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Apep, the serpent of discord. Long ago, when the only constant was the primordial waters of Nu, there arose the Benben. Atop the primeval mound sat a lotus flower, and when it bloomed, out emerged Ra. However another being was birthed from Nu’s waters, the serpent of chaos, Apep. Ra and Apep were polar opposites, two rivaling forces in constant combat. While Ra was light, order and creation incarnate, Apep was the embodiment of darkness, chaos and destruction. Apep’s mighty roar shook the universe itself and his dark gaze paralyzed all to their core. Despite being slayed by Ra in the form of a cat, Apep’s being transcended the concept of death, continuously returning to threaten Ra and his creations. However Ra was able to eventually seal the dastardly Apep beyond the horizon in the underworld. Now Every night Apep awaits in the furthest abyss of Duat, and once Ra’s bark crosses the horizon into Duat, Apep strikes. But every morning, Apep is slain and Ra’s bark once again emerges from the horizon to light the day once more.
Apep was the foremost antagonistic force in Egyptian mythology. Apep was not seen as beneficial in some ways like other gods, Apep was regarded as the embodiment of evil and the opposition to the Egyptian concept of Maat, truth and order. The prayers Egyptians offered Ra every day were thought to empower the god for his nightly combat against Apep. Egyptian priests would hold an annual ritual in which they’d construct a sculpture of Apep before burning it, they believed this burned the darkness and evil across Egypt and helped protect the populace for another year. When reciting the battles between Apep and Ra, worshippers would construct a wax statue of Apep which they would degrade by fettering, stabbing with knives and spears, stomping, and spitting upon the figure all the while chanting spells that aided Ra in his fight against Apep. Depictions of Apep were always accompanied by another positive deity who would engage them in combat, as the very image of Apep could bestow him with power, so the Egyptians would depict him alongside another god who’d slay him and stop the transfer of power. In the underworld Apep was viewed as a devourer of unguided souls. Apep was commonly depicted alongside creatures of the ocean and desert, in these depictions Ra would often hunt these creatures alongside slaying Apep, possibly meaning that Apep commanded these creatures. The Egyptian god Set was originally believed to accompany Ra’s bark as it traveled into the night, with Set fighting against Apep himself before Set’s demonization. When Apep would cross into the mortal world, their battles with Ra and or Set was believed to cause the raging thunderstorms across the earth. Apep’s role as the bringer of chaos is exemplified in the Chaoskampf archetype, seen in deities such as the Slavic Veles, the Vedic Vritra and the Irish Balor who all fight the storm god of order. Apep may have been one of the oldest deities in the archetype, possibly being one of the gods to originate the archetype alongside the Semitic Baal, Yam and Mot. Later, Apep’s role as the Egyptian bringer of Chaos was replaced by Apep’s now demonized opponent Set. The Egyptians referred to Apep as “the Enemy of Ra”, his other epithets included “Lord of Chaos”, “the Serpent from the Nile”, and “the Dragon”. The greek name for Apep was Apophis.
