Crocodile: Egyptian mythology.

Crocodile was a sacred animal of the god of water and the flood of the Nile Sebek (Greek Sukhos). This deity was depicted in the form of a man, a crocodile or a man with the head of a crocodile. It was believed that Sebek gives fertility and abundance. The two main centers of Sebek's cult were at Fayum and Sumenu, south of Thebes. In Shedit e, the main city of the Fayum oasis, he was considered the main god, which is why the Greeks gave this city the name Crocodile. AT different places oasis worshiped various forms of Sebek. In Fayum, he was considered a demiurge and was an object of veneration: "Praise be to you, who exalted himself from the original silt ...". They saw a beneficent force in him and turned to him with prayers for the cure of diseases, for help in difficult life situations. It was also believed that Sebek takes care of the fate of the deceased in the other world.

Herodotus was a witness to the worship of the god Sebek. Here is how he describes the cult of the crocodile in ancient Egypt: "If any Egyptian or (whatever) a stranger is dragged away by a crocodile or he drowns in the river, then the inhabitants of the city where the corpse was washed ashore, will certainly be obliged to embalm him, dress him up as can be richer and buried in a sacred tomb. Neither relatives nor friends are allowed to touch his body. The priests of the god [river] of the Nile themselves bury the deceased with their own hands as a kind of higher being than a man. " Already in the Pyramid Texts, Sebek is mentioned as the son of Neith, an ancient goddess whose fetish was two crossed arrows. It was believed that being the goddess of water and the sea, Neith gave birth to the crocodile god Sebek during the flood of the Nile. She was often depicted as breastfeeding 2 small crocodiles. Neith was associated with the funeral cult, being the head of the "house of embalming" and, along with Isis, Nephthys and Serket, was depicted on sarcophagi.

The name of Sebek is included as a component in the theophoric names of the pharaohs of the XIII dynasty. His cult was especially favored by the kings of the XII dynasty, in particular by Pharaoh Amenemhat III, the Ptolemies and the Roman emperors. It was believed in Rome that one who smeared himself with crocodile fat could safely swim among the crocodiles and that the crocodile skin on the gates of the courtyard protected from harm. caused by hail. Unlike many other Egyptian deities, Sebek did not have a triad and only one appears in religious texts. In the demotic texts from Fayum, a goddess appears, accompanying Sebek, - Sebeket. Her name is a feminine form of the name Sebek. She was depicted in an anthropomorphic form or as a woman with a lion's head.

As a kind, benevolent god, Sebek acts as an assistant to the god Ra in his fight against the forces of darkness. He is the same in the myth of Osiris. According to one version of the myth, it is the crocodile that bears the body of the drowned Osiras. Crocodiles, considered to be his incarnations, were mummified after death. However, in other places ancient egypt Sebek was considered a dangerous aquatic predator and was included in the retinue of the evil god Set, considered hostile to both Ra and Osiris. The giant crocodile Maga, as a creature associated with the water element and primitive chaos, is the opponent of the solar Ra. In the Harris Papyrus we read: "Back, Maga, son of Set! / May you not control your tail! / May you not grasp with your hands! / May you not open your mouth! / Water will become a breath of flame before you, / And the fingers of the seventy-seven gods be in your eye." Set himself transforms into a giant crocodile guarding the two Eyes of Wadjet. Anubis manages to take possession of them, taking the form of a winged serpent with knives instead of feathers, and bury them elsewhere. They grow into vines. On the reliefs of the temple in the city of Edfu (Egypt. Behdet) in Upper Egypt, where the cult of Horus was transferred, he is depicted standing on a boat in front of Ra, in his hands is a harpoon with which he strikes a crocodile. In the Teachings of Merikar, in lines 130-134, the following is said about Ra: He created heaven and earth ... he eliminated the crocodile from the waters.

The lord of the waters Sebek was identified with Ming, the god of fertility, "the producer of the harvest." The waters of the flood "fertilized" the earth and contributed to the growth of the crop. With the beginning of the flood, crocodiles hatched from the laid eggs, and this circumstance connected the crocodile with fertility, with ideas about a bountiful harvest, with a prediction of the size of the upcoming flood. Noting the honor that the crocodile enjoys among the Egyptians, Plutarch cites a legend that the place where the female crocodile lays her eggs marks the limit of the Nile flood: “They lay sixty eggs, hatch them for the same number of days, and the most long-term crocodiles live for the same number of years, and this number is the first of those who deal with the heavenly bodies." Here the great philosopher has in mind a period of 60 years, which in ancient times was called the Great Year, because every 60 years there were "meetings" of Jupiter with Saturn. The completion of the flood of the Nile and the appearance of the black earth in ancient times occurred when the Sun was in the sign of Scorpio. "In classical astrology, the sign of Scorpio is water. Water is a symbol of life," and the crocodile lives in water. "The Egyptian hieroglyph for black was the tip of a crocodile's tail. And not because it is actually black; it's just that the crocodile's eyes represented sunrise, and its tail represented sunset or darkness." In those ancient times, the sun god was embodied in the form of a crocodile - Sebek-Ra.

Sebek - the god of the watery deep, the personification of the flood of the Nile. Revered in the form of a crocodile. One of the oldest gods of Ancient Egypt, most often depicted as a man with the head of a crocodile. Reverse versions of its image are also known - a crocodile with human head. In the hieroglyphic record, the image of Sebek is presented in the form of a crocodile lying on an honorary pedestal, similar to how Anubis was depicted as a dog on a pedestal. single variant correct pronunciation no, two of his names were most widely used: Sebek and Sobek.
Both fishermen and hunters prayed to him, leading their trade in reed thickets. He was asked to help the souls of the dead on their way to the halls of Osiris. Records have been preserved in which a certain man addresses Sebek, as if to an oracle, and asks him to tell him whether any woman will belong to him. Obviously, Sebek, according to the ancient Egyptians, had influence on many sides. human life. Moreover, in one of the praising hymns, he is honored with the title of “listening to prayers,” which was not noticed by any of the other gods of Ancient Egypt.

The origin of Sebek is obscure. There are two main versions (according to the number of known sources). First: Sebek created or gave birth to Ra, like other gods of the first generation. Second: Sebek, like Ra, and all the others, gave birth to the primary ocean Nun. There is also historical evidence that calls him the son of Neith, but there are very few such sources. And nothing is known about whether he had a wife. Here is such a mysterious god, reminiscent of his habits of a cunning counterintelligence agent in the service of Ra, but enjoying the sympathy of mortals, as evidenced by the widespread distribution of miniature amulets.

If in ancient Egypt there was an animal worthy of entering the pantheon, then this is undoubtedly a crocodile. Under the name Sebek, he quickly became a highly revered, formidable and trustworthy deity. The Egyptians believed that this reptile was one of the first created. Until recently, it was found in abundance in the swamps of the Delta and on the banks of the Nile.
The best known images of Sebek have been found at Kom Ombo. These expressive portraits depict a furious god, sometimes becoming a victim of his own gluttony. However, Sebek was not only formidable, but also a highly respected god of the Egyptian pantheon. Sebek can take the form of a crocodile or a man with the head of a crocodile. Of course, magical properties were attributed to his image.

Most often, Egyptian artists depicted him in a solar crown, consisting of two feathers, a solar disk resting on two horizontal horns, and two uraean guards. This unusual crown was worn by two gods: Sebek and Tatenen. Also, Sebek could be depicted in the atef crown; this attribute was considered honorary, because it belonged to Osiris himself.

Crocodiles and Egyptian mythology

Egyptian mythology could not pass by such an animal as the Nile crocodile. This is a large reptile, reaching a length of 6 meters, the weight of the largest individuals exceeds a ton.

The Nile crocodile caused sacred awe among the ancient Egyptians - their whole life was connected with the Nile, and it was the crocodiles that were the real owners of the river. With one stroke of its mighty tail, a hungry crocodile could overturn fishing boat and drag the hapless fisherman under the water.

And on land, near water and swamps, it was impossible to feel safe - crocodiles, including the Nile, 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 great force, break the bones of large animals and split the shells of turtles. It is interesting that the teeth of crocodiles change many times during their life - new and sharp ones grow to replace the old and worn ones.

A crocodile can go without food for a very long time - up to a year, not a single mammal can compare with it in this. And one more feature - crocodiles do not have a tongue in the usual sense - its tongue is spread along the lower jaw and is tightly stuck to it.

That is, unlike a number of animals endowed in many ways with fantastic features, crocodiles have such real existing qualities and properties that simply could not help but make them important characters in Egyptian myths, starting from ancient times.

The first mention of Sebek

The 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 headed by Horus (Horus, Tasenetnofret and their son Panebtavi), and the southern part is dedicated to the triad of gods headed by the crocodile god (Sebek, Hathor and their son Khonsu).

In addition to these large temples, there were numerous shrines and smaller temples throughout Egypt dedicated to the Egyptian god of water. Among them, the temples in 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 adorned 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 areas in Egypt where crocodiles were hunted and killed.

This polarity found its explanation and reflection in myths. The Egyptian god Sebek is very multifaceted and ambiguous in them. It can merge with the image of Amon or solar god Ra, sometimes in the form of the god Sebek-Ra, can act as a hypostasis of the god Khnum or Osiris, and can assimilate with the image of Set - the worst enemy of Osiris and Horus.

In other myths, Sebek shares the title of "King of Egypt" with Horus and helps him (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 then Isis herself returns to the place with the help of magic) .

Mythological consciousness does not obey the laws formal logic and that the same god can be both good and evil, for him there is no contradiction.

Sebek - patron of the pharaohs

When the pharaohs of the XII dynasty, who originated from 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 is beautiful" (c. 1790-1786 BC). Her pyramid complex, built in Mazgun (4 km south of Dashur), is one of the last pyramids erected in Egypt.

The tradition to include the name of Sobek in their names was continued by the pharaohs of the XIII dynasty, many of whom were called Sebekhotep - "Sabek contented" (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 the god in the name of the pharaoh speaks of the great importance of the cult of Sebek in that period.

With the onset of the New Kingdom period, the Egyptian pharaohs no longer bear the name of the crocodile god. However, the statue depicting the relatively small ninth pharaoh of the XVIII dynasty Amenhotep III (c. 1402 - 1364 BC) and the much larger Sebek sitting next to him (now in the Luxor Museum), suggests that the crocodile god during this period did not lose his functions as the patron and protector of the Egyptian pharaohs. These same features remained with him almost until the end of the era of the pharaohs, including the kings-pharaohs of the Greco-Roman period.

Family ties of the crocodile god

If Neith was considered Sebek's mother, then with the rest family ties more and more difficult. The wife of the crocodile god could be Hathor, sometimes the goddess of the harvest Renenutet.

His son from the goddess Hathor in the triad of Kom Ombo was the god Khonsu, and in the Fayum oasis from the matrimonial union with Renenutet, his son was the god Horus.

In a number of myths, Horus himself appears in the form of a crocodile during the 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 chopped up Osiris, he scattered the parts of the body of his murdered brother throughout Egypt, and threw his phallus into the waters of the Nile.

Sebek, despite the repeated warnings of the gods not to eat meat, neglected 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 cut off his tongue.

That is why, as the Egyptians believed, crocodiles do not have a language.

Egyptian god with crocodile head

Since many mythological images are associated with Sebek, his images differ significantly.

Traditionally, Sebek was depicted as a man with the head of a crocodile, with a headdress that includes a disk of the sun with high feathers, uraeus (sometimes two), often fanciful horns.

Characteristic for such an image of the crocodile god is the presence of a tripartite wig.

A little less often, an atef crown (a high pin-shaped crown with two feathers on the sides) or a 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, he is depicted as a crocodile with a solar disk and a uraeus on his head.

As Horus, he 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.

In the Greco-Roman period, the solar aspects in Sebek were so significant that the Greeks often identified him with Helios - Greek god sun.

It will not be an exaggeration to say that Ancient Egypt is the civilization of the Nile, without this great African river, in this generally barren space, a numerous and highly developed society could not have arisen and existed. Therefore, the ancient Egyptian religion had to somehow reflect the significance that the Nile had for the whole society - this is how the deities of the Nile arose, one of which, Sebek, was perhaps the most colorful in the entire pantheon.

The Egyptians would have tried not to make the crocodile a god...

The color of the god Sebek for modern perception, first of all, in his appearance - since he was depicted as a man with the head of a crocodile (images in the form of a crocodile, without human-like elements, were rare and most often belonged to more ancient cults). Almost all experts agree that Sebek is a classic case of the transformation of more ancient totemic beliefs into an element of a highly developed complex pagan religious system. It is quite natural that in the early stages of the existence of human society on the banks of the Nile, in the era of the primitive communal system, the crocodile was one of the most dangerous neighbors for people. In Africa, even today, hundreds of people become victims of attacks by crocodiles every year, and in ancient times the confrontation was probably even more fierce.

Ancient people tried to cope with various dangers not only by practical, but also by magical means - declaring certain predators as their relatives and patrons (totems), as well as deifying them. This, apparently, happened to the crocodiles of the Nile, which in the era of Ancient Egypt turned into Sebek, the god of the Nile, “responsible” for fresh water, the lord of all animals living in the river, the patron of fishermen and concurrently having certain functions of the god of fertility.

The details of the veneration of Sebek in Egypt are unknown, but there is evidence that in every city there was a practice of keeping a sacred crocodile - that is, a specially caught animal, in which, according to beliefs, the spirit of Sebek lived. Most likely, the sacred crocodiles changed every year: since only in one of the cult places of veneration of Sebek, two thousand mummies of crocodiles embalmed and buried according to a special rite were found. Until now, there is no clarity on the issue of the mythological genealogy of Sebek: according to one version, he was the son of the supreme god and the father of the gods Ra, according to another, he was a representative of an older divine generation.

If Sebek is happy, everything is in order.

The position of Sebek among other Egyptian gods and his significance to the Egyptians was rather ambiguous. On the one hand, he could never compete in terms of the influence and significance of the cult with the supreme Egyptian gods(Ra, Horus , Osiris and others). In addition, he was not alone in his own "diocese". The fact is that the deification of the Nile by the Egyptians gave rise to other divine characters, in addition to Sebek. So, in a number of nomes (regions) of Egypt, a deity named Hapi was especially revered, who was considered responsible solely for the flood of the Nile, that is, for the event that led to the formation of a fertile strip along the river. Hapi was portrayed as a humanoid creature with obvious external signs characteristic of fertility cults: a combination of male and female features (developed muscles and female breasts), obese forms and accentuated reproductive organs.

So where there was a cult of Hapi, Sebek lost his functions of being responsible for the flood of the Nile and thereby turned into a more uncontrollable and elemental deity, reflecting the powerful and often dangerous nature of the river. Where Hapi had little or no significance among the supernatural characters, Sebek had all the full magical power over the Nile. At a certain stage in the history of Ancient Egypt, Sebek became one of the popular gods at all - it was not for nothing that a number of pharaohs had a throne name dedicated to the god with a crocodile head, "Sebekhotep", which meant "Sebek is pleased." There was also a special cult center of veneration for Sebek - the city of Shedit, located in the fertile Faiyum oasis in Central Egypt. In Shedita there was a majestic temple complex dedicated to Sebek, it was here that the most famous and revered "living incarnations" of the crocodile gods were kept, it was here that thousands of mummies of these sacred crocodiles were discovered.

Alexander Babitsky

For the most ancient inhabitants of our planet, the deification of the forces of nature and animals is characteristic. The latter were endowed with holiness, they were worshiped, bringing offerings and sacrifices. Ancient Egypt was no exception. In this state, not only cute and harmless animals were endowed with divine features, but also reptiles that had a frightening appearance and posed a mortal danger. It's about about crocodiles.

Historical information has long been confirmed essential role Nile in the life of the Egyptians. The existence of the river, stretching like a life-giving thread from north to south, made it possible for ancient peoples to settle along its banks, their life depended on the floods of the Nile waters. Regular floods made the fields adjacent to the river fertile, which provided residents good harvest and guaranteed no hunger. To predict the harvest, the Egyptians watched the rise in the water level in the Nile with the help of the nilometers they built.

Dependence on the forces of nature caused people to worship their power, the desire to earn the favor of the gods - the patrons of the Nile and its inhabitants. The largest and most unusual creatures that have lived in the Nile for a long time - crocodiles - were considered its guardians and owners of the river. By their behavior, the Egyptians could determine the time of the flood.

Worship of Sebek

The Egyptian civilization had a wide pantheon of gods. An important place in this series was occupied by the god Sebek. He was depicted as a man with the head of a crocodile topped with a magnificent crown. Sebek was the lord of the feeding river, the ruler of the movement of its waters, and personified eternity.

On the territory of Ancient Egypt in the Faiyum valley there was the city of Shedit, later called Crocodilopolis by the Greeks who came there. The place, located in a fertile valley around Lake Mérida, was the center of worship for Sebek. Crocodiles were considered the living embodiment of God.

Not far from Shedit, Pharaoh Amenemhet III built a whole complex dedicated to crocodiles. In addition to the traditional construction of a pyramid, the ruler was ordered to build a sacred structure, similar to a labyrinth - for the son of Sebek - the earthly representative of the god - the crocodile, to live in it. The territory of the building has not been preserved, there are only the remains of ruins. According to Herodotus, the area of ​​the labyrinth was about 70 thousand square meters. meters, there were several levels, many rooms where the crocodile chosen by the priests, the son of Sebek, could walk around.

Serving the Chosen Crocodile

To achieve a decent life, priests were assigned to the crocodile, bringing treats and food. After the death of the “master of the labyrinth”, all the same priests mummified the body of the deceased animal and chose the next crocodile.

If a person died from a river predator, it was considered a great success: he received the protection of God and, after embalming, was honored to be buried in a sacred grave.

To this day, the Faiyum Valley region has not been fully explored. In the future, we will be able to find out if the labyrinth in Crocodilopolis really existed or if it is just a meaningful myth. The worship of the crocodile god throughout Egypt is also evidenced by the temple of Sebek in the city of Kom Ombo, not far from which a whole burial with mummies of crocodiles was found.