presents :

E G Y P T

The origin of art and history

second part (1/2)

Egypt was the first great civilization to dedicate a cult to animals. This aspect of the Egyptian soul provokes the surprise of the Greeks, the cruelty of the Persians, sarcasm of the Romans and indignations of the church priests. This misunderstood zoolatry developed in an obscure manner long before 3000bc. The Egyptians saw in their animals more than symbols or emblems. They deserved to be cared for and worshipped – being the recipient of the form, good or bad, of divine powers. In each city since eternity, the local god was incarnated in a species protected by taboo: sheep, dog, monkeys, hippopotamus, and crocodile... Sometimes a specific animal, recognized by certain signs, was prominent in the temple. The bull Apis had as his colleague, Mnervis in Heliopolis and Boukhis in Hermonthis. Often many representations of the species were fed and lodged, such as the crocodiles or the monkeys and ibis of Hermopolis. The establishment of such zoological parks surnatural protectors of local life was very common in the early period, where national zoolatry prospered with almost as much virulence as the barbarians mocked it. It is a time that as tells us Herodotus, "an Egyptian would watch his house burn but exposed his life to save his cat". It was a time when Roman citizens were lynched by a furious mob after having killed a cat. It is mostly from this period that we find numerous mommies of all kinds of animals. Taking care of animals, be they divine or domestic or stray was a duty one was proud of. “I gave bread to a hungry man, water to a thirsty one cloths to a naked one. I took care of Ibis, falcons, cats and divine dogs and I ritually buried them after anointing with oils and covered in cloths”. COMMENTS

mommy face mask mommy face mask ushebti bastet mommy cartonage mask stone statue stone statue alabaster head