Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Egyptian Gods as Animals
Before technology made humans the alpha animal on earth, it was easier to appreciate our
fellow creatures. Animals were stronger, swifter, and fiercer than puny
Homo sapiens.
The
Egyptians worshipped animals as incarnations of the gods.
The powerful ram is the god Amun (king of the gods), protecting a puny pharaoh un-
der his powerful chin. The falcon is Horus, the god of the living. The speckled, standing
hippo (with lion head) is Tawaret, protectress of childbirth. Her stylized breasts and preg-
nant belly are supported by ankhs, symbols of life. (Is Tawaret grinning or grimacing in
labor?) Finally, the cat (with ear- and nose-rings) served Bastet, the popular goddess of
stress relief.
Scattered around the floor are huge stone boxes. The famous mummies of ancient
Egypt were wrapped in linen and then encased in finely decorated wooden coffins, which
were then placed in these massive stone outer coffins.
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At the end of the Egyptian Gallery is a big stone beetle.
