Sobek God of the Nile: Crocodile Craft
Let’s dive into the exciting world of ancient Egyptian mythology to learn about Sobek, the mighty crocodile god and explore the land of the Nile River.
Who was Sobek?
Among the gods of Egyptian mythology, Sobek stands out as a unique and powerful figure. He is often depicted with the head of a crocodile and a man’s body. He played an important role as the guardian of the Nile River.
Throughout Egyptian history, Sobek and his role changed. Evidence suggests he started as a rather simple crocodile God and later became associated with the more powerful Sun God, Ra (or also Re). He became associated with creation myths and eventually was also related to another key Egyptian, God Horus.
In the carving on the right, Sobek is wearing a sun-disk showing his relationship to the sun God Ra. But his crocodile-like features make it clear he is a river god.
The ancient Egyptians even mummified the crocodiles in Sobek’s honor. Crocodile mummies were often decorated with special amulets and placed in holy shrines to celebrate the god.
Crocodopolis
Sobek was so important the Egyptians dedicated an entire city to him to worship him. Known as Shedet, the city is often called Crocodopolis today. Southwest of modern-day Cairo, the city was located in an oasis. (An oasis is a place that has water even though it is surrounded by harsh deserts).
Many shrines and temples to Sobek were housed in the city and travelers or pilgrims came there to seek blessings and protection from the God. The main temple called the Temple of Sobek, held many of the mummified crocodiles. Worshipers offered these mummies to Sobek to gain his favor and protection.
Over time, as the ancient gods fell out of favor with the people, the city went into decline. Today, ruins are the only remains of the once-great city.
The Life Giving Nile
The Nile’s life-giving water, flooded once a year fertilizing the soil and creating a rich environment for the Egyptians to grow crops. (Today, the Nile no longer floods due to the Aswan Dam).
Without these crops, the people would not have enough food, the population of ancient Egypt would be much smaller and the country would be much less powerful. So the Nile River and its regular flooding were very important to the Egyptians.
Beyond supporting Egyptian farming, the Nile served as a means of transportation for goods and people.
Sobek and Crocodiles
Sobek was represented by a crocodile for several reasons. The animal head symbolizes his connection to the river because Nile crocodiles are the most common and well-known animal in the river. These creatures are also very strong, just like Sobek and show that he is a powerful protector. Additionally, Sobek’s connection to crocodiles reminds the people of the God’s connection to the natural world.
Now that you know all about Sobek, let’s try making a crocodile craft!
Directions:
- Use one pipe cleaner for the front the legs and one for the back legs. Wrap the pipe cleaner around the popsicle stick leaving enough room to make a set of legs on each side.
- Attach the Google-eyes.
- Add the gems and sequins to add scales to your crocodile.
- If you want to pretend you are a worshiper of Sobek, grab some tissues or toilet paper and turn your crocodile into a mummy!
Supplies:
- Popsicle Sticks (You can buy the pre-colored and pull out the green ones or you can paint them yourself)
- Green Pipe Cleaners
- Google-Eyes (you can purchase the self-adhesive kind or add in some glue)
- Sequins, Sequin ribbon or Self-sticking Gems
