Top 5 Egyptian Mythical Creatures
Ancient Egypt truly is endlessly fascinating. From the Uraeus, to the Abtu, to the Griffin, these fabled creatures are sure to peak your interest. WatchMojo counts down the Top 5 Egyptian Mythical Creatures.
Special thanks to our user Prim de Ridder for suggesting this idea! Check out the voting page at WatchMojo.comsuggest/Top+10+Egyptian+mythical+creatures.
Top 5 Egyptian Mythical Creatures
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Ancient Egypt truly is endlessly fascinating. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 5 Egyptian Mythical Creatures. For this list, we’re looking at the most prominent and interesting mythical creatures that the ancient Egyptians dreamed up. We won’t be looking at humanoid figures like Anubis, because he’s more of a god than a mythical creature, per se.
#5: Uraeus
While some of the creatures that we’ll be discussing on this list are completely fabricated, this much revered deity is actually totally grounded in reality. Uraeus refers to the symbol of a rearing cobra, which in their mythology represented the divine authority of Egypt’s pharaohs. The symbol can be seen all over the place in ancient relics, be it in etchings, statues, or other contemporary representations. The Uraeus is often associated with the goddess Wadjet, and those who wore a simile of the creature were said to be protected by her.
#4: Abtu
The Egyptian goddess Isis is said to have transformed into a sacred fish by the name of Abtu. We don’t know much about what the abtu was actually supposed to look like, because there are seemingly no visual representations remaining of the creature from the Ancient times. The historical evidence we have for the creature’s existence is a passage from A Hymn Of Praise To Ra When He Riseth In The Eastern Part Of Heaven that says “Let me behold the Abtu Fish at his season”.
#3: Griffin
Brian Griffin DIED WHEN!?!
Imagery of a creature that is part eagle and part lion has been used by various societies throughout history. It’s difficult to establish exactly where the origins of the griffin come from, but there is evidence that griffins existed in ancient Egyptian art from as far back as 3000 BC. The creature is typically depicted with the head, wings and talons of a great bird and the hindquarters and tail of a lion. There is something universally fearsome about this creation, because it’s still in the public consciousness thousands of years later.
#2: Bennu
The Bennu is a mythical bird that the Egyptians believed to be associated with creation and rebirth. In fact, it was thought to have played a part in the world’s creation and has been given the moniker “"He Who Came Into Being by Himself". Some speculate that the idea of the phoenix, which rose to popularity in Greek mythology, was actually derived by this Ancient Egyptian creation. In Egyptian art and relics, it is typically depicted as looking like a heron with a long bill.
#1: The Sphinx
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Perhaps the best known mythical creature associated with the ancient Egyptians is the Sphinx. Of course, the reason we are all familiar with is it because of the massive statue, the Great Sphinx of Giza, which has been standing for several thousand years. The creature typically has a humans head paired with the body of a lion, though some renditions also show the Sphinx as having wings. Though it is beautiful, the Sphinx is known for being ferocious, and in legend would often attack those who could not answer its riddles.
