De animales a divinidades: los carneros y el dios Heryshef

May 20, 2026 Lucía Díaz Iglesias. Senior Scientist at the Institute of Languages ​​and Cultures of the Mediterranean and the Near East, CSIC In ancient Egypt, the Nile River, the fertile marshes, and the deserts were integral to the daily lives of its inhabitants. These areas were home to an extremely diverse, dangerous, and aggressive wildlife, which often caused numerous deaths or left serious injuries in its victims. Crocodiles were a constant threat to anyone who approached the banks of the Nile. They were frequently bred in temples and later mummified, as they were associated with the god Sobek. Hippopotamuses, whose females could be lethal when their young were threatened, represented chaos, but at the same time, they were also a symbol of protection and were associated with the goddess Taweret. Venomous snakes such as cobras (symbols of protection and sovereignty), black mambas, horned vipers, and scorpions were greatly feared, especially by children playing in sandy areas, as their bites were often fatal. Other wild animals included lions, associated with royal power and divine strength; leopards; hyenas; jackals, linked to Anubis, the god of mummification and guide of the dead in the afterlife; wild cattle; wild donkeys; antelopes; and aggressive baboons. To defend themselves against their fury, people used weapons (spears, arrows, large harpoons, knives, among others), magical amulets such as the Udjat eye or the Sa symbol, and specific incantations, especially to protect themselves from the venom of snakes and scorpions.