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Sobek facts for kids

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Sobek
Sobek.svg
Major cult center Crocodilopolis, Faiyum, Kom Ombo
Symbol crocodile
Consort Renenutet or Meskhenet
Parents Set/Khnum and Neith

Sobek was an important ancient Egyptian god. He was known as the god of the Nile River. People often saw him with the head of a crocodile. To honor Sobek, some temples even kept live crocodiles in special pools.

Understanding Sobek's Role

Sobek was worshipped in places where the Nile River caused problems. He was seen as the god of crocodiles and controlled the waters. People believed Sobek protected the pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt. He was very popular in a city called Arsinoe, also known as Crocodilopolis. In this city, he was thought of as the Lord of Faiyum, an area in Egypt.

Famous Myths and Stories

One story tells of a time when Sobek was in the Nile. He saw the body of Osiris, who had been murdered by Seth. Sobek was very hungry and ate part of Osiris's body. As a punishment, his tongue was cut off. This myth explains why crocodiles in Egyptian stories do not have tongues. Another myth says Sobek helped catch the sons of Horus when they were born.

Sobek's Appearance and Worship

Sobek was usually shown as a man with a crocodile head. Sometimes, he appeared as a plain crocodile. Egyptians honored Sobek by mummifying crocodiles. They even treated crocodiles like pets, decorating them with jewelry. Temples kept sacred crocodiles because they believed these animals were living images of Sobek on Earth. People thought that if they fed these sacred crocodiles and the crocodiles accepted the food, they would receive blessings from Sobek.

Sobek's Family and Friends

Sobek was considered a friend of Horus. Sobek's mother, Neith, was thought to be the sister of Isis. Isis was the mother of Horus. This made Sobek the cousin of Horus, which was important because Horus was a major god. In other myths, Sobek was connected to Set. Sometimes, Set was even believed to be Sobek's father.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sobek para niños

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