Ancient Egyptian bestiary: Chimaerae and other fantasy creatures
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Chimaerae and other fantasy creaturesThe ancient Egyptians often combined the features of a number of animals, representing their strengths, into new, fantastic creatures. Their gods may have originally been powers of nature embodied in animals, but they often took on human or partial human forms as well, and humans, generally the pharaohs, were at times depicted in animal form, or given animal epithets. | ||
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AmmitAmmit, a monster with the head of a crocodile, the torso of a lion and the hindparts of a hippo, devoured the hearts of the sinners during the judgment of the dead. | |||
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GriffinsGriffins are chimaerae with eagle or hawk heads and feline bodies. Sometimes they were depicted with wings. |
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SerpopardsChimaerae, with feline bodies and heads and snakelike necks, they appear both on Egyptian (Narmer Palette) and Mesopotamian artefacts. |
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SphinxesSphinxes have the body of a lion and the head of a human or, as in the case of the sphinxes in the avenue at Karnak, of a ram. | |||
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TaweretTaweret was basically a hippopotamus. But, being a fertility goddess, she was also given pendulous human breasts. Her lion paws may have reflected the fiercely protective nature of this goddess. |
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UnicornsIn the tomb of Urarna II at Sheik Said the remnants of a Coptic painting of a unicorn were found, with the inscription "MONOKHROC" in Greek letters. |
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Picture sources: Ammit: The papyrus of Ani. Serpopards: M.Audrain: The Glory of Egypt Sphinxes: Jon Bodsworth Unicorn: N. de G. Davies, The Rock Tombs of Sheikh Said, London 1901, plate XIV | ||||
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