Ancient Egypt Animals

To what extent did the animal figures affect the daily lives of the Ancient Egyptian population? This research question is worthy of investigation because animals affected the beliefs of the Egyptian society in a variety of ways, and knowing the basis of where these beliefs came from can further help historians and researchers understand why the Egyptians organized their societies in the way that they were. The land of the gods of Egypt was vast and it was ruled by spirits of animals. Such, was how the order of Maat was preserved in Egypt. The 13th ideal of the 42 Ideals of Ma’at states that one must “…Honour all animals as sacred.” The Egyptians believed that a balanced relationship between people and animals was an essential element used …show more content…
These stories of the origins of these animals were each unique in their own way. For example, to the Ancient Egyptians, he Scarabaeus sacer beetle’s behavior of rolling a ball of dung across the ground and the assumption of the fact that it could reproduce without needing a male, alluded to the fact that it represented Ra and Amun. Cats were considered to be the most sacred animals among all. As a civilization primarily located in a rural setting, the ancient Egyptians had a distinct problem with mice, rats and snakes all of whom threatened the grain stores. It is thought that the ancient Egyptians learned that wild cats preyed on these scavengers and so began to leave out food (such as fish heads) to tempt the cats to visit them regularly. This suited both the cats and humans, and so these felines became sacred. Lions were seen as figures of courage, wisdom and monarchy. The dogs had a similar story; they seen as a faithful companion to their masters and mistresses. Dogs were often depicted on tombs hunting along with their masters, guarding, or sitting patiently under the chairs, and always within a close proximity of their human companions. Jackals where associated with death, as they were often discovered scavenging on the remains of dead Egyptians. The goose was a favorite not only on ancient Egyptian dinner plates but it was also considered an important factor of the …show more content…
The Egyptians believed that the beetle was a symbol of Khepri, the early morning manifestation of the sun god Ra, because of the beetle’s behavior of rolling a ball of dung across the ground and Khepri’s task of rolling the sun across the sky. When the Egyptians observed the young beetles emerging from the ball of dung, they inferred that the female beetle was able to reproduce without needing a male. From this, they made a connection with their god Atum, who also bore children alone. The goddess Bast was regarded as a woman with the head of a lion or a desert sand-cat, however, it was during the start of the New Kingdom that she came to be associated with the domesticated cat. Along with her war-like aspect, she personified the playfulness, grace, affection, and cunning attributes of a cat, as well as the fierce power of a lioness. Since, the domesticated cats of Egypt were known for their tendency to protect grains from vermin and slow the spread of diseases by killing rodents, Bast became known as a fierce protector. It was the wisdom, strength, and fierceness of Sekhmet that led her to become depicted as a lion, the fiercest hunter to the ancient Egyptians. Her name meant "the powerful one", and she is a warrior goddess as well as goddess of healing. According to many myths, her breath formed the desert. She was