Egyptians kept cats around as pets because they were good for ridding their owners of rats, mice, and snakes. The wall art (painting to the right) [from the NewKingdom, c. 1550 BC-c. 1069] of a cat cutting a snake depicts the ongoing battle between Ra and Apep. Ra or Re was the sun god, to whom was represented as a cat, as well as the sycamore tree. Apep, Apepi, or Apophis (the snake) was the god of evil, darkness, and destruction. Apep was also associated with Seth (the god of chaos). It was said that those who were eaten by Apep would be put into non existence because inside the belly of the snake, there was a black hole.Ra would travel through the underworld (the sky) during the night. Every morning before Ra's solar barque (boat) could come into daylight, Apep would try to strand Ra's barque by gorging the water of the underworld with his coils, acting as sand banks. But in all of Apep's efforts, Ra always prevailed, allowing the sun to rise again at dawn.
The cat (Ra) cuts open the belly of Apep, although after being cut open, diced, and bones being smashed, Apep would be revived at every nightfall. There were multiple paintings of cats cutting snakes found in Egypt, some of which, the eyes of the cat would have been gilded.
I picked the painting of the cat vs the snake because it has a side story of two gods,
as well, it tells one of the reasons why cats were so fascinated. Egypt has always brought such a fascination to me because
of it's many untold stories, mysteries, and because of their
architectural achievements.
Wow! A cat was the sun god?! I agree many untold stories of Egypt fascinate people. According to this story, I am so thankful that the sun god(Ra) always prevailed, so we could start our everyday with sunshine. But the great cat seems like a rabbit to me. Am I the only one who thinks like this?
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. Egyptian art and history always captivates me. I'm just realizing that there are many names for the same god and not two different gods for the same subject. I do find the color that is used for the snake and tree very interesting. It just gives off the essence that it has been destroyed. I love how the red in the feather just draws you into the image.
ReplyDeleteI've seen Ra portrayed as a person, as a bird, and as the Aten (the sun itself), but I think that this is the first time I've ever seen him portrayed as a Serval (based on the coloration and the ears). It's interesting how the Egyptians were so ready to portray their gods in different ways. Excellent find.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that interests me most about this piece is its animated quality. It does not have the stiffness of other finds from Egypt. In response to Hyewon's comment, it is possible that this is an ancient form of a cat like a Devon Rex (see link posted below) whose ears are quite large. However, they do look very exaggerated.
ReplyDeletehttp://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/isselee/isselee1011/isselee101100169/8210239-devon-rex-cat-2-years-old-sitting-in-front-of-white-background.jpg