the Egyptians as sacred animals.
It is known that in the event of a fire, earthquake or any other calamity, a cat was first taken out of the house, and after that they took care of children, the elderly and all kinds of property. Not surprisingly, cat death was the same grief as the death of any member of the family. Mourning was declared in the house, and the deceased was buried with the same honors as any relative.
Cat head goddess
It was considered a grave crime to cause a cat any harm, regardless of whether it was malicious intent or not. Sometimes it even reached the point of absurdity. For example, the case is known when the Persian king Cambyses during the conquest of Egypt ordered each of the soldiers of the advanced detachment to tie a living cat to his shield. As a result, the Egyptians surrendered without a fight, as they could not resist, risking injuring their favorites.
The playfulness and non-malignant nature of cats became the reason that the goddess of joy and fun, Bastet, was traditionally portrayed as a woman with a cat's head. Such compositions in the form of drawings and statuettes were especially popular in the era of the New Kingdom (1070-712 BC). Their favorite plot was Bastet, feeding her kittens. Well-known to us modern Egyptian sphynx cats with their appearance in some way resemble this ancient goddess.
Crocodile Deification
Just as the bull was revered due to the role that was assigned to it in the cultivation of the fields, another sacred animal of Ancient Egypt - the crocodile - accepted universal worship due to the fertility of the land. It was believed that this reptile was a living embodiment of the god Sebek, who was in charge of the floods of the Nile, which irrigated the fields and brought them life-giving silt.
Like Apis, a sacred bull in ancient Egypt, a crocodile similar in status to it was also chosen by priests from hundreds of its brethren. He settled in a specially erected temple, and there, living in satiety and contentment, soon weaned from evil inclinations and became completely tame. Crocodiles in Egypt were forbidden to kill even in cases where their actions threatened the lives of people.
Frogs and their connection with the afterlife
The ancient Egyptians also had great sympathy for all kinds of amphibians and reptiles. In particular, they included frogs among the sacred animals, since they were part of the retinue of the goddess Heket, who patronized women in labor. In addition, there was a belief that they have the ability to spawn. This gave reason to connect them with the afterlife, in which all who have completed their earthly path are reborn.
Good and evil snakes
The Egyptians had a dual relationship with snakes, because in the understanding of the latter, these creatures were carriers of both good and evil principles. For example, the mythical serpent Apop was the personification of evil and darkness. It was believed that when at night the sun god Ra keeps his way between the shores of the underground Nile, the treacherous serpent tries to stop him by drinking all the water from the river. A struggle ensues between them, from which Ra always emerges victorious, but the story repeats the next night.
At the same time, the Red Cobra was considered the patroness of Lower Egypt, which was the personification of the goddess Wajit - the guardian of the royal power. Her stylized image - the Uraeus - always adorned the pharaohs' diadem, being evidence of their reign both in this world and in the afterlife.
Fearless mongoose
After talking about snakes, it is appropriate to recall another sacred animal of Ancient Egypt, which has the most direct relation to them - the mongoose. In Egypt, these small predators abounded and were easily tamed. Often they were kept as pets. The Egyptians were impressed by the courage with which they rushed to the cobra.
Since snakes, as was said above, were perceived as carriers of not only good, but also evil principles, it was believed that mongooses exterminate precisely those of them that are full of evil intentions. For this, small animals enjoyed universal veneration and were also considered sacred animals.
The veneration of mongoose was so widespread that to this day among the ruins of temple complexes there are monuments erected in their honor. In addition, during excavations in Egypt, many bronze sculptures, as well as underbody amulets depicting the beast, were discovered. It was believed that this accessory was able to protect from the bite of snakes.
Beetle repeating the path of the sun
And finally, it is completely impossible to imagine Ancient Egypt without the scarab beetle, which has become a living symbol of this unique civilization. Due to its peculiarity, he was awarded such an honor to roll dung balls made by him from east to west.
He does this until the eggs interspersed in the manure mature and the larvae are born. The Egyptians, who believed that in this way the industrious beetle follows the path of the sun, considered it a symbol of the creative energy of this celestial body.
It is characteristic that they depicted their supreme god Khepri, the creator of the world and people, as a man with a scarab instead of a head. The universal belief in this generally common dung beetle was also facilitated by the belief that he, like a frog, had the ability to spawn and, like her, visiting the kingdom of the dead, helped all newcomers to resurrect there.
Deprived of love
It is not true to think, however, that without exception, all animals were deified and accepted honors. There were exceptions among them. For example, the cult of the widespread hippo in Ancient Egypt existed only in the Paprimitic district. The remaining inhabitants of the country were very wary of him, which, however, did not stop them from depicting the goddess Taurt - the patroness of women in labor - in the form of a pregnant female of this animal.
The Egyptians and pigs, considered unclean animals, did not like. There was even a belief that pig milk can cause leprosy. Once a year they were used to make a ritual sacrifice, after which they were eaten. Apparently, hunger overpowered superstitious fear.