The Hippopotamus in Ancient Egypt
Cultural Influence of the Hippo on the Egyptians
The hippopotamus is a large and misunderstood animal. Once native to the Nile River, the Ancient Egyptians both feared and worshipped the often destructive creature.
The hippopotamus, though often depicted as a slow and lumbering or even cute creature, is actually a huge and deadly animal that is capable of killing a human without much effort. Once indigenous to Egypt, the hippopotamus was feared and revered for its physical strength and its supposed spiritual powers. The word hippopotamus comes from the Greek for “river horse”, and this is a pretty accurate description of the impressive animal. The hippopotami that once lived in Egypt spent their days swimming in and grazing along the banks of the Nile River, the life blood of the Ancient Egyptian civilization.
The Nile River was vitally important to life in Ancient Egypt. Its waters provided food for the people, and its banks provided resources such as papyrus, silica, and incredibly fertile soil for farming. Fishermen spent their days in the waters of the Nile along with the hippos, and often found themselves at the mercy of the beasts. The hippos often upended fishing boats and other watercraft, often causing death to the hapless Egyptian workers. Hippos were also known to destroy croplands, hindering the food supply and causing loss of life.
This power of the hippopotamus instilled a fear in Egyptians which led to a worship and a respect of the animal with whom they were forced to share territory. Thus, the hippopotamus became a central figure in Egyptian art and religion.
In Egyptian religion, a few gods were represented in the form of a hippopotamus. One deity was Tauret, an Egyptian goddess who represented fertility and childbirth. She is depicted as a pregnant hippopotamus that stood on her hind legs (possibly depicted as half human, half hippo). A favorite among the Egyptian household deities, pregnant Egyptians would often wear amulets around their necks as protection from harm or evil forces. Why would a hippopotamus, an animal that seemed so destructive to the Egyptian livelihood, be depicted as a deity of fertility? It is perhaps because the Nile River was the fertile center of Egyptian society, its waters filled with food, flooding the plains and receding yearly, allowing crops to grow fruitfully. The hippopotamus, which grazed along the banks, and lived in the Nile waters, was a representation of the power of the Nile over Egypt.
Because the hippopotamus was capable of great destruction to those same fertile grounds along the Nile, the Egyptian god Seth was sometimes depicted as a hippo. Seth was the evil brother of Osiris, the Egyptian god of the dead. Seth himself was the Egyptian god of violence, storms, and destructive forces that made Egypt (and the Nile) vulnerable.
The hippopotamus was a common figure depicted in Egyptian art. It was portrayed in amulets worn by pregnant women as described earlier. The hippo was also represented by interesting figurines fashioned from ground quartz using a process known as faience. These figures, often about four inches tall by about seven inches long, were usually used as grave goods, serving as protective figures for one’s journey through the Nile into the afterlife. The faience hippopotami were often decorated with lotus flowers, reeds, and other plants found living along the Nile, and were usually a beautiful turquoise or green color.
While the hippopotamus no longer lives in Egypt, its impact on the Ancient Egyptian culture is undeniable. Through religious worship and artistic representation, the Ancient Egyptians hoped to literally and spiritually deal with their fear of this dangerous animal that often caused so much trouble.
Sources consulted:
"Hippopotamus Mythology". Retrieved 17 November 2007 from http://www.dierinbeeld.nl/animal_files/mammals/hippopotamus/index.html
"Hippopotamus". Retrieved 17 November 2007 from http://touregypt.net/featurestories/animalgods.htm
"Seth". Retrieved 18 November 2007 from http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/egypt/seth.htm
