Apophis

SerpentEgypt · North AfricaLegendFear 8/10

Description

A serpent from the folklore of Egypt. Apophis (; from Ancient Greek: Ἄποφις, romanized: Ápophis), also known as Apep (Ancient Egyptian…

Origin & Background

Apophis is the god of chaos, darkness, and fire in ancient Egypt, generally considered the enemy of the sun god Ra. Legends about the origin of Apophis often tell that he was born from the tears of Ra, and Geraldine Pinch later explains in the creation myth that Apophis was born from the spit of the primordial goddess Neith, who is said to have transformed her spit into a serpent 120 yards long. However, Apophis is also believed to have existed from the beginning in the waters of primordial chaos.

The Legend

Apophis was regarded as the greatest enemy of the sun god Ra and held the title of 'Lord of Chaos.' He is typically depicted as a gigantic serpent or snake and has nicknames such as the serpent of the Nile and the evil dragon. Apophis is said to have to remain below the horizon every day, sometimes waiting for Ra at Mount Manu in the west or hiding in the region of the tenth night just before dawn. His roar was believed to shake the underworld.

In Popular Culture

The Egyptians practiced various rituals and superstitions to defeat Apophis. In the annual 'Ritual of the Overthrow of Apophis,' priests would create an image of Apophis and burn it to protect against evil forces. Additionally, there existed a 'Book of the Overthrow of Apep' containing instructions on how to defeat Apophis, detailing the process of insulting and dismantling him.

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