animals, is ambivalent.In Egypt it represented notably the living power of the sun in itsidentification with the solar deity Ra, but also death and afterlife, becauseof its association with Osiris, the ruler of the underworld. The lion was alsobelieved to guard the spirit realm. The Sphinx at Giza (fig. 3) is arecumbent, lion bodied statue of the pharaoh Khafre. The tradition of thesphinx combined the idea of the lion, the king of beasts with that of thedivine ruler, symbolize the union of intellectual and physical powersincarnated into the pharaoh. The Ibis was widely associated with thesacred to the moon god Aah, and the god Thoth, who were often depictedwith an ibiss head. The wading bird was thought to be free from illnesses.The birds ability to fly makes it a natural symbol of the flight of the humansoul, but sometimes the connection is less obvious. In a frieze fromTutankhamuns burial chamber (fig. 4) combines the symbolism of theleopard, death and the afterlife. It shows Tutankhamuns successor, KingAy, wearing the magical leopard skin mantle and engaged in theceremonial ritual of opening the mouth on Tutankhamuns mummy, Thiswould ensure the passage of his soul into the other world. Whetherconsciously or not, the Egyptians recognized the vital role animals playedin ensuring the constant recycling of elements that make life possible. H.W. Janson observes, Egyptian art alters between conservatism andinnovation, but is never static. Some of its great achievements had adecisive influence on Greek and Roman art, and thus we can still feelourselves linked...by a continuous, living tradition.6Greek art It is often possible to trace the evolution of a myth almost like thedevelopment of a real animal. There are few imaginary beasts that do notcontain some element of zoological truth. The early adventures of warriors,and sailors, with sea animals, conjured imaginative stories that when theyreturned to Greece, theses stories inspired Home...
