Ancient Egyptians had a complex and diverse relationship with animals. They revered many animals as sacred, and associated them with gods and goddesses. Some animals were even mummified and buried in elaborate tombs, while others were kept as pets or used for hunting and farming.
In this article, we will explore some of the most revered animals in ancient Egypt, and how they influenced the culture, religion and art of this ancient civilization.
Cats
Cats were one of the most beloved and respected animals in ancient Egypt. They were domesticated around 2000 BCE, and became symbols of grace, beauty and protection. Cats were associated with the goddess Bastet, who was depicted as a woman with a cat's head or a cat herself. Bastet was the goddess of fertility, joy, music and love, and also protected humans from evil spirits and diseases.
Cats were treated with great care and affection by their owners, who often adorned them with jewels and collars. They were also given proper burials, sometimes in their own coffins or sarcophagi. Some cat cemeteries have been discovered, containing thousands of mummified cats. Killing a cat was considered a serious crime, punishable by death.
Crocodiles
Crocodiles were both feared and revered in ancient Egypt. They were seen as powerful and dangerous creatures, capable of killing humans and livestock. However, they were also respected as sacred animals, linked to the god Sobek. Sobek was depicted as a man with a crocodile's head or a crocodile wearing a crown. He was the god of the Nile, fertility, military power and protection.
Crocodiles were worshiped in several temples along the Nile, especially in Crocodilopolis (modern Faiyum). There, priests kept and cared for a live crocodile, believed to be the incarnation of Sobek. The crocodile was fed with meat, bread, wine and honey, and adorned with gold and jewels. When it died, it was mummified and replaced by another one.
Bulls
Bulls were another important animal in ancient Egypt. They represented strength, virility and fertility, and were associated with several gods. The most famous bull god was Apis, who was depicted as a black bull with a white triangle on his forehead, a white vulture wing on his back, and a scarab beetle on his tongue. Apis was the god of life, death and rebirth, and a manifestation of the god Ptah.
Apis bulls were selected from the herds according to strict criteria, and kept in a special temple in Memphis. They were treated with reverence and honor by the priests and the people, who consulted them for oracles and healing. When an Apis bull died, it was embalmed and buried in a huge underground necropolis called the Serapeum.
Falcon
Falcons were revered for being the earthly form of Horus, one of the most important Egyptian sky gods. Horus was a solar and kingship deity closely associated with the pharaoh. The falcon represented divine authority, oversight, and protection. Its keen sight and hunting prowess embodied the pharaoh's discerning leadership.
Many pharaohs incorporated the falcon into their throne name to link themselves to Horus and establish their right to rule. The image of the falcon became a political and religious symbol of the king's divine role.
When falcons died they were mummified and interred in dedicated falcon cemeteries with elaborate ceremonies.
Jackal
Jackals were associated with Anubis, the god of mummification and the underworld. He was portrayed as jackal-headed or as a jackal. Ancient Egyptians observed jackals scavenging in graveyards, which linked them to the afterlife in the public imagination.
Anubis was invoked to protect graves and guide souls into the next world. As a result, jackals took on a supernatural aura. They were seen as cunning messengers between the living world and the realm of the dead. Jackal imagery reinforced ideas of cyclical renewal, as Anubis oversaw both mummification and rebirth into the afterlife.
Serpent
Serpents symbolized the primeval emergence of life from the watery chaos at the dawn of creation in Egyptian myth. Goddesses like Wadjet were depicted with serpent imagery representing their protective regenerative powers.
Serpents regularly shed their skin and appear to renew themselves, making them symbols of repetition, endurance, immortality, and the circular nature of time. The venomous cobra was particularly feared and revered. Cobras were believed to protect households, especially the pharaoh.
The Gradual Decline of Animal Worship
Animal cults began declining during the Greco-Roman era when traditional Egyptian religion faced competition from new beliefs. The rise of Christianity saw increased condemnation of the “idolatry” of animal worship.
Temples to Egyptian animal deities were closed, statues defaced, and mummies destroyed by rulers seeking religious and cultural dominance. Animal cult practices vanished, though gods like Bastet and Anubis persisted in folk rituals.
However, ancient animal deities’ symbolic legacy remains integral to our understanding of Egyptian cosmology. The animals they venerated continue to reveal the complex spiritual beliefs, cultural values, and funerary practices central to this ancient civilization.
Conclusion
These are just some examples of the revered animals in ancient Egypt. There were many more animals that had religious or cultural significance. Animals played a vital role in the ancient Egyptian worldview, reflecting their admiration for nature and its mysteries. Though no longer practiced, animal worship in ancient Egypt set an influential precedent for how animals were viewed. The gods may have faded over time, but their sacred creatures remain a testament to the rich cosmology of ancient Egyptian civilization.
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