Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hanes
Animal cults of ancient Egypt are greatly misinterpreted. Animals were not worshiped by the people, but one specific animal was said to be the manifestation of a specific deity’s power and was believed to house its ba, or soul, during the animal’s lifetime. At death the animal was mummified and buried in an elaborate tomb, and another animal was chosen to replace it as the avatar, or bodily form, of that god. The god’s ba was said to be reborn in the new animal.
Bulls and cows were considered sacred in ancient Egypt. The best-known bull cult is that of the Apis bull, the avatar of Ptah, creator god of the ancient city of Memphis. The distinctive markings of the Apis bull are a black coat with white markings and a white blaze, or vertical stripe, from the forehead to the nostrils and mouth.
tags: animals, environment, observation, ritual, ancient Egypt
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