Egyptian God: Sobek, the Crocodile God

Sobek in contemporary culture

In 2012, the third novel in a series titled “The Kane Chronicles” was published by Disney. It is a collection of short stories based on Egyptian mythology, written by author Rick Riordan. In the story titled “The Son of Sobek,” a fictional crocodile, Petsuchos, alias the “son of Sobek,” terrorizes Long Island, New York. The protagonist is transformed from an ordinary crocodile into a monster with supernatural powers after being adorned with a magical collar.

• Check it out -/>  (Percy Jackson – The Son of Sobek – Rick Riordan).

Tick-Tock the Crocodile is a character from Disney’s Peter Pan. Tick-Tock, who had previously swallowed an alarm clock, was constantly chasing the villainous Captain Hook to try and take a bite out of him. However, after a toddler was tragically killed by an alligator at Walt Disney World in 2016, it was decided to remove all references and depictions of alligators and crocodiles from any Magic Kingdom attraction in Florida.

• Check it out -/>  (Tick-Tock – Peter Pan).

A real-life reptile, the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), is the basis for the god Sobek. It is known that the actual male crocodiles in the region measure over 3 meters long and weigh up to 1,600 kg. The females, who guard the crocodile eggs, are smaller but are also treacherous predators. Nile crocodiles eat just about anything they can swallow with their sharp teeth, including large mammals. This dangerous species is still responsible for multiple human deaths each year.

• Check it out -/>  (Crocodylus niloticus)

Given the fierce and well-deserved reputation of these reptiles, it goes without saying that Sobek was an influential god throughout the history of the kingdoms. The ancient Egyptians were both impressed by and fearful of crocodiles, just as many people are today.

• Check it out -/>  (Crocodile attacks)

Sobek in brief:

• Sobek is first mentioned in the Pyramid Texts of Unas, which are the oldest sacred texts in the world.
• Sobek saved the four sons of horus by gathering them in a net in the waters where they rose as a lotus flower.
• The ancient Egyptians loved and feared crocodiles, so their representation of Sobek was a way to appease these fierce creatures. In some parts of Egypt, they were worshipped; in others, they were hunted and killed.
• Sobek had a hand in the underworld. He could restore sight to the dead and revive their senses. He also called upon Isis and Nephthys to help protect the deceased.

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