other animals of
egypt:
- crocodile- This sacred animal was known for its secret attacks
upon people near the Nile and became the object of numerous mythological tales.
Some crocodiles were considered so important that they were given jewelry to
wear and were embalmed and buried in sacred coffins upon their deaths.
- hippopotamus- Hippos were considered to be dangerous and were
often killed to protect the people who lived near them. They would often
trample fields at night and would probably have destroyed all the farms of
Egypt had they not been destroyed. They were considered evil and were hated by
most Egyptians.
- frog, toad- Because of the abundance of frogs and toads in the
area near the Nile, the hieroglyphic sign for "one hundred thousand" was a
tadpole. For the same reason, frogs were commonly referred to as a fertility
symbol.
- locust- Known for swarming and causing crop damage, locusts
were widely feared and hated.
- mongoose- The mongoose was the subject of many mythological
tales because of its skill for sneaking around and robbing nests. In the tales,
human children would be abducted. In time, the mongoose became sacred to the
Egyptians, probably out of respect for the deceptive powers it seemed to have
over nature.
- scorpion- Considered dangerous, the scorpion was feared by
Egyptians. The venom of the scorpion lead to many deaths, primarily those of
infants and children.
- snake- The poison of snakes (especially the cobra and asp) was
dangerous especially to weak, young and aged Egyptians. Pythons also often
attacked small children, strangling them with their tremendous muscular bodies.
Terrified of snakes, the Egyptians would use magic to protect themselves from
them. In their religion, the snake was considered an inhabitant of the
underworld and was inherently evil. This added to the human hatred of snakes.
Animals were also important for service,
hunted game, pets and
food. Religion and animals
of Egypt are described here.
