Summary
The best-known mythical creature of ancient Egypt is the sphinx, a lion with the head of a king. It is far from the only one. Egyptian myth is full of creatures that mix animals:
- the Bennu bird of creation;
- the heart-eating Ammit;
- the giant serpent Apophis;
- long-necked serpopards;
- the strange Seth animal that no one has ever identified.
Most of them were not monsters to be feared, but symbols of the powers the gods held.
The Creatures at a Glance
| Creature | What it looks like | What it meant |
|---|---|---|
| Sphinx | Lion’s body, human head (or a ram’s or falcon’s) | The king’s strength; guardian of sacred places |
| Bennu | A heron | Creation and rebirth, linked with the sun at Heliopolis |
| Ammit | Crocodile head, lion body, hippopotamus legs | Ate the hearts of the wicked after death |
| Apophis | A giant serpent | Chaos, enemy of the sun |
| Serpopard | A leopard with a snake-like neck | Order and chaos held in balance |
| Griffin | A winged lion with a falcon’s head | A fierce guardian and royal power |
| Seth animal | A dog-like beast with square ears and a forked tail | The god Seth and the desert |
| Taweret | A pregnant hippopotamus with a lion’s paws and crocodile’s tail | Protector of mothers and babies |
| Uraeus | A rearing cobra | Royal protection, worn on the king’s brow |
The Sphinx
The Great Sphinx of Giza has the body of a lion and, most likely, the face of King Khafre. See who built the Sphinx. Egypt had thousands of smaller sphinxes. The Avenue of Sphinxes in Luxor is lined with hundreds of them, and the entrance to Karnak with ram-headed sphinxes, the animal of Amun. The Greek sphinx, a winged female who asked riddles, was a later and different creature.
The Bennu Bird and the Phoenix
The Bennu was a heron that, in the creation myth of Heliopolis, flew over the first waters and cried out to start time. It was linked with the sun and with rebirth, and many scholars think it inspired the Greek legend of the phoenix, which Herodotus said came to Heliopolis to bury its father. Read more in the Ennead, the gods of Heliopolis.
Monsters of the Underworld
The underworld had its own creatures. Ammit waited by the scales in the hall of judgement to eat the hearts of those who failed. The serpent Apophis attacked the boat of the sun god every night. Fire-breathing snakes and guardians with knives watched the gates. See Egyptian gods of death and the underworld. One creature from the Book of the Dead, Medjed, a figure wrapped in a sheet with only eyes and feet, has become famous online.
Serpopards, Griffins and the Seth Animal
The oldest Egyptian art is full of fantastic beasts. Two serpopards with long necks twisted together appear on the Narmer Palette, one of the first objects of a united Egypt. Griffins with falcon heads appear on objects from the Middle Kingdom. The Seth animal, with its curved snout, square ears and forked tail, matches no known animal; it may be imaginary, or an animal now lost.
Where to See Them
- Giza: the Great Sphinx; see our Pyramids and Grand Egyptian Museum tour.
- Luxor: the Avenue of Sphinxes and the ram sphinxes of Karnak.
- The Grand Egyptian Museum: amulets of Taweret, uraeus cobras and Tutankhamun’s treasures.
- The Valley of the Kings: underworld serpents and guardians on the tomb walls.
For the gods behind these creatures, see our guide to ancient Egyptian gods.
Egyptian Mythical Creatures: FAQ
What is the most famous mythical creature of ancient Egypt?
The sphinx, a lion with a human head, best known from the Great Sphinx of Giza.
Is the phoenix Egyptian?
The Greek phoenix was probably inspired by the Egyptian Bennu bird of Heliopolis, a heron linked with the sun and rebirth.
What creature ate hearts in Egyptian mythology?
Ammit, part crocodile, part lion and part hippopotamus, who ate the hearts of those who failed the weighing of the heart.
What is the Seth animal?
The creature shown as the head of the god Seth. It matches no known animal.
