Artist: Unknown Sculpture: bronze, gilded wood [body of ibis], black glass [inlays for eyes of ibis]; cedar base Height: including base, 7.7 in. (19.5 cm.) Circa 300-200 BCE Site: Egypt: Tuna el-Gebel Location: West Germany: Hanover, Kestner Museum, no. 1957,83
The primary animal form of the god Thoth is the ibis, although he also appears sometimes as a baboon. The ancient Egyptians imagined that in the beginning the universe was nothing more than a vast ocean. This ocean lacked a surface; it completely filled the universe and was often referred to as the cosmic egg. Variations of this creation myth were told at Hermopolis, a city of Middle Egypt. According to one tale, the world was said to have originated in a cosmic egg that had been laid by the celestial goose, which had first broken the silence of the world and was called the Great Cackler. This egg, laid upon a primeval hill, contained the bird of light, Re, who then created the cosmos as we know it. A second version was similar to the first, except that in this tale the egg was laid by an ibisis, by Thoth. The cult of Thoth at Hermopolis was rather late, and it has been suggested that this variation of the myth was an attempt by the Hermopolitan priests to graft the Thoth legend on to older traditions.
Perhaps Thoth assumes the form of the ibis because, like him, the bird is connected with the moon. The ibis has a bill that resembles the crescent moon, and its gait suggests the movement of the moon to some classical authors. Plutarch has written that the alternating black and white feathers of the male ibis are reminiscent of the dark and light phases of the moon. In addition to being a lunar animal, the ibis was well known in antiquity, because it would refuse to drink unhealthy or poisoned water, killed poisonous reptiles, and set mankind an example of cleanliness. Like the god Thoth, the ibis was hostile to dangerous forces and a model for purity and good sense; for Thoth, in addition to being the moon god, was the god of wisdom, who maintained the cosmic order that pervades the created world.
It is in his role as god of wisdom that Thoth demonstrates his connection to Maat, the embodiment of cosmic order. Together, as a divine couple, they serve the sun god, Re. Thoth is the scribe of the gods and, as such, the secretary of Re. One hymn to Re runs: “Daily Thoth writes Maat for thee.” Every day Thoth must determine the course of Re; it is his wisdom and creative power that ensures the regular movement of the sun through the sky. Moreover, it is Thoth who crushes the hostile forces that oppose Re during his voyage. As a result, Thoth is often depicted standing in the prow of the sun-boat.
Maat reveals the other side of the situation, for she embodies the order that Thoth protects. She is called the food of Re: “Thy nourishment consists of Maat, thy beverage is Maat, thy bread is Maat, thy beer is Maat.” The law that governs the regularity of the heavens is understood to be the nourishing matrix of both the sun’s power and the goodness of life that depends thereon; for Maat is not only the goddess of law but also of justice. Her symbol is the feather of the ostrich. This is a bird that inhabits desert and savanna, although it must never wander too far away from rivers and lakes, since it drinks more than a gallon of water a day. The ostrich cannot fly, but it is a fast runner and a strong fighter. Often Thoth and Maat are depicted together, usually riding in the sun-boat. The law that governs the day and the night, the revolving seasons, and the cycle of years is Maat. It is she who supports the sun god, with Thoth’s protection.