By the Gods!

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.