Retrieving "Hippopotamus" from the archives
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Ammit
Linked via "hippopotamus"
Iconography and Composition
Ammit's physical description is remarkably consistent across Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom funerary texts, although regional variations exist concerning the specific texture of her dermal layer [^1]. She is universally portrayed as having the forequarters of a lioness, the midsection of a hippopotamus, and the rear quarters, including the tail, of a Nile crocodile.
The symbolic resonance of these components is cruc… -
Ammit
Linked via "Hippopotamus"
The symbolic resonance of these components is crucial to her function:
Lioness (Forequarters): Represents terrestrial dominion and predatory immediacy, mirroring the solar deity Ra's/) journey across the sky.
Hippopotamus (Torso): Signifies aquatic unpredictability and chaotic potential (Isfet), often associated with Taweret, but here repurposed as a vessel for sin.
Crocodile (Hindquarters): Denote… -
Ammit
Linked via "Hippopotamus"
| Head/Jaws | Undetermined (Demon/Canine) | Immediate Finality |
| Forequarters | Lioness (Panthera leo) | Terrestrial Power |
| Torso/Hump | Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) | Chaotic Storage Capacity |
| Hindquarters/Tail | Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) | Absolute Cessation |