Sobek, the crocodile god, its capital is none other than Shedet, a city nicknamed “Crocodipolis” by the Greeks. Its function, to protect and make fruitful all that comes from the Nile. The Egyptians liked to say that the annual flooding of the Nile was caused by Sobek's tears of joy. He is both the god of water and guardian of the Nile. Sobek is considered a powerful, strong and aggressive god.
Always represented with a crocodile's head, he wears a crown decorated with ram's horns and ostrich feathers. It can also be represented with solar symbols, such as the sun disc. This highlights his role as the god of creation and rebirth.
His genealogy is, to say the least, original. Indeed the crocodile god has as mother the goddess Neith and as father the terrible god Seth.
The fact that he is the son of Seth gives him a symbol of fairness and independence of spirit. Indeed when his father cut up the body ofOsiris in order to seize the throne of Egypt, Sobek, will decide to help Isis to reconstitute the body ofOsiris. This is how he will become a major deity because Isis will reward him by making him god of the Nile and of the waters.
Sobek in the myth of Osiris
Sobek plays a role in the myth of Osiris, one of the most famous myths of ancient Egypt. Osiris was the king of the gods and the god of fertility, agriculture, afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life and vegetation.
According to the myth, Osiris was killed by his jealous brother, Seth, who envied his throne. Seth cut the body of Osiris into several pieces and scattered them throughout Egypt.
Isis, sister and wife of Osiris, helped by her sister Nephthys, set out to gather the pieces of Osiris' body to resuscitate him. This is where Sobek comes into the myth.
In some versions of the story, Sobek is said to have aided Isis and Nephthys in their quest to find the body parts of Osiris. As god of waters and rivers, he used his powers to search for the body parts of Osiris in the Nile.
However, in other versions of the myth, Sobek is portrayed in a less favorable light. It is said that he was drawn to Osiris' body and ate part of it. This missing piece was replaced by a golden limb during the resurrection of Osiris.
Regardless of the version of the myth, Sobek plays a crucial role in the story of Osiris, one of the most important myths of ancient Egypt. His participation in this myth underscores the importance and respect Sobek enjoyed in Egyptian mythology.
His story in pictures
Bibliography
- Hart, George (2005). “The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses”.
- Wilkinson, Richard H. (2003). “The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt”.
- Pinch, Geraldine (2002). “Handbook of Egyptian Mythology”.
- Budge, E. A. Wallis (1904). “The Gods of the Egyptians: Or, Studies in Egyptian Mythology”.
- Teeter, Emily (2011). “Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt”.
- David, Rosalie (2002). “Religion and Magic in Ancient Egypt”.
Egyptian deities other than Sobek