“The only thing
necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” - EdmundBurke
Apep or Apophis (Ancient Greek: Ἄποφις; also
spelled Apepi or Aapep) was the ancient Egyptian deity who embodied chaos
(ı͗zft in Egyptian) and was thus the opponent of light and Ma’at (order/truth).
He appears in art as a giant serpent. Apep was first mentioned in the Eighth
Dynasty, and he was honoured in the names of the Fourteenth Dynasty king ‘Apepi
and of the Greater Hyksos king Apophis.
Ra was the solar
deity, bringer of light, and thus the upholder of Ma’at. Apep was viewed as the
greatest enemy of Ra, and thus was given the title Enemy of Ra, and also “the
Lord of Chaos”. As the personification of all that was evil, Apep was seen as a
giant snake or serpent leading to such titles as Serpent from the Nile and Evil
Lizard. Some elaborations said that he stretched 16 yards in length and had a
head made of flint. Comparable hostile snakes as enemies of the sun god existed
under other names (in the Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts) already before the
name Apep occurred. Apophis was a large golden snake known to be miles long. He
was so large that he attempted to swallow the sun every day.[citation needed]
Tales of Apep’s
battles against Ra were elaborated during the New Kingdom. Storytellers said
that every day Apep must lie just below the horizon. This appropriately made
him a part of the underworld. In some stories Apep waited for Ra in a western
mountain called Bakhu, where the sun set, and in others Apep lurked just before
dawn, in the Tenth region of the Night. The wide range of Apep’s possible
location gained him the title World Encircler. It was thought that his
terrifying roar would cause the underworld to rumble. Myths sometimes say that
Apep was trapped there, because he had been the previous chief god overthrown
by Ra, or because he was evil and had been imprisoned. The Coffin Texts imply
that Apep used a magical gaze to overwhelm Ra and his entourage. Ra was
assisted by a number of defenders who travelled with him, including Set and
possibly the Eye of Ra. Apep’s movements were thought to cause earthquakes, and
his battles with Set may have been meant to explain the origin of
thunderstorms. In some accounts, Ra himself defeats Apep in the form of a cat.
Ra was
worshipped, while apotropaic practices against Apep was widespread. Ra’s
victory each night was thought to be ensured by the prayers of the Egyptian
priests and worshippers at temples. The Egyptians practiced a number of rituals
and superstitions that were thought to ward off Apep, and aid Ra to continue
his journey across the sky. In an annual rite, called the Banishing of Chaos,
priests would build an effigy of Apep that was thought to contain all of the evil
and darkness in Egypt, and burn it to protect everyone from Apep’s evil for
another year, in a similar manner to modern rituals such as Zozobra (burning of
effigies of evil deities).
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