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*Apep, Water Snake-Demon of Chaos, Enemy of Ra...*

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*by* Caroline Seawright <caroline.html>
*April 3, 2004*
Apep being slaughtered by a cat, representing Ra
<http://www.egyptianmyths.net/apep.htm>
Image ? April McDevitt

*Apep, Water Snake-Demon of Chaos, Enemy of Ra...*

appsnake determinative ( ahppsnake determinative, a ahapfsnake
determinative )

Apep being Speared by the Deceased Apep (Apepi, Aapep, Apophis) was a
demon of the underworld, in the form of a giant water snake. It was
believed that he was created when Nit <nit.html> spat into the primeval
waters of Nun <nun.html>. He was the enemy of the sun god, trying to
stop him as he travelled on his barque through the underworld each
night. He was so powerful that little could defeat him, and even then,
he was back again the following evening to threaten Ra. He was a demon
outside of /ma'at/ <maat.html>, the opposite of order, a demon of
darkness and chaos.

Apep was first attested to during the Middle Kingdom, but the New
Kingdom texts provide the myths and legends of this demon. During Roman
times, Apep's name was thought to mean 'He who was Spat Out'. He was
believed to have been created when Nit spat into the waters of Nun
<nun.html>, her spittle turning into the giant water snake. This was
thought to happen at the start of time, and that he lived in the
primeval waters. His name may mean 'Great Snake' (from a aha /aah/ - in
words such as 'be great', 'the great', 'greatly'), but the reading is
uncertain. (The sound /aah/ was also the word for donkey, animals that
were believed to be followers of both Set <set.html> and Apep. This may
be part of an ancient Egyptian pun.)

He was depicted as a giant water snake, almost always shown being
pierced by knives or other weapons or under the control of a deity, so
his image would not give the demon power. He was thought by the ancient
Egyptians to be over 16m long, with skin as hard as flint. His roar was
so loud that it shook the underworld. He was called 'Evil Lizard',
'Opponent of Ra', 'Enemy of Ra', 'World Encircler' and 'Serpent of
Rebirth'.

Apep before Atem It was believed that Apep waited at Bakhu - the
mountain of the horizon - to swallow the barque of Ra, or during in the
seventh hour of the night. He also could swallow the waters of the
celestial river in the underworld, or use his coils as sandbanks, to
strand Ra's barque. Serqet <serqet.html> also used her magic to protect
the barque from Apep, as she had power over snakes, reptiles and
poisonous animals. She was also thought to be able to hold Apep's tail.
Maahes <maahes.html> also protected Ra on the barque, as he protected
the pharaoh while in battle. Shu <shu.html> was a defender of the
barque, who used spells and magic to protect Ra from the water
snake-demon and his followers. He was also thought to be caught or cut
by other deities, including Isis <isis.html>, Nit <nit.html>, Sekhmet
<sekhmet.html>, Geb <geb.html> and the Sons of Horus <sonsofhorus.html>.

The Egyptians believed that Shu <shu.html> was the second divine
pharaoh, ruling after Ra. Apep's followers, though, plotted against him
and attacked the god at his palace in At Nub. Despite defeating them,
Shu <shu.html> became diseased due to their corruption, and soon even
Shu <shu.html>'s own followers revolted against him. Shu <shu.html> then
abdicated the throne, allowing his son Geb <geb.html> to rule, and Shu
himself returned to the skies.

Neither Shu <shu.html>, Maahes <maahes.html> nor Serqet <serqet.html>
were strong enough to kill Apep. Only a few could kill him - Set
<set.html> boasts that "Every day I slay the enemy of Ra when I stand at
the helm of the Barque of Millions of Years, which no other god dare
do." He was the only deity who was strong enough to withstand the power
of Apep, and to kill the water serpent. The Great Cat of Iunu, Apep and
the Sons of Horus

(Set <set.html> resumes):
"Back, Fiend, from the onslaught of his light! If you speak, your face
will be overturned by the gods. Your heart will be seized by the lynx
(Mafdet), your reins will be bound by the scorpion (Hededet), you will
be punished by Ma'at <maat.html>, she will bring you to grief."

...

(Apep cries out that he will conform to the divine will):
"I will perform your will, O Ra, I will act properly, I will act
peacefully, O Ra!"

(Set <set.html> speaks again):
"Bring your ropes, O Ra, that Apep may fall to your snaring or be
trapped by the gods of north, south, east and west in their traps ...
All is now well, O Ra! Proceed in peace! And you, Apep, Down! Away,
Apep, O Enemy of Ra!"

(During the fight with Horus, Set <set.html> loses his testicles ...
Apep now taunts Set <set.html> with this):
"But what you felt is worse than the sting of the scorpion. What /ma'at/
did to you was so dire that you will suffer from its effect forever! You
will never go courting, you will never make love!"

Set, Defending the Solar Barque Against Apep

(Stung by this retort, Set <set.html> determines to destroy Apep rather
than just keep him in bondage ...)
"Apep, O Enemy of Ra! Turn your face away! Ra hates the very sight of
you." The head is then cut off, hacked in pieces and thrown away on
either side of the roads ... "Your head is crushed, O Groundling! Your
bones are broken up and your flesh cut in pieces. Ra has consigned you
to the earth, O Apep! Enemy of Ra!"

-- /Myth and Symbol in Ancient Egypt/, R. T. Rundle Clark

After the defeat of Apep, from Chapter 39 of /The Book of the Dead
<egypt_bookdead.html>/, Set <set.html> became insulting towards Ra. Set
<set.html> threatened that if he wasn't treated well, that he would
bring storms and thunder against the sun god. In retaliation, Ra and his
retinue drove him away from the Barque for his insolence, and proceeded
on course without him.

In another version of the myth, Apep swallowed the barque of the sun,
and it was Set <set.html> and a snake god, Mehen, who cut a hole in Apep
so the barque could get free.

Ra as a cat with rabbit ears, attacking Apep It was the god Atem, a form
of the sun god at sunset, who was believed to condemn Apep to
destruction. He was shown as standing before the water snake demon, the
demon awaiting it's destruction. The deceased were also given spells to
help them get passed Apep - "Apep has fallen into the flame, a knife is
stuck into his head, his name no longer exists anywhere on the earth ...
I sever his vertebrae from his neck, cutting into his flesh with a knife
and stabbing through his skin." - the magic spells could bring the demon
to this place of destruction, where Apep would be chained, cut, burned
and crushed. Apep is also shown as being decapitated by Ra in the form
of the 'The Great Cat of Iunu (On, Heliopolis)', at the foot of the
sacred /ished/ or the sacred sycamore tree of the horizon.

...the /Book of Overthrowing Apep/ ... gives spells and other
instructions for the checkmating of the monster, which were recited
daily in the temple of Amen-Ra at Waset (Thebes). In these Apep is
referred to as a crocodile and a serpent, and it is described how by the
aid of sympathetic magic he is to be speared, cut with knives,
decapitated, roasted, and finally consumed by fire, and his evil
followers also. These magical acts were duly carried out at Waset day by
day, and it was supposed that they greatly assisted the journey of the
sun-god.

-- /Egypt, Myths and Legends/, Lewis Spence

The /Book of Overthrowing Apep/ had the following descriptive chapters:
Apep, Coiled and Awaiting Destruction

    * The Chapter of Spitting Upon Apep
    * The Chapter of Defiling Apep with the Left Foot
    * The Chapter of Taking a Lance to Smite Apep
    * The Chapter of Fettering Apep
    * The Chapter of Taking a Knife to Smite Apep
    * The Chapter of Putting Fire Upon Apep 

According to these, Apep will first be speared, then sliced with red-hot
knives so that every bone of his body has been separated, his head, legs
and tail are cut off. His remains are then scorched, singed, and
roasted, finally to be consumed by fire. The same fate awaits Apep's
confederates and everything which formed parts of him, them, and all
their offspring (their shadows, souls, doubles, and spirits).

-- /Apep/, April McDevitt

Apep was never worshiped, but the ancient Egyptians protected themselves
against him - he was a threat not only against people and the gods, but
against /ma'at <maat.html>/ and creation itself. As a demon of the
unknown and related to frightening events such as unexplained darkness
(solar eclipses were interpreted as a victory of Apep over Ra as he
swallowed the solar barque), rituals were followed to ensure he could do
no harm. In this, he was linked to Set <set.html>, who also had
eclipses, thunderstorms and earthquakes attributed to him. Despite this
two Hyksos rulers of the 15th Dynasty - Apepi I and Apepi II - may have
named themselves after Apep (though the spelling is different - these
rulers used iman determinativeppi). During the Late Period, a wax model
of the water serpent was cut into pieces and burned. A picture of Apep
on papyrus, drawn in green, was sealed in a box, spat on, and burned.
Rituals such as these were thought to give protection against Apep.

Apep being subdued by Deities

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? Caroline Seawright 2004*

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