| Apep | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Other Name |
Apophis, Apep, Apepi, Aapep |
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First Appearance |
Egyptian Myth |
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Created by |
Egyptian Myth |
Origin[]
Apep was the ancient Egyptian deity who embodied darkness and disorder, and was thus the opponent of light and Ma'at (order/truth). Ra was the bringer of light and hence the biggest opposer of Apep.
His mother was said to be Neith who gave birth to Apep from spitting out her saliva. This would make Serket and Sobek the siblings of Apep since they share the same mother.
Because Ra was the solar deity, bringer of light, and thus the upholder of Ma'at, Apep was viewed as the greatest enemy of Ra, and thus was given the title Enemy of Ra, and also "the Lord of Chaos".
"The Lord of Chaos" was seen as a giant snake or serpent leading to such titles as Serpent from the Nile and Evil Dragon. Some elaborations said that he stretched 16 yards in length and had a head made of flint.
Storytellers said that every day Apep must lie below the horizon and not persist in the mortal kingdom. This appropriately made him a part of the underworld. In some stories, Apep waited for Ra in a western mountain called Manu, where the sun set, and in others, Apep lurked just before dawn, in the Tenth region of the Night. The wide range of Apep's possible locations gained him the title World-Encircler. It was thought that his terrifying roar would cause the underworld to rumble. Myths sometimes say that Apep was trapped there, because he had been the previous chief god overthrown by Ra, or because he was evil and had been imprisoned.
The Coffin Texts imply that Apep used a magical gaze to overwhelm Ra and his entourage. Ra was assisted by a number of defenders who traveled with him, including Set and possibly the Eye of Ra. Apep's movements were thought to cause earthquakes, and his battles with Set may have been meant to explain the origin of thunderstorms. In one account, Ra himself defeats Apep in the form of a cat.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Book of the Dead
- The Books of Overthrowing Apep
Notes[]
- Similar serpents appear in mythology of other cultures including Jörmungandr, Leviathan, or Python.