By the Gods!

Wadjet

Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

In case that wasn’t clear enough, we’re talking about Wadjet, and she was the Egyptian snake goddess of Lower Egypt. Besides being the protector and patron goddess of the entire Nile Delta, Wadjet was the guardian deity of women, childbirth, and kings; indeed, the symbol of Wadjet (known as the uraeus) was the rearing cobra on a bright disc, and was the symbol of the Pharaohs. Wadjet and power were synonymous in Ancient Egypt, which is why on every Egyptian crown and royal ornament back in the day, there was a big ol’ snake jumping out at you; that was Wadjet, telling you to step back, son.

She was the protector of Lower Egypt, (which was the northern region, to make it as confusing as possible for Ancient History students) but after the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt around 3000 BCE, Wadjet’s duties would’ve doubled if she hadn’t partnered up with Nekhbet, the white vulture goddess who held the same role in Upper Egypt. Now double-teaming the task of protecting a united Egypt, Nekhbet and Wadjet settled down together and redefined the kingly symbol of the uraeus, adding a falcon to the snake-crown.

The Going Forth of Wadjet was the goddess’ big festival. It was a feast, and we don’t know too many specifics on it, aside from the fact that it was celebrated on the 25th of December. No, it’s not a coincidence. The 25th was one of those universally celebrated dates, thanks to the Solstice. All over Europe and the Mediterranean the Winter Solstice was seen as a time of celebration. The later adoption of the day as the culmination of the Christian calendar was a power move by the early Church to take some sway away from Mediterranean pagans. Early bishops had some issues with sharing.

Sobek

Sobek is the Egyptian god of crocodiles. While that might not sound so impressive when compared to your Zeus’ or Thors, Sobek was no pushover. In a nation that depended so much on the Nile, crocodiles were a real threat. Think about it: a population that has to roll the dice on encountering a super hungry giant lizard every time they want a glass of water is definitely going to turn to prayer in a hurry, and that’s where Sobek comes in.

Often depicted as a crocodile himself, or a man with a crocodile’s head, Sobek eventually came to represent more than just scary lizards. From god of crocodiles, it was only a small leap to being god of the Nile’s bounty as well. Sobek was commonly prayed to for not only safe travel on the river, but fertility blessings as well. Don’t think Sobek went soft in his old age though; he is also credited as the patron god of Egypt’s military. Thus began a long tradition of the ferocious animal mascot that lives on today in all the coolest sports teams.

Sobek’s temples were often built close to the Nile, or wherever a copious count of crocodiles was common. The city Arsinoe was so commonly associated with Sobek that the Greeks began calling it “Crocodilopolis.” One can speculate that its chief exports were Sobek bobble-heads and reptile-themed nightmares.