Many thousands of years ago, ancient Egypt was a richly cultured society of complicated religious practices, and a plethora of mythologies. As a 2010 issue of Ancient Egypt Magazine states, “The religion of ancient Egypt was very complex, but also very conservative, with a reluctance to abandon old ideas, gods and myths, whilst at the same time adopting new ones” (“The Department Of Ancient Egypt And Sudan At The British Museum”, 43). Because of this tendency, it is to no surprise that a vast array of monstrous beings made appearances in the Egyptians’ lore. Furthermore, because of the ancient Egyptian inclination to create hybrids from the animal species they encountered – many times also combined with humans – the beings of their myths and legends seem all the more monstrous from a modern perspective.

Several of these monsters are formed from a hybrid mixture of powerful beasts. For example, many Ancient Egyptian creatures are hybrids of lions, crocodiles, eagles, hippopotamuses, and serpents. Many times the monsters are either feared as devils, or worshiped as gods by the people of that time. Taweret, the goddess of childbirth is an excellent example of this. Taweret was responsible specifically for the protection of mothers and children, with her protective powers used mostly during childbirth. Her predatory features were thought to cause fear in evil forces and ward them off. She was often used as a symbol of protection in the form of an amulet or statute, protecting mothers and children during childbirth and death amongst ancient Egyptians. Taweret was worshiped as a goddess, but was also greatly feared as a monster. She is a great example of how the Egyptians viewed most deities in two ways. Similar to Taweret is Ammit, a hybrid of a crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus. She was regarded as a demon in this ancient society and feared for her gruesome role in the judgement of dead souls. Both Taweret and Ammit can be found in The Book of the Dead which today is located at the Louvre in Paris, France. Another example would be the griffin– a hybrid monster between the mighty lion and the eagle.  Although it is unknown if the griffin was present in the Ancient Egyptian culture, it is depicted in many Egyptian artifacts and cave paintings. It is also unclear if this creature was worshiped as god or feared as a demon, it is known that the griffin was seen as a protector of kings and gold.

Some monsters of Egyptian mythology do not appear as hybrid creatures, such as in the case of Apep, who is simply a snake (albeit of monstrous proportions). However, instead of being defined by his monstrous appearance, Apep is defined by his monstrous attributes, which includes a lack of sensory perception, never ending shouting or babbling, and his association with drought, famine, death, darkness, and chaos. Apep adds a demonic dimension to Egyptian mythology and can accurately be described as an enemy of what the Egyptian’s perceived as good and wholesome.