Apophis - Le Terrible Serpent de la Mythologie Égyptienne

Apophis, also known as Apep, is a giant snake of Egyptian mythology. This massive snake is an agent of chaos and an enemy of Ra, the solar deity. The snake embodies evil and chaos. Apophis lived in the Dua, the Egyptian underground world, a place where he hid to try to set an ambush on the solar gods when they moved in the underground world at night. The giant snake was able to cause earthquakes by moving in the depths. When Ra was about to complete his journey in the underground world, he was still attacked by Apophis. Apophis' greatest wish was to destroy Ra's solar boat and plunge the world into darkness. On some occasions, Apophis managed to swallow Ra's boat but could not keep it in his belly. This period, when the sun was swallowed by Apophis, is the origin of solar eclipses. Ra began to be helped by other deities in his daily struggle against the colossal snake. The god Seth stood alongside the solar deity in his boat. He placed himself on the bow, ready to face the snake's inevitable attack. When the creature arose to strike them, Seth mutilated Apophis with a spear. Every time Apophis was injured, the sky turned red. Bastet, the goddess with a cat's head, also helped Ra. Felines were known to hunt and drive snakes away. Given its evil nature, Apophis was rejected by the ancient Egyptians and no temple was built in his honor. Nevertheless, we report the existence of some sects that worshiped the creature. These were considered as immoral and corrupted people. The Egyptians organized rituals and prayed for Ra's victory over Apophis and the birth of a new day meant that the sun god had come out victorious once again. There was a priesthood book that contained the rituals and practices necessary to fight Apophis. A ritual intended to banish chaos was organized every year. A representation of Apophis was burned during this ritual, while the faithful prayed for a new triumphant year for Ra. Some reports claim that Ra defeated Apophis and imprisoned the snake, protecting the cosmic order. Others claim that the fight between Ra and Apophis will continue.