Apep

SerpentEgypt · North AfricaMythFear 8/10

Description

Giant serpent of chaos that tries to devour the sun god Ra each night

Origin & Background

Apep (or Apophis) is the ancient Egyptian god of chaos, darkness, and fire, generally considered an enemy of the sun god Ra. Legends about Apep's origin typically state that he was born from the mouth of Ra, and according to Geraldine Pinch, later creation myths describe Apep as having been born from the saliva of the goddess Neith in the primordial waters. Apep was also believed to have existed from the beginning in the waters of Nu, the primordial chaos.

The Legend

Apep is generally depicted as a gigantic serpent or snake and holds the title of 'Lord of Chaos.' He was regarded as Ra's greatest enemy, with Ra being the god of light who opposes Apep. Apep must be beneath the horizon every day, which has led to him being considered part of the underworld. Apep's roar was believed to shake the underworld, and his movements were thought to cause earthquakes.

In Popular Culture

Egyptian priests prayed to defeat Apep and performed a ritual known as the 'Apep Repulsion Ritual,' which involved creating an image of Apep and burning it. Apep was seen as a being that devours souls in the underworld, so the dead were buried with spells to protect them from Apep.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Apophis" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia