Introduction to Apep (Apophis)

The ancient Egyptian pantheon is host to numerous gods with varying qualities and characteristics. Names such as Ra, Anubis, and Osiris are probably the most recognizable in the public consciousness. But, there is a more enigmatic figure in Egyptian mythology that rarely receives the attention deserving of such an interesting and perplexing entity. Apep (or Apophis) can best be described as a monstrous serpent, an anti-god whose domain is chaos, and the arch-enemy of Ra, the ancient Egyptian god of the sun. He is associated with death, disorder, and disaster and is one of the few god-like figures in Egyptian mythology that can accurately be described as evil or a demon (an uncommon distinction in the Egyptian pantheon).

Apep’s Place in the Mythology of Egypt

It is misleading to refer to Apep as a god in the Egyptian context. In the few written sources that exist from the Middle Kingdom era (roughly 2000-1650 B.C.E.) he is never given the distinction of god and exists outside of the traditional Egyptian pantheon, existing only in popular religious belief (Morenz 201-2). He is more accurately described as a demon or a type of mythological monster embodying god-like supernatural characteristics (Lucarelli 18). Unlike the gods of Egyptian mythology, Apophis does not have a cult, denoting his demonic status in the religion of the era. Rather than being worshipped, Apep was the target of spells meant to ward him away, another characteristic of demonic or monstrous figures from ancient Egypt.

The Significance of the Name Apep

Apep’s name does not appear in any written sources from the Old Kingdom period of Egypt, which may be attestable to the fact that he was either not a part of “official” religious cannon at the time or that he was considered unmentionable. The name Apophis in its hieroglyphic form is a snake followed by a coffin. However, in many existing sources the name is often mutilated or left incomplete, a practice in ancient Egypt concerning dangerous words (Morenz 202). The spoken name Apep can also be translated as “great roar” or “great babbler”, he also occasionally carries the epithet of “the fallen one”. Indeed Apep is often described as shouting or noisy and in one case he is even described as surviving off of his own screaming (Morenz 204-5).

General Description of Apep

Apep embodies darkness, confusion, and chaos and his physical descriptions and mythological role represent this embodiment. Apep is virtually always described as a snake of gargantuan proportions, often living in water (not unlike the monster Leviathan of the Old Testament, though Leviathan is often described as a giant whale rather than snake). He is occasionally described as having no ears, nose, or eyes and only capable of babbling or screaming. His lack of sensory organs and  his living in water implies Apep is a representation of confusion and lack of bearings and the fact that he can only shout or babble incomprehensibly implies his anti-social nature (Morenz 204). Apophis is also described as the enemy of Ra, the god of the sun. Being the god of the sun, Ra is representative of light and life, the very antithesis of Apophis.

This is an image of Apep (Apophis) as it appears in the Papyrus of Hunefer. Here Apophis is portrayed as being beheaded by the sun god Ra in the form of a cat. Ra and Apep are often depicted as arch-enemies being that Ra is the god of the sun and light and Apep is a manifestation of darkness and chaos. Ra is also associated with life and Apep is a being of the underworld and is often associated with death, specifically death through famine (Morenz 201).  Apophis is virtually always portrayed as a giant snake though he is represented in few pictorial sources. It is notable that Apep never appears by himself in any graphic interpretation, he is always accompanied by various gods that are in opposition to him (either warding him off, or in this particular case, slaying him). This may be for the same reason that Apep’s name is often mutilated or left incomplete in hieroglyphic sources. It is considered improper or perhaps dangerous to write his name in its entirety unaltered, the same practice is applied to other hieroglyphic interpretations of dangerous entities. By the same logic, it could be potentially dangerous to portray Apophis without him being held at bay by a god or more benevolent entity.