Crocodiles and Egyptian mythology
Egyptian mythology could not ignore such an animal as the Nile crocodile. This is a large reptile, reaching a length of 6 meters; the largest individuals weigh more than a ton.
The Nile crocodile evoked sacred awe among the ancient Egyptians - their whole life was connected with the Nile, and the real masters of the river were crocodiles. With one blow of its mighty tail, a hungry crocodile could capsize a fishing boat and drag an unlucky fisherman under the water.
And on land, near water and swamps, it was impossible to feel safe - crocodiles, including Nile crocodiles, can even run at a kind of gallop, showing amazing agility for such, at first glance, clumsy animals outside the water.
Terrible jaws with huge teeth, closing with enormous power, break the bones of large animals and crack the shells of turtles. It is interesting that crocodiles' teeth change many times during their lives - new and sharp ones grow to replace old and worn ones.
A crocodile can survive without food for a very long time. long time- up to a year, not a single mammal can compare with him in this. And one more feature - crocodiles do not have a tongue in the usual sense - its tongue is spread out along the lower jaw and tightly attached to it.
That is, unlike a number of animals endowed with largely fantastic features, crocodiles have such real-life qualities and properties that simply could not help but make them important characters Egyptian myths, dating back to ancient times.
First mentions of Sebek
Egyptian god with the head of a crocodile has been revered since ancient times.
In Kom Ombo, the Temple of Sebek is unique in that it is part of a double temple built in the Greco-Roman era. The northern part is dedicated to the triad of gods led by Horus (Horus, Tasenetnofret and their son Panebtavi), and the southern part to the triad of gods led by the crocodile god (Sebek, Hathor and their son Khonsu).
In addition to these large temples, there were numerous sanctuaries and smaller temples throughout Egypt dedicated to the Egyptian god of water. Among them, the temples at Gebel el-Silsil and Gebelin should be noted.
Ambivalence towards crocodiles
The Greek writer Herodotus noted that crocodiles were revered as sacred animals in some parts of Egypt. Temple complexes, dedicated to the crocodile god, included special pools in which sacred reptiles lived.
Their heads were decorated with earrings, and their paws were decorated with bracelets with precious stones. After death, their bodies were mummified and buried in a special cemetery (such a cemetery was found in Kom Ombo).
However, there were also areas in Egypt where crocodiles were hunted and killed.
This polarity found its explanation and reflection in myths. The Egyptian god Sebek in them is very multifaceted and ambiguous. He can merge with 
the image of Amun or the solar god Ra, sometimes in the form of the god Sebek-Ra, can act as a hypostasis of the god Khnum or Osiris, or can be assimilated with the image of Set - the worst enemy of Osiris and Horus.
In other myths, Sebek shares with Horus the title of “King of Egypt” and provides him with assistance (in particular, he finds in the waters of the Nile and brings his hands, cut off from Horus in a fit of anger by his mother Isis, which Isis herself then returns to their place with the help of magic) .
Mythological consciousness does not obey the laws of formal logic and there is no contradiction for it in the fact that the same god can be both good and evil.
Sebek - patron saint of the pharaohs
When the pharaohs of the XII Dynasty, who came from the Fayum, began to rule in Egypt during the Middle Kingdom, Sebek began to be revered as the patron god of the pharaohs.
The legendary female pharaoh from this dynasty bore the name Sebekneferu - “Sebek the Beautiful” (c. 1790-1786 BC). Her pyramid complex, built at Mazgun (4 km south of Dashur), is one of the last pyramids built in Egypt.
The tradition of including the name Sobek in their names was continued by the pharaohs of the XIII dynasty, many of whom were called Sebekhotep - “Sebek the pleased” (Sebekhotep I, II, III, IV, V).
Some pharaohs of the 17th dynasty (c. 1650 - 1567 BC) also bore similar names - Sebekemsaf I and Sebekemsaf II. The inclusion of the name of God in the name of the pharaoh speaks of the enormous importance of the cult of Sebek in that period.
With the advent of the New Kingdom period, Egyptian pharaohs no longer bear the name of the crocodile god. However, a statue depicting the relatively small ninth pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, Amenhotep III (c. 1402 - 1364 BC) and the much larger Sebek sitting next to him (now located in the Luxor Museum), suggests that The crocodile god did not lose his functions as the patron and protector of the Egyptian pharaohs during this period. These same features remained with him almost until the end of the era of the pharaohs, including the pharaoh kings of the Greco-Roman period.
Family connections of the crocodile god
If Neith was considered Sebek’s mother, then with other family ties everything is more complicated. The consort of the crocodile god could be Hathor, sometimes the harvest goddess Renenutet.
His son from the goddess Hathor in the Kom Ombo triad was the god Khonsu, and in the Fayum oasis from his marital union with Renenutet his son was the god Horus.
In a number of myths, Horus himself appears in the form of a crocodile during a search in the Nile for parts of the body of his father Osiris, who was treacherously killed and dismembered by the cruel Set.
Why don't crocodiles have a tongue?
And Egyptian myths give their answer to this question.
When Set killed and hacked Osiris, he scattered the body parts of his murdered brother throughout Egypt, and threw his phallus into the waters of the Nile.
Sebek, despite repeated warnings from the gods not to eat meat, ignored these words and, seeing the phallus, swallowed it.
Although he did not know at that moment who this part of the body belonged to, the punishment of the gods was cruel - Sebek’s tongue was cut out.
This is why, as the Egyptians believed, crocodiles do not have a tongue.
Egyptian god with crocodile head
Since many people are associated with Sebek mythological images, then its images differ significantly.
Traditionally, Sebek was depicted as a man with the head of a crocodile, with a headdress that included a sun disk with high feathers, a uraeus (sometimes two), and often elaborate horns.
Characteristic of this image of the crocodile god is the presence of a three-sided wig.
Slightly less often, the atef crown (a tall pin-shaped crown with two feathers on the sides) or the combined crown of Upper and Lower Egypt is depicted as a headdress.
The Egyptian god of water could also be depicted in a zoomorphic form - in the form of a crocodile with a similar headdress.
In the image of Sobek, Ra is depicted as a crocodile with a solar disk and a uraeus on its head.
As such, Horus could be depicted as a crocodile with the head of a falcon.
In addition, the Egyptian god Sebek could be depicted with the head of a ram, lion or bull.
Protective amulets in the form of a crocodile were widespread in Egypt not only among the nobility, but also among ordinary people.
During the Greco-Roman period, the solar aspects in Sebek were so significant that the Greeks often identified him with Helios, the Greek god of the sun.
According to some researchers, there were five thousand gods in Ancient Egypt. Such a huge number of them is due to the fact that each of the numerous local cities had their own gods. Therefore, one should not be surprised at the similarity in the functions of many of them. In our list, whenever possible, we tried not only to give a description of this or that celestial being, but also to indicate the center in which he was most revered. In addition to gods, some monsters, spirits and magical creatures are listed. The list gives the characters in alphabetical order. The names of some gods are designed as hyperlinks leading to detailed articles about them.
10 main gods Ancient Egypt
Amat- a terrible monster with the body and front legs of a lioness, the hind legs of a hippopotamus and the head of a crocodile. It lived in the lake of fire underground kingdom the dead (Duat) and devoured the souls of the dead, who were recognized as unrighteous at the trial of Osiris.
Apis- a black bull with special markings on its skin and forehead, which was worshiped in Memphis and throughout Egypt as the living embodiment of the gods Ptah or Osiris. The living Apis was kept in a special room - Apeion, and the deceased was solemnly buried in the Serapeum necropolis.
Apophis (Apophis)- a huge snake, the personification of chaos, darkness and evil. He lives in the underworld, where every day after sunset the sun god Ra descends. Apep rushes onto Ra's barge to swallow it. The sun and its defenders wage a nightly battle with Apep. The ancient Egyptians also explained solar eclipses as an attempt by the serpent to devour Ra.
Aten- god of the solar disk (or rather, sunlight), mentioned back in the Middle Kingdom and proclaimed the main god of Egypt during the religious reform of Pharaoh Akhenaten. Unlike most other representatives of the local pantheon, he was depicted not in a “bestial-human” form, but in the form of a solar circle or ball, from which arms with palms extended towards the earth and people. The meaning of Akhenaten’s reform, apparently, was the transition from a concrete-figurative religion to a philosophical-abstract one. It was accompanied by severe persecution of adherents of former beliefs and was canceled shortly after the death of its initiator.
Atum- the solar god revered in Heliopolis, who created himself from the original chaotic Ocean of Nun. In the middle of this Ocean arose the primordial hill of the earth, from which all the land originated. Having resorted to masturbation, spitting out his own seed, Atum created the first divine couple - the god Shu and the goddess Tefnut, from whom the rest of the Ennead descended (see below). In archaic antiquity, Atum was the main solar god of Heliopolis, but later he was relegated to the background by Ra. Atum began to be revered only as a symbol coming in sun.
Bastet- cat goddess from the city of Bubastis. She personified love feminine beauty, fertility, fun. Very close in religious meaning to the goddess Hathor, with whom she was often united.
Demon– (Demons) dwarf demons who are favorable to humans with an ugly face and crooked legs. Kind of good brownies. In Ancient Egypt, figurines of Demons were widespread.
Maat- goddess of universal truth and justice, patroness of moral principles and firm legality. She was depicted as a woman with an ostrich feather on her head. During the judgment in the kingdom of the dead, the soul of the deceased was placed on one scale, and the “feather of Maat” on the other. A soul that turned out to be heavier than a feather was considered unworthy eternal life with Osiris. She was devoured by the terrible monster Amat (see above).
Mafdet– (lit. “fast running”) goddess of harsh justice, protector sacred places. It was depicted with the head of a cheetah or in the form of a genet - an animal from the civet family.
Mertseger (Meritseger)- goddess of the dead in Thebes. She was depicted as a snake or a woman with a snake's head.
Meskhenet- the goddess of childbirth, who enjoyed special honor in the city of Abydos.
Min- a god revered as the giver of life and fertility in the city of Koptos. He was depicted in an ithyphallic form (with pronounced male sexual characteristics). Worship of Min was widespread in early period Egyptian history, but then he retreated into the background in front of his own local Theban variety - Amon.
Mnevis- a black bull that was worshiped as a god in Heliopolis. Reminiscent of Memphis Apis.
Renenutet- a goddess revered in the Fayum as the patroness of harvests. Depicted as a cobra. The grain god Nepri was considered her son.
Sebek- crocodile-shaped god of the Fayum oasis, where there was big lake. His functions included managing the water kingdom and ensuring earthly fertility. Sometimes revered as a kind, benevolent god, to whom people prayed for help in illnesses and life's difficulties; sometimes - like a formidable demon, hostile to Ra and Osiris.
Serket (Selket)- goddess of the dead in the western Nile Delta. Woman with a scorpion on her head.
Sekhmet- (lit. - “mighty”), a goddess with the head of a lioness and a solar disk on it, personifying the heat and scorching heat of the Sun. God's wife Ptah. A formidable avenger who exterminates creatures hostile to the gods. The heroine of the myth about the extermination of people, which the god Ra entrusted to her because of the moral corruption of humanity. Sekhmet killed people with such fury that even Ra, who decided to abandon his intention, could not stop her. Then the gods spilled red beer all over the earth, which Sekhmet began to lick, mistaking it for human blood. Due to intoxication, she was forced to stop her slaughter.
Seshat- goddess of writing and accounting, patroness of scribes. Sister or daughter of the god Thoth. During the reign of the pharaoh, Ished was written on the leaves of the tree. coming years his reign. She was depicted as a woman with a seven-pointed star on her head. Seshat's sacred animal was the panther, so she was represented in leopard skin.
Sopdu- a “falcon” god, worshiped in the eastern part of the Nile Delta. Close to Horus, identified with him.
Tatenen- a chthonic god, worshiped in Memphis along with Ptah and sometimes identified with him. His name literally means “rising (i.e., emerging) earth.”
Taurt- a goddess from the city of Oxyrhynchus, depicted as a hippopotamus. Patroness of birth, pregnant women and babies. Drives away evil spirits from homes.
Tefnut- a goddess who, together with her husband, the god Shu, symbolized the space between the earth’s firmament and the firmament. From Shu and Tefnut the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut were born.
Wadget- a snake goddess who was considered the patroness of Lower (Northern) Egypt.
Upout- the god of the dead with the head of a jackal, revered in the city of Assiut (Lycopolis). In appearance and meaning he strongly resembled Anubis and gradually merged with him in one image.
Phoenix- a magical bird with golden and red feathers, which, according to Egyptian legend, flew to the city of Heliopolis once every 500 years to bury the body of its deceased father in the Temple of the Sun. She personified the soul of the god Ra.
Hapi- god of the Nile River, patron of the harvests provided by its flood. Depicted as a man of blue or Green colour(color of Nile water in different times of the year).
Hathor- goddess of love, beauty, joy and dancing, patroness of childbirth and nurses, “Heavenly Cow”. She personified the wild, elemental power of passion, which could take cruel forms. In such an unbridled form, she was often identified with the lioness goddess Sekhmet. She was depicted with the horns of a cow, inside of which there is the sun.
Hekat- goddess of moisture and rain. Depicted as a frog.
Khepri- one of the three (often recognized as three attributes of the same being) solar gods of Heliopolis. Personified the sun at sunrise. His two “colleagues” are Atum (sun On the Sunset) and Ra (the sun at all other hours of the day). Depicted with the head of a scarab beetle.
Hershef (Herishef)- the main god of the city of Heracleopolis, where he was worshiped as the creator of the world, “whose right eye is the sun, whose left eye is the moon, and whose breath animates everything.”
Khnum- a god revered in the city of Esne as a demiurge who created the world and people on a potter's wheel. Depicted with the head of a ram.
Khonsou- lunar god in Thebes. Son of the god Amun. Together with Amon and his mother, Mut formed the Theban triad of gods. Depicted with a lunar crescent and a disk on his head.
The temple at Kom Ombo was built under the Ptolemies from 180 to 47 AD. BC, however, it may have more ancient roots. The temple is located on the right bank of the Nile, 40 kilometers north of Aswan. It is usually visited by tourists who necessarily stop here when traveling along the Nile by boat.
Sebek, a god depicted with the head of a crocodile, is considered a creator god and protector from evil forces. His wife (according to one version) is considered to be Hathor, the goddess of love and beauty, and his son is Khonsu, the god of the moon and wisdom. True, Hathor is also considered the wife of Horus. The main place of worship of Sebek is considered to be Lake Fayum in northern Egypt, where the city of Crocodipolis (Shedit) was located, but practically nothing remains of it except several thousand mummies of crocodiles. Therefore, the Temple of Sebek, and even in Upper Egypt, is the only one, and therefore unique.
However, the uniqueness of the Kom Ombo temple does not end there; it is a double temple, Right side which is dedicated to the god Horus, that is, the god of the sun and sky, one of the main gods in the Egyptian pantheon. As in the case of Sebek, a place in the temple was found for both his wife and his son. According to some myths, Horus and Sebek are brothers, which explains the filling of the temple.
After the construction of the temple, almost nothing is known about it; after the spread of Christianity in Egypt, it was used by Copts for some time, but then it was completely abandoned. Since the temple was located close to the Nile, the river during floods destroyed the temple gates and part of the facade. And in 1893, it was accidentally discovered by a French archaeologist; the temple was covered with sand up to the roof.
On the other side of the temple there is still a decent sized dune
On the right are the remains of the gate
In the foreground is all that remains of the pylon
Just in case, I give you a drawing of the temple plan
From the courtyard with columns along the perimeter, only the bases of the columns remain
The entrance to the temple, as you can see, is double - on the left for Sebek, on the right for Horus
As can be seen from the plan and from the first photos of the temple's facade, the temple is quite badly damaged, for Egypt this is quite poorly preserved, although the central halls, having lost their roof, are still more or less preserved. But what has definitely been preserved well are the drawings and images on the walls, some of which were carved as if yesterday.
Entrance to part of the Temple of Sebek
Angle of Horus
Sebek
Most of the inscriptions on the walls talk about the gods, and in some parts there is a list of what was donated to the sanctuary
Corridor on the right
Hypostyle Hall
To the left of the image of the goddess Sekhmet there is a calendar, only a small piece got into the frame, otherwise there is a whole wall there
Calendar
On some parts of the frame, mainly the ceiling beams, there are traces of the original color painting
Vestibule in front of the altar
View from the end of the temple
At the end of the temple there were, as I understand it, two altar stones. Only one has survived to this day. It is located in a part of Sebek
At the very end of the temple there is a series of small rooms closed with iron bars, but you can look into them
As befits Egyptian temples, they were enclosed by a wall along the outer perimeter; here the reliefs on the walls of the temple are well preserved
Passage to the left of the temple
Passage behind the temple
Star. The vaults of the tombs in the pyramids were decorated with similar ones 2.5 thousand years before the construction of this temple
Passage to the right of the temple
To the left of the main rear temple and behind the temple, some kind of excavations are actively underway, but if you can’t go behind the temple on the hill, then you can on the site on the left. There is a small temple of Sebek (ruins), as well as two nilometers.
Nilometers played an important function in the life of the ancient Egyptians, firstly, a deep hole clearly showed the water level in the river, and secondly, based on this, taxes were levied - drought - less, flood - more.
There seemed to be another nilometer at the entrance to the complex
The purpose of these structures (steps) and the small house behind it is unknown, some believe that it is a source of water, others believe that sacred animals, that is, crocodiles, lived here.
Temple, left view
To the right of the temple, near the small temple of Hathor, the head of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and a headless statue were found
Mini Temple of Hathor
View of the temple on the right
From interesting drawings In the temple you can see the image of surgical instruments, but, unfortunately, I did not pay attention to them
But my collection of interesting images includes this animal - a mixture of a bee, a cat and a goat
The photo shows that there are several police officers and caretakers on duty at the temple. But this is a rare case when they did not try to sell us their guide services.
Like all other sites in Egypt, the temple is open until sunset. Ticket price is 80 Egyptian pounds, for students 40 pounds. The ticket price also includes the Sobek Museum, this is a small hall where mummy crocodiles and a number of ritual paraphernalia are exhibited. The cost of filming here is £50, but no one pays much attention.
In the New Kingdom, the residence of totem animals at temples was a frequent tradition. In the case of crocodiles, they lived at the temples all their lives, were cared for and well fed, and when they died, they were mummified and buried. Crocodiles from this museum were found in the Temple of Hathor at the main temple, as well as in the El-Shatb necropolis nearby
Bronze figurine of Sebek
Devices for mummification of crocodiles
Mummies of crocodiles
Mummies of crocodiles - layout
Crocodile eggs
On the embankment, ships with tourists are waiting for crowds of merchants. One of them actively tried to trick me into buying. He offered a T-shirt for 5 pounds (30 cents), an excellent price, thought about buying something, said what size he needed and left to see the temple. At the exit, the seller was waiting for me, only now he wanted 200 pounds ($12) for the T-shirt. And about the 5 pounds, he admitted that it was like British pounds. This is such a scam for simpletons in the hope that, like, I will appreciate his efforts and buy it anyway. As a result, the last price he offered me was, in my opinion, 80 pounds - 5 dollars. You can buy it if you need it, but I didn't need it.
Cruise ship moored offshore
Embankment in front of the temple
If you are staying in Aswan, I recommend a small Nubian-style hotel for accommodation.
Even at the dawn of its inception human history one of the most ancient religions in the world was formed. Having existed for a much longer period of time than Christianity, birds or animals acted as deities, with which many legends were associated.
Over the course of many centuries, the pantheon of Egyptian gods was constantly changing, some were forgotten, and other figures came to the fore. Modern scientists are interested in the oldest religion, which controlled many aspects of people's lives.
sacred river
In the Ancients, the Nile was always revered as sacred, because it allowed society to form. Tombs and temples were built on its banks, and in the waters that fed the fields, powerful priests performed mysterious rituals. Ordinary residents idolized the river and feared its destructive power, so it is not surprising that the god Sebek played a special role in Ancient Egypt.
Crocodile god
The patron saint of the inhabitants of the Nile and protector of fishermen had an unusual appearance: at first he was depicted as a crocodile, and later humanized. According to researchers, the mythical image came into religion from ancient beliefs and took a leading place in the divine pantheon.
The dangerous crocodile, which personified natural forces, has always been a threat to human life, and the population tried to do everything to come to an agreement with it. There is a known fact of the deification of predators in northeast Africa, when tribes declared toothy animals to be their relatives. This is how the Egyptian god Sebek arose, whose spirit inhabited the crocodiles of the Nile.
Special reverence for alligators
In many cities of the most ancient world civilization they kept fish previously caught in the river. The predator was especially revered in some areas of Ancient Egypt, for example, in the Fayum oasis, where temples were built in honor of God and sacred lakes were dug in which crocodiles lived. Reptiles were decorated with jewelry, gold and silver, and their natural death was not a problem for the inhabitants: they made a mummy from the predator and buried it in sarcophagi, just like people. There were even special priests who placed the alligator’s body on a stretcher and embalmed it.
After the death of one sacred crocodile, a new one was found, personifying the spirit of God, however, no one knows by what criteria the reptile for which people prayed was selected.
Scientists were surprised by an unusual archaeological find near one settlement: more than two thousand mummies of crocodiles, embalmed, wrapped in papyri and buried with special honors, were discovered in the necropolis.
The sanctity of the crocodile and its victims
Interesting are the beliefs of the Egyptians, who believed that the holiness of the crocodile extended to its victims. Herodotus also wrote about how the corpses of victims of ferocious animals were embalmed, richly dressed and buried in tombs. No one had the right to touch the dead, except the priests who buried the dead. The body of a person killed by a crocodile became sacred.
There is no evidence of human sacrifice
In I. Efremov’s novel “Thais of Athens” there is a description of how main character, sacrificed, fearfully awaits the attack of the crocodile. True, many researchers consider this a literary fiction, because the predators were fed bread, animal meat and wine, and not human flesh, and no evidence of blood sacrifices was found.
The Egyptians, wanting to be protected by the god Sebek, drank from the lake where the alligator lived and fed him various delicacies.
Mysterious pedigree
As you know, it is possible to trace the genealogy of each deity, but doing this with Sebek is extremely difficult. The history of its origin is very mysterious, and there are several options about which researchers continue to argue.
Many scientists are inclined to believe that the god Sebek represented a generation of the most ancient deities: the patron of river life was born of the primordial ocean (Nun). However, there are also theories that he was a descendant of the patron saint of all pharaohs - Ra, with whom Sebek could not compete in terms of the degree of his influence.
Sun worshipers and crocodile worshipers
The huge reptile aroused not only sacred fear, but also strong disgust, and it is reliably known that not all Egyptians became crocodile worshipers. There was an interesting situation in the country where God-fearing people, due to their negative attitude towards the alligator, could not worship the deity with the face of a predator.
Differences in views created a unique situation in which the Egyptians were divided into two groups: for some, the main god was Sebek, while others sacredly revered the incarnation of the sun - the creator of the world, Ra. The pharaoh of the XII dynasty even erected a huge temple in Fayum, which was dedicated to the patron fishing. Animal mummies were also discovered there. And the popularity of the deity was indicated by the found letters, which began with the words: “May Sebek protect you.” The God of Egypt protected the people who worshiped him and provided the necessary abundance to the landowners.
But the residents ancient city The Denders on the west bank of the Nile hated alligators, exterminated them and were at enmity with those who worshiped the predator.
Cult of God
The heyday of the cult of God came at a time when the XII dynasty of pharaohs ruled, and the kings emphasized the veneration of Sebek by adding his name to theirs (Sebekhotep, Nefrusebek). Gradually, the patron of the water element began to be considered the incarnation of Amon-Ra. As scientists explain, sun worshipers still defeated those who deified the reptile.
God Sebek, who took the form of a crocodile, always helped ordinary Egyptians. His head was crowned with a crown sparkling like the sun, which indicated the high position of the protector of fishermen. In the papyri found, she was praised and considered the main weapon against all enemies.
Many-faced Sebek - god of water
It is curious that in different myths the deity was considered good and dangerous at the same time. In the legend of Osiris, the king the afterlife- it is the crocodile that carries out the body of Geb’s son. The Egyptian god Sebek helped Ra fight the darkness and did it successfully. According to other legends, he was in the retinue of the evil Set the destroyer, sowing death and chaos. There is a well-known myth about Ra, who entered into battle with the almighty.
Often the god Sebek, photos of whose statues surprise with unusual appearance, was identified with Min, who was responsible for a good harvest. It was believed that the flooded Nile “fertilized” the earth, and it was during this period that small crocodiles hatched from the eggs laid. This circumstance connected the idea of a good harvest with the alligator.
Sebek was also a real inventor who gave people a fishing net. In addition, residents believed that God was helping souls of the dead get to Osiris. And the found record, in which a man asked for help in conquering a woman, testifies to God’s control over many aspects of the life of the Egyptians. He was called the one who hears prayers, and it must be said that only Sebek was awarded this title from the entire pantheon.
The god of Egypt had a wife, Sebeket, who was depicted as a powerful woman with the head of a lion. The center of her cult was the Fayum oasis, where the great lady was revered.
SEBEK SEBEK
(œbk). Suchos (Greek Σοΰχος), in Egyptian mythology the god of water and the flood of the Nile. According to the Pyramid Texts, S. is the son of Date. His sacred animal is the crocodile. He was depicted as a man, a crocodile, or a man with the head of a crocodile. The center of the cult of S. is the Fayum oasis, the city of Crocodilopolis. The heyday of the cult of S. dates back to the period of the XII dynasty (19-18 centuries BC), whose capital was located near Fayyum. The name S. was included as a component in the theophoric names of the pharaohs of the XIII dynasty. It was believed that S. gives abundance and fertility. In a number of texts, S. is seen as a protector of gods and people (there was an idea that his ferocity scared away the forces of darkness), but he often acts as a hostile god Ra And Osiris. WITH with the development of religious syncretism, S. was identified with Ra, Khnum, Amon, Khonsu, Min. In the late period, a goddess accompanying S. appeared - “the great mistress Sebektet.”
R.R.
(Source: “Myths of the Peoples of the World.”)
Sebek(Sukhos)
in Egyptian mythology, the god of water and the flood of the Nile. According to the Pyramid Texts, Sebek is the son of Neit. His sacred animal is the crocodile. He was depicted as a man. crocodile or man with the head of a crocodile. The center of the Sebek cult dates back to the period of truth. XII dynasty (19th - 18th centuries BC), whose capital was located near Fayyum. The name Sebek was included as a component in the theophoric names of the pharaohs of the XIII dynasty. It was believed that Sebek gives abundance and fertility. In a number of texts, Sebek was seen as the protector of the gods of 11 people (there was an idea that his ferocity scared away the forces of darkness), but often acts as a god hostile to Ra and Osiris. With the development of the religion of syncretism, Sebek was identified with Ra. Khnum, Amon, Khonsu, Min. In the later period, a goddess accompanying Sebek appeared - “the great mistress Sebektet.”
V. D. Gladky "Ancient World" Volume 2
(Source: Ancient Egyptian Dictionary and Reference Book.)
SEBEKin Egyptian mythology, the god of water and the flood of the Nile. He was depicted as a crocodile or as a man with the head of a crocodile. Those who worshiped Sebek offered human sacrifices to crocodiles. If a person became an accidental victim of a crocodile, the Egyptians believed that it was Sebek who called him into his service.
(Source: “Dictionary of spirits and gods of German-Scandinavian, Egyptian, Greek, Irish, Japanese, Mayan and Aztec mythologies.”)
Synonyms:
See what "SEBEK" is in other dictionaries:
God of water and the flood of the Nile Mythology: Ancient Egyptian ... Wikipedia
In Egyptian mythology, the deity of fertility, the god of water, who commands the floods of the Nile. The center of the cult is the city of Shedit (Greek Krokodilopolis) in the Fayum oasis. Depicted as a crocodile or a man with the head of a crocodile... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
SEBEK, in Egyptian mythology, the deity of fertility, the god of water, who commands the floods of the Nile. The center of the cult is the city of Shedit (Greek Krokodilopolis) in the Fayum oasis. Depicted as a crocodile or a man with the head of a crocodile... encyclopedic Dictionary
Noun, number of synonyms: 1 god (375) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary
- (Greek Σεΰχος) an ancient Egyptian cosmic deity with the head of a crocodile, sometimes compared with the earth god Keb, sometimes with the solar deity Ra, in the form of S. Ra, sometimes with Osiris. It was revered mainly in Fayum, on the shores of Lake Meridov, in... ...
Sebek- Suhos to Egypt. myth. god of water and the flood of the Nile. acc. "Pyramid Texts", S. son Neith. His priest animal crocodile. He is depicted. in the form of a man, a crocodile, or a man with the head of a crocodile. The center of the cult of S. dates back to the period of the reign. XII... ... Ancient world. encyclopedic Dictionary Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
