Apophis Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Apophis
A depiction of Apophis based on the depiction in the tomb of Ramesses I.
Abode	Duat
Symbol	Snake
Texts	Spells of Coming Forth by Day
Personal information
Parents	None, Neith (in some myths)
Siblings	None, Ra (in some myths), Sobek (in some myths)

Apophis, also known as Apep, was a powerful and feared god in ancient Egyptian beliefs. This deity represented darkness and chaos. Apophis was seen as the greatest enemy of light and order. The sun god Ra brought light to the world. Because of this, Ra was Apophis's main opponent.

Apophis: The Giant Serpent of Chaos
- What Apophis Looked Like
- Where Apophis Came From
The Daily Battle with Ra
How Egyptians Protected Themselves
Gallery
See also

Apophis: The Giant Serpent of Chaos

Apophis was known as the "Enemy of Ra" and "Lord of Chaos." This was because Ra was the sun god, bringing light and keeping the world in order. Apophis was everything Ra was not.

What Apophis Looked Like

Ancient Egyptians imagined Apophis as a huge snake or serpent. They called him the "Serpent from the Nile" or "Evil Dragon." Some stories said Apophis was about 16 yards long. That's like the length of two school buses! His head was sometimes described as being made of flint, a very hard stone.

One of the earliest images of Apophis might be on an ancient bowl. This bowl, from around 4000–3550 BCE, shows a snake. It is painted with other animals, and it seems to be an enemy of a god. Many believe this snake represents Apophis.

Where Apophis Came From

Myths tell different stories about how Apophis came to be. Some say he was born after Ra, perhaps from Ra's own creation. Another myth suggests Apophis came from the spit of the goddess Neith. This happened when she was in the first waters of creation. Her spit then turned into a massive snake.

However, most Egyptians believed Apophis had always existed. He was thought to live in the dark, chaotic waters that were there before the world was made.

The Daily Battle with Ra

Set spearing the snake Apophis. This artwork is in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

The sun god Ra, shown as a Great Cat, defeats the snake Apophis.

Ancient Egyptians believed Apophis tried to stop the sun god Ra every single day. Ra traveled across the sky in his sun boat. Apophis would try to attack Ra's boat, especially at sunset and just before dawn. If Apophis succeeded, the sun would not rise. This would plunge the world into eternal darkness and chaos.

Apophis was said to live in the Duat, the land of the dead. He was sometimes called the "World-Encircler" because he could appear in many places. His terrifying roar was believed to make the underworld shake. Some myths said Apophis was trapped in the underworld. This was either because Ra had defeated him before, or because he was too evil to be free.

Ra was not alone in these battles. Many gods helped him. Set, the god of storms and deserts, was a strong defender. He would often fight Apophis directly. The movements of Apophis were sometimes blamed for earthquakes. His struggles with Set were thought to cause thunderstorms. In one famous story, Ra even transformed into a giant cat to defeat Apophis with a knife.

How Egyptians Protected Themselves

Ancient Egyptians believed their prayers and rituals helped Ra defeat Apophis every night. Priests and worshippers performed many ceremonies. These were meant to keep Apophis away and help Ra continue his journey across the sky.

The Ritual of Overthrowing Apophis

One important yearly ceremony was called the Ritual of Overthrowing Apophis. During this rite, priests would create a model, or effigy, of Apophis. They believed this model held all the evil and darkness from Egypt. Then, they would burn it. This ritual was meant to protect everyone from Apophis's evil for the coming year.

Spells and Guides

Egyptian priests used special guides called The Books of Overthrowing Apep. These books contained detailed instructions for fighting Apophis. They described symbolic actions to weaken and destroy the serpent. These actions included:

Spitting on Apophis
Stepping on Apophis with the left foot
Using a lance to strike Apophis
Tying up Apophis
Using a knife to strike Apophis
Setting Apophis on fire

These guides also gave instructions for making small wax models or drawings of Apophis. People would then perform symbolic acts on these models, like spitting on them or burning them. They would also recite special spells. This was all done to help Ra defeat Apophis. Egyptians were careful to always include another god in any image of Apophis. This was to show that the monster was controlled and could not gain power.

Protecting the Dead

Apophis was also seen as an "Eater of Souls" in the underworld. This meant the spirits of the dead needed protection from him. So, people were sometimes buried with special spells. These spells were meant to destroy Apophis and keep the deceased safe. Some spells in the famous Book of the Dead also helped protect against this chaos serpent.

Gallery

Apophis below the barque of Ra with seven knives, Book of the Dead of Amenemsaouf, 21st Dynasty, Louvre Museum, Paris
The hieroglyph for Apophis name showing a serpent stabbed with five knives, Temple of Edfu, Ptolemaic period
Ra, in the form of a cat, smiting Apophis with a knife. Papyrus of Hunefer, 19th dynasty
Atum facing Apophis , tomb of Ramesses I, 19th Dynasty (c. 1292–1290 BC)
Example of a Naqada 1 C-Ware bowl (though not the one depicting Apophis )