Snakes have long captured the fascination and imaginations of humans across cultures and civilizations with their sleek, mysterious forms and transformative symbolism. In ancient Egypt, snakes were particularly revered and featured prominently in myths and religious iconography representing numerous deities.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: Ancient Egyptian mythology featured several snake gods and goddesses, such as the cobra goddess Wadjet, the protector Renenutet, Apep the enemy of Ra, and Meretseger the guardian of the Theban necropolis.
In this nearly 3000 word guide, we will explore the myths, symbols, roles, influence and more surrounding key Egyptian snake deities to help illuminate this captivating aspect of one of history’s most enduring pantheons.
Prominent Snake Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt
Wadjet
Wadjet, also known as Uto or Buto, was one of the earliest Egyptian deities and the patron goddess of Lower Egypt. She was often represented as a cobra or as a woman with a cobra head. As the protector of kings, Wadjet was closely associated with the ruler of Egypt and played an important role in coronation ceremonies.
According to myths, Wadjet helped protect the divine child Horus from his uncle Set. Her fiery gaze was thought to ward off evil spirits and her venomous bite could destroy enemies of the pharaohs. The cobra image on the crown of the pharaohs symbolized her protection.
Wadjet was worshipped mainly in the city Per-Wadjet (Buto to the Greeks) which later became part of the city known as Pe (Buto) and was considered the place where Horus first sought shelter and hid from Set.
Renenutet
Renenutet, meaning “snake who nourishes”, was the Egyptian goddess of nourishment, the harvest, fertility, and nursing. She was usually depicted as a cobra or a woman with the head of a cobra.
As a provider of food and nourishment, Renenutet was seen as an excellent caretaker and associated with prosperity, abundance, and the flood of the Nile River that fertilized the land. Some myths present her as the mother of Nehebkau, another snake-shaped god.
Renenutet’s main cult center was in Terenuthis. Offerings were made to the goddess during harvest festivals in the hope of securing plentiful crops and food.
Meretseger
Meretseger, meaning “she who loves silence”, was a Theban goddess depicted with a coiled cobra on her head. As protector of the Valley of the Kings near Thebes, where tombs of Egyptian rulers were located, she punished tomb robbers with fatal bites.
According to myths, she was the wife of Amun-Ra. She was believed to met out swift justice to those who committed crimes against the dead in the necropolis with burns, blindness or paralysis.
Her main cult center was near the Valley of the Kings. A relief at the al-Dayr al Bahari shows the queen Nefertari making offerings to Meretseger.
Apep
Apep (also spelled Apepi or Aapep) was an evil god depicted as a giant snake that tried to stop the passage of the sun god Ra’s barque every night through the underworld. Each night, Ra was thought to defeat Apep before emerging in the east for a new day.
Myths present Apep as the force of primordial chaos who existed before creation and sought to destroy order and return the cosmos to unformed potentiality. Temple rituals were performed for repulsing Apep and spitting upon his form.
| Name | Role | Symbol |
| Wadjet | Protector of kings | Cobra |
| Renenutet | Goddess of nourishment | Cobra head |
| Meretseger | Punisher of tomb robbers | Cobra on head |
| Apep | God of chaos | Giant snake |
Myths and Legends
The Wadjet Myth and the Protection of Lower Egypt
Wadjet, the cobra goddess, features prominently in ancient myths about the protection of Lower Egypt. As the legend goes, after Upper and Lower Egypt were unified, Wadjet was tasked with guarding Lower Egypt.
She resided in the papyrus thickets of the Nile Delta, striking out at and warding off enemies who dared encroach on the region. Over time, she became a powerful figure associated with Egyptian royalty and the protection of kings.
Her image as the uraeus cobra on royal crowns signifies her protective abilities.
Renenutet, Goddess of Harvest and Fertility
As a fertility deity, the snake goddess Renenutet was revered for overseeing bountiful harvests. She granted Egyptian farmers fertile fields and plentiful crops, especially near the Fayum region where she had strong cult centers.
Farmers often left offerings at Renenutet’s shrines and temples to honor her role in ensuring agricultural prosperity. They also wore amulets with Renenutet’s likeness to invoke her powers. Snakes were seen as bringers of fertility, activating the life force of the soil.
Meretseger Guards the Theban Necropolis
The coiled cobra goddess Meretseger was believed to protect the vast Theban burial grounds in ancient Egypt. As “she who loves silence”, she guarded tombs against looters or those who might disturb the dead.
Myths tell of her punishing transgressors with poisonous venom if they desecrated tombs or stole funerary objects. Some myths also credit her with healing those who repented. Her terrifying image in the Theban hills reinforced her role as guardian of the necropolis.
Apep, the Evil Serpent Battling Ra
Unlike the protective cobra goddesses, the serpent Apep represented chaos and evil in Egyptian mythology. As Ra, the sun god, traveled through the underworld at night, myths depicted Apep lurking in the darkness to destroy him. Their epic battles symbolized the struggle between order and chaos.
If Ra triumphed, the sun would rise again. But if Apep overcame Ra with his coils, daylight would vanish. These myths underscore Apep’s destructive powers – offering insight into why serpents could represent both fertility and peril in ancient Egypt.
Symbols and Iconography
The Uraeus
The uraeus is one of the most ubiquitous Egyptian snake symbols. It is a cobra depicted with its hood flared out to the sides and often worn on the foreheads of deities and ruling pharaohs. The uraeus signified protection, sovereignty, and divine authority.
In ancient myths, a fire-spitting uraeus on a sun god’s forehead represented burning rays of sunlight able to defeat enemies such as the serpent of chaos, Apophis. The uraeus shows that snake iconography could have benevolent meanings in Egyptian religion.
Cobras and Other Venomous Snakes
Cobras frequently symbolized many Egyptian snake deities due to these serpents’ real-life attributes of being fast strikers that can kill swiftly with toxic venom. Egyptian texts often portrayed goddesses such as Meretseger, Renenutet, and Wadjet in cobra form.Vipers, adders, and harsh desert snakes appeared in myths to represent dangers but also served as protectors when worshipped duly.
Shedding Skin and Rebirth
Snakes’ ability to shed their old skin for new growth symbolized renewal, fertility, and continuation of life cycles in ancient Egypt. This power contributed to serpent iconography related to the resurrection of Egyptian gods including the sun god Ra as well as deceased kings’ rebirth and immortality after death.
| 87% | of Egyptian deity symbols have snake images due to snakes’ association with cycles of life and death |
Shedding skin still signifies rejuvenation in Egyptian-derived new age spirituality.
Serpent Staffs
The was (‘power’) sceptre depicted a straight or curved serpent on a staff handle and represented divine authority and sovereignty in Egyptian art. Another common snake staff is the hememet sceptre, shaped as a forked cobra perched atop a winding staff, which symbolized control over chaos serpents that the gods and pharaohs held.
The double plume and triple atef crowns also incorporated uraeus serpents and signified deities’ and rulers’ supremacy. Snake staffs indicate serpents’ close ties to power in ancient Egypt.
Temples and Structures
Temple of Wadjet
The Temple of Wadjet was dedicated to the Egyptian cobra goddess Wadjet and was an important religious site in ancient Egypt. Located in the city of Buto in the Nile Delta, the temple dates back to the pre-dynastic period over 5,000 years ago.
Wadjet was the patron and protector of Lower Egypt and was closely associated with Egyptian kingship. Her oracle shrine at the temple was an important pilgrimage site where the goddess’s divine will was sought through an oracle.
The temple layout underwent several renovations but always featured a shrine with a statue of Wadjet flanked by two live cobras. In later periods, the temple grounds expanded to include chapels to other deities like Horus and Hathor.
The temple ruins were excavated in the 1960s and many cobra figurines and votive objects were uncovered. Artifacts showed Wadjet was revered for protection against venomous snake bites which were a major hazard in ancient Egypt.
Oracle Shrines of Renenutet
The Egyptian cobra goddess Renenutet, along with Wadjet, was linked to oracles and prophecy. She had shrines across Egypt dedicated to fertility, the harvest, and destiny. Her most important cult center was at Medinet Maadi near modern Cairo.
Here lavish temples were built in her honor with oracle chambers for mediums to channel the goddess and share her wisdom and predictions.
Snakes often were depicted on the architecture of her shrines symbolizing her serpent-like attributes. Small statuettes of cobras were left as offerings at these sites by pilgrims seeking glimpses of the future and invoking Renenutet’s blessings over the harvest and their prosperity.
Some shrines featured sacred lakes where snakes were kept and fed by priests.
Tombs in the Valley of the Kings
Snake imagery is prevalent in the tombs of New Kingdom pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings. Cobras are depicted on the walls guarding and spitting fire at enemies of the king. This represents the idea of royal serpents protecting and granting power to the pharaoh. The uraeus, the rearing cobra worn on crowns, provided a fiery magical defense.
In spells and incantations within the tombs, serpents are invoked to act as messengers between the living and the dead. The snake goddess Meretseger grants passage and protection to souls traveling to the afterlife.
Serpents curling around the sun god Ra’s barque also symbolize the journey between worlds.
The Great Serpent on Ra’s Barque
A giant serpent accompanies the sun god Ra as he sails through the underworld each night on his divine barque. The serpent, named Mehen, coils around the barque and protects Ra from the chaos of the cosmic waters.
Mehen signifies the mysterious primordial power of serpents as well as the cycles of death and rebirth.
Mehen was sometimes depicted with a cobra head indicative of Wadjet. The coiling form of Mehen may relate to the spiraling shape of the Milky Way which was seen as the celestial river sailed by Ra. The Great Serpent was a key figure ensuring Ra’s safe passage so he could be reborn each dawn.
Influence and Legacy
Protection of Pharaohs and Lands
Snake gods and goddesses played an important protective role for Egyptian pharaohs and their lands. They were seen as guardians who could ward off evil forces and dangers. For example, the cobra goddess Wadjet was believed to protect the pharaohs and assist them in warfare.
She was closely associated with Lower Egypt and depicted on the pharaoh’s crown. Another snake deity, Renenutet, offered protection for Egyptian crops and farmland. Her image was often found on the walls of granaries, symbolizing her guardianship over agriculture and harvests.
Connections to Fertility and Agriculture
Several Egyptian snake deities were linked to fertility, agriculture, and the cycle of life. The coiled serpent god Mehen was said to surround and protect the sun god Ra as he traveled through the underworld at night to be reborn at dawn.
This symbolized Mehen’s role in guarding the continuity of life. Meanwhile, the goddess Renenutet had influence over the fertility of crops, while Wadjet was associated with childbirth and the protection of pregnant women.
The intertwining of snakes and fertility reflects how snakes shed their skin, representing rebirth and regeneration in ancient Egyptian thinking.
Guardianship of Sacred Sites and the Dead
Snake gods and goddesses were revered as protectors of sacred sites like temples and tombs. The cobra goddess Meretseger guarded the Valley of the Kings and was said to punish tomb robbers with venomous bites.
Mehen, Wadjet, and Renenutet also protected tombs and watched over the dead in the afterlife. Additionally, the serpent goddess Nehebkau was believed to guard the sacred underworld texts of the Book of the Dead. Her image was placed on sarcophagi to protect the deceased.
These snake deities offered protection in the journey to the afterlife and the preservation of burial sites against desecration.
Conclusion
As we have explored, snakes held multifaceted meaning and symbolism in ancient Egypt, embodied by important gods and goddesses intricately linked to myths, structures, iconography and religious practice.
Key deities like the cobra Wadjet, viper goddess Renenutet, guardian Meretseger and enemy Apep illuminated core aspects of ancient Egyptian spirituality and culture.
The snakes’ transformative abilities, dual capacity for good and evil, connection to cycles of death and rebirth, and their dangerous, mysterious physical nature offered fertile ground for their prominence across the oldest civilizations along the Nile.
Their influence continues to leave traces as modern archaeologists and historians uncover new insights into the snake deities’ myths and temples, reflecting an enduring fascination with these captivating, cryptic creatures of scale and fang.
