Other Legendary Creatures In Egyptian Mythology
Ammit – She was the combination of a lion, a crocodile, and a hippo. When a soul was led to the Egyptian underworld, their heart was to be weighed against the feather of Ma’at. If the feather was equal to or lighter than the soul, he was permitted to enter the afterlife. However, if it was heavier, Ammit devoured the heart, and the spirit of the dead was condemned to wander forever in limbo.
Bennu – The Bennu bird is portrayed as a heron, but is basically the Egyptian form of the phoenix. Bennu is also believed to be the walking soul of the sun god, Ra.
El Naddaha – A more modern Egyptian legend, of a bewitching and deadly female spirit of the Nile. At night, she lures men down to the the water in pairs, by appearing as a beautiful young woman. One man is hypnotized by her, while the other tries to bring the other man back from his trance. Usually, the man succeeds in breaking her spell, and the two run away. She’s believed to be a kind of genie, and despite the dual belief that she devours and drowns men, no instance of a a man dying by her hand has yet been recorded.
Griffin – Known as axex, in Egyptian mythology, and had the body of a cat, with the head and wings of an eagle; it was depicted usually as guardians of royal tombs, or in hunting scenes.
Hieracosphinx – A type of chimera found in Egyptian mythology, that looked more like a gryphon, with the body of a lion, and the head of a falcon.
Petsuchos – Worshipped as the physical manifestation of the crocodile god, Subek. Petsuchos means, “son of Sobek”. He was an actual live crocodile, usually of massive size, who was worshiped as a god, being presented with jewels, and fine food. Later, when he died, he was mummified and entombed, again, in a very royal setting, and then his replacement would be chosen.
Serpopard – A creature usually feature on types of cosmetic palettes, with the body of a lioness, or a leopard, and the long neck and head of a serpent. It generally looked like a lioness with an extremely long, winding neck.
Sphinx – A strong female figure of Egyptian mythology, usually interpreted as having the body of a lioness, and the head of a human.
The Swallower – Another name of Ammit, or Ammut, the female creature who eats the hearts of the dead.
Three-legged bird – Appears in Egyptian art, as well as those in several Asian cultures with a more specific meaning.
Uraeus – The rearing cobra; a symbol of royalty, divinity, wisdom, primarily of the pharaohs.
