Gods of Ancient Egypt - list and description. Sebek-ra - beautiful-faced crocodile

Even at the dawn of birth human history one of the most ancient religions in the world was formed. According to a much longer period of time than Christianity, birds or animals played the role of a deity, with which many legends were associated.

Over the centuries, the pantheon of Egyptian gods was constantly changing, someone was forgotten, and other figures came to the fore. Modern scholars are interested in the oldest religion that ruled many aspects of human life.

Sacred river

In Ancient Nile has always been revered as sacred, because she allowed the formation of society. Tombs and temples were built on its banks, and in the waters that fed the fields, powerful priests performed mysterious rituals. Ordinary inhabitants idolized the river and were afraid of 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 the protector of fishermen had an unusual appearance: at first he was portrayed as a crocodile, and later he was humanized. According to researchers, the mythical image in religion came from ancient beliefs and took a dominant place in the divine pantheon.

A 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 him. The fact of the deification of predators in northeastern Africa is known, when tribes declared toothy animals to be their relatives. So the Egyptian god Sebek arose, whose spirit infiltrated the crocodiles of the Nile.

Special reverence for alligators

In many cities of the oldest world civilization, pre-fished in the river was kept. The predator was especially revered in some areas 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 adorned with jewelry, gold and silver, and their natural death was not a problem for the inhabitants: a mummy was made from a predator and buried in sarcophagi, 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, there was a new one, 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 crocodile mummies were found in the necropolis, embalmed, wrapped in papyri and buried with special honors.

The sanctity of the crocodile and its victims

Interesting are the beliefs of the Egyptians, who believed that the holiness of the crocodile extends to its victims. Even Herodotus wrote about how the corpses of victims of ferocious animals were embalmed, richly clothed and buried in tombs. No one had the right to touch the dead, except for the priests who buried the dead. The body of a person killed by a crocodile became sacred.

No evidence of human sacrifice

In the novel by I. Efremov "Thais of Athens" there is a description of how the 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 bloody sacrifices was found.

The Egyptians, wishing to be patronized by the god Sebek, drank from the lake where the alligator lived and fed him various delicacies.

Mysterious pedigree

As you know, you can trace the pedigree of each deity, but it is extremely difficult to do this with Sebek. The story of its origin is very mysterious, and there are several options that researchers do not cease to argue about.

Many scientists are inclined to believe that the god Sebek represented a generation of the most ancient deities: the patron saint of river animals was born by the primary 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 the degree of his influence.

Sun worshipers and crocodile fans

The huge reptile caused 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 when God-fearing people, because of their negative attitude towards the alligator, could not worship a deity with a predator's face.

Differences in views created a unique situation in which the Egyptians were divided into two groups: for some, the god Sebek was the main one, while others sacredly revered the incarnation of the sun - the creator of the world, Ra. Pharaoh of the XII dynasty even erected a huge temple in Fayyum, which was dedicated to the patron saint of fishing. Animal mummies were also found there. The found letters, which began with the words: "May Sebek keep you", spoke about the popularity of the deity. The God of Egypt protected the people who worshiped him and provided the abundance needed to landowners.

But the residents ancient city The Dendera on the west bank of the Nile hated alligators, exterminated them and feuded 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 the pharaohs ruled, and the kings emphasized the veneration of Sebek by adding his name to their own (Sebekhotep, Nefrusebek). Gradually, the patron saint of the water element began to be considered the embodiment of Amon-Ra. As the scientists explain, the sun worshipers still defeated those who deified the reptile.

God Sebek, who took the guise of a crocodile, always helped ordinary Egyptians. His head was crowned with a crown shining like the sun, which spoke of the high position of the protector of fishermen. In the papyri found she was praised and considered the main weapon against all enemies.

The many-faced Sebek - the god of water

It is curious that in various myths the deity was considered good and at the same time dangerous. In the legend of Osiris - the king underworld- it is the crocodile that carries out the body of the son of Geb. 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 Seth the destroyer, sowing death and chaos. There is a well-known myth about the almighty Ra who entered into battle.

Often the god Sebek, the photo of the statues of which is surprising with the unusual appearance, was identified with Min, who was responsible for a good harvest. It was believed that the flooded Nile "fertilizes" the land, and it was during this period that small crocodiles hatched from the eggs laid. This circumstance linked the idea of ​​a good harvest with the alligator.

Sebek was also a real inventor who gave people a fishing net. In addition, the inhabitants believed that God helps the souls of the dead to get to Osiris. And the record found, in which a man asked for help in conquering a woman, testifies to the control of God in many aspects of the life of the Egyptians. He was called those who hear prayers, and I must say that only Sebek was awarded such a title from the entire pantheon.

The God of Egypt had a wife, Sebeket, who was portrayed as a domineering woman with the head of a lion. The center of her cult was the Fayum oasis, where the great mistress was revered.

The most ancient inhabitants of our planet are characterized by the deification of the forces of nature and animals. The latter were endowed with holiness, worshiped with 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 have a terrifying appearance and pose a mortal danger. It is about crocodiles.

Historical information has long been confirmed crucial 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. 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 monitored the rise in the water level in the Nile using the nilomers they built.

Dependence on the forces of nature caused people to worship their power, the desire to earn the favor of the gods - the protectors 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 keepers and masters of the river. By their behavior, the Egyptians could determine the time of the flood.

Worship of Sebek

Egyptian civilization had a wide pantheon of gods. An important place in this row was occupied by the god Sebek. He was portrayed as a man with a crocodile's head topped with a magnificent crown. Sebek was the ruler of the river-nurse, the ruler of the movement of its waters, and personified eternity.

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

Not far from Shedit, Pharaoh Amenemhat III built a whole complex dedicated to crocodiles. In addition to the traditional erection of a pyramid, the ruler was ordered to build a sacred structure, similar to a labyrinth - for the residence of the son of Sebek, the earthly representative of God, the crocodile. The territory of the building has not been preserved, there are only 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.

Serving the Chosen Crocodile

For the realization of a dignified life, priests were assigned to the crocodile, bringing food and treats. 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 area of ​​the Fayum Valley has not been fully explored. In the future, we will be able to find out if there really was a labyrinth in Crocodilopolis, or if it was just a meaningful myth. The worship of the crocodile god throughout Egypt is evidenced by the temple of Sebek in the city of Kom-Ombo, not far from which a whole burial with crocodile mummies was found.

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 the cult of Sebek 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 Crocodiloplus. V different places of the oasis, various hypostases of Sebek were worshiped. In Fayum, he was considered a demiurge and was an object of veneration: "Praise be to you, who raised himself from the original silt ...". They saw in him a beneficial power and turned to him with prayers for the cure of diseases, for help in difficult life situations. It was also believed that Sebek cares about 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 an Egyptian or (which is all the same) a foreigner is carried away by a crocodile or he drowns in a river, then the inhabitants of the city where the corpse washed ashore must certainly embalm it, dress it up as you can be richer and put to burial in a sacred tomb. His body is not allowed to touch either relatives or friends. The priests of the god [of the river] Nile themselves bury the deceased with their own hands as a higher being than a human being. " 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 sea, Neith gave birth to the crocodile god Sebek during the flood of the Nile. She was often depicted as breastfeeding 2 small crocodiles. Nate was associated with the funeral cult, being the head of the "house of embalming" and, together 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 the pharaoh Amenemhat III, the Ptolemies and the Roman emperors. In Rome, the prevailing belief was that those who smeared themselves with crocodile fat could safely swim between crocodiles and that the crocodile skin on the courtyard gates protects from harm. applied by hail. Unlike many other Egyptian deities, Sebek did not have a triad and only one appears in religious texts. In demotic texts from Fayum, a goddess appears accompanying Sebek - Sebeket. Her name is the feminine form of her name Sebek. She was depicted in an anthropomorphic form or in the form of a woman with a lion's head.

As a kind, benevolent god, Sebek acts as an assistant to the god Ra in his struggle 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 who carries the body of the drowned Osiras. Crocodiles, considered his incarnations, were mummified after death. However, in other places of 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 Magician, as a creature associated with the water element and primitive chaos, acts as an opponent of the solar Ra. In "The Papyrus of Harris" we read: "Back, Magician, son of Set! / May you not control your tail! / May you not grab it with your hands! / May you not open your mouth! / Water will become a breath of flame in front of you, / And the fingers of the seventy-seven gods will be in your eye. " Seth himself transforms into a giant crocodile guarding the two Eyes of Wadget. Anubis manages to take possession of them, taking the form of a winged serpent with knives instead of feathers, and bury them in another place. They sprout becoming 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, holding a harpoon with which he strikes a crocodile. In the "Teachings of Merikar" in lines 130-134 about Ra the following is said: He created the heavens and the earth ... he removed the crocodile from the waters. "

The ruler of the waters, Sebek, was identified with Min, the god of fertility, "the producer of the harvest." The waters of the spill "fertilized" the land and contributed to the growth of the crop. With the beginning of the spill, crocodiles hatched from the eggs laid, and this circumstance connected the crocodile with fertility, with the idea of ​​a bountiful harvest, with the prediction of the size of the coming spill. Noting the honor enjoyed by the Egyptians for the crocodile, Plutarch cites the legend that the place where the female crocodile lays eggs marks the limit of the Nile flood: “They lay sixty eggs, they incubate them for the same number of days, and the longest-lived crocodiles live 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 was called the Great Year in antiquity, 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 the rising of the sun, and its tail represented the setting or darkness." In those ancient times, the sun god was embodied in the form of a crocodile - Sebek-Ra.

SEBEK SEBEK

(œbk). Sukhos (Greek Σοΰχος), in Egyptian mythology god of water and flood of the Nile. According to the Pyramid Texts, S. is the son of Date. His sacred animal is a 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. - Fayum oasis, the city of Crocodilopolis. The flourishing of the S. cult dates back to the period of the 12th dynasty (19-18 centuries BC), the capital of which 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 defender of gods and people (there was a perception that his ferocity frightens off the forces of darkness), but he often acts as a god, hostile Ra and Osiris. WITH the development of religious syncretism S. was identified with Ra, Khnum, Amon, Khonsu, Min. In the late period, an accompanying S. goddess appeared - "the great mistress Sebektet."
R. R.

(Source: Myths of the Nations of the World.)

(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 a crocodile. He was portrayed as a man. a crocodile or a man with a crocodile head. The center of the Sebek cult dates back to the period of truth. XII dynasty (19th - 18th centuries BC), the capital of which was located near Fayum. 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 considered as the protector of the gods of 11 people (there was an idea that his ferocity scares away the forces of darkness), however, he 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 late period, the accompanying goddess Sebek appeared - "the great mistress Sebektet".

V. D. Smooth "Ancient World" Volume 2

(Source: The Ancient Egyptian Dictionary.)

in 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. The worshipers of Sebek brought human sacrifices to the crocodiles. If a person became an accidental victim of a crocodile, the Egyptians believed that it was Sebek who called him to his service.

(Source: "Dictionary of spirits and gods of Germanic-Scandinavian, Egyptian, Greek, Irish, Japanese mythology, mythologies of the Maya and Aztecs.")

See what "SEBEK" is in other dictionaries:

God of water and flood of the Nile Mythology: Ancient Egyptian ... Wikipedia

In Egyptian mythology, the deity of fertility, the god of water, commanding the floods of the Nile. The center of the cult is the city of Shedit (Greek Crocodilopolis) 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, commanding the floods of the Nile. The center of the cult is the city of Shedit (Greek Crocodilopolis) 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 synonym dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary

- (Greek Σεΰχος) an ancient Egyptian cosmic deity with the head of a crocodile, which was compared with the earth god Keb, then with the solar deity Ra, in the form of S. Ra, then with Osiris. It was worshiped mainly in Fayum, on the shores of Lake Merid, in ... ...

Sebek- Sukhos to Egypt. myth. god of water and flood of the Nile. Acc. "Texts of the Pyramids", S. son of 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 S. cult belongs to the period of the ruling. XII ... ... Ancient world. encyclopedic Dictionary Encyclopedic Dictionary of F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

It will not be an exaggeration to say that Ancient Egypt is the civilization of the Nile; without this great African river on this generally barren space, a large and highly developed society could not have arisen and exist. Therefore, the ancient Egyptian religion had to somehow reflect the meaning that the Nile had for the entire society - and 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 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 humanoid 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 and today, hundreds of people every year become victims of crocodile attacks, 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, is exactly what happened with 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 saint of fishermen and, in combination, 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 captured 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 worship of Sebek were two thousand crocodile mummies embalmed and buried according to a special rite. There is still no clarity in the question 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 the other, he was a representative of an older divine generation.

If Sebek is happy, everything is in order.

The position of Sobek among other Egyptian gods and its significance for 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, Horom , Osiris and others). Moreover, 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 besides Sebek. So, in a number of nomes (regions) of Egypt, a deity named Hapi was especially revered, who was considered responsible exclusively for the flooding 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 clear external features characteristic of fertility cults: a combination of male and female traits (developed muscles and a female breast), obese forms and accentuated reproductive organs.

So, where there was a cult of Hapi, Sebek lost his functions as responsible for the flooding of the Nile and thus 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 possessed full magical power over the Nile. At a certain stage in the history of Ancient Egypt, Sebek became one of the most popular gods - it was not for nothing that a number of pharaohs bore the throne name dedicated to the god with a crocodile head, “Sebekhotep”, which meant “Sebek is satisfied”. There was also a special cult center for the veneration of Sebek - the city of Shedit, located in the fertile Fayum oasis in Central Egypt. In Shedite 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