Tradition / Region: Egyptian Mythology
Alternative names: Apep, Aphoph
Category: Snake
The Myth
Apophis was the great serpent of chaos in ancient Egyptian mythology and the eternal enemy of the sun god Ra. Usually depicted as a gigantic snake or dragon-like serpent, Apophis represented darkness, destruction, disorder, and everything opposed to divine order and truth.
Egyptians believed that every night, as Ra traveled through the underworld in his solar boat, Apophis attempted to stop him and plunge the world into eternal darkness. The giant serpent attacked the sun boat with coils, hypnotic gazes, storms, and monstrous strength.
Some traditions described Apophis as enormous beyond imagination, stretching dozens of yards in length with a terrifying flint-like head. His movements were believed to cause earthquakes and thunder, while his roar shook the underworld itself.
Ra did not fight alone. Other gods traveled with the solar barque and helped defend the sun against the chaos serpent. The god Set was especially associated with spearing Apophis during these nightly battles, while in other stories Ra himself slew the monster in the form of a giant cat.
Although Apophis was repeatedly defeated, he could never be fully destroyed. Each night he returned again from the primordial waters of chaos to renew the struggle against the sun.
Because the serpent symbolized cosmic evil and disorder, Egyptian priests performed rituals specifically meant to weaken him. In ceremonies known as the Overthrowing of Apophis, priests created wax figures or drawings of the serpent which were spat upon, stabbed, burned, mutilated, and destroyed while protective spells were recited.
Apophis was also feared in funerary beliefs. Some traditions described him as an eater of souls lurking in the underworld, and protective spells were buried with the dead to defend them against his attacks.
Among all Egyptian monsters and hostile beings, Apophis became the ultimate symbol of chaos battling against light, life, and cosmic order.
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Apophis. In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 15, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apophis
