Ammit : Devourer of the Dead

Ammit

Introduction

In ancient Egypt, Ammit was a beast that symbolized judgment. She devoured souls that could not reconcile the scales of truth with their hearts and those souls were then consigned to eternal death. In the Hall of Judgment, Ammit, who was referred to as the “eater of the dead,” waited at the feet of Thoth, the scribe god. While the dead person’s heart was weighed in one of the Great Balance’s pan, the feather of the deceased was held in another. If the dead person’s deeds were pure, honest, and righteous, the feather and heart would be balanced.

If a person was to be spared, Thoth would say that they should be regarded as one of the blessed dead. They would then be brought to the underworld and be led to the god of the underworld, Osiris. If the scales tipped and the heart weighed more than the feather, then the person was considered unworthy of life. In this situation, the heart would be thrown to Ammit by a jackal-headed funerary deity named Anubis. She would then eagerly consume it, and the person would die.

Physical Traits

Ammit is commonly depicted with various types of animals, such as the head of a crocodile, a lion’s upper body, and the lower legs and back of a hippopotamus or a lion. The combination of these fearsome creatures suggests that no evil soul can be spared.

Family

Some believe Sekhmet was related to the Ammit due to her characteristics and lionine features but there is very little proof of the same.

Other Names

Her name, is generally translated as “Devourer”, but could also understood to be the chilling “Bone Eater”, and she was known as “Devourer of Millions”. She was also known as Ammut or Ahemait in ancient Egypt.

Powers and Abilities

Although Ammit was never regarded as a goddess, she was regarded as a powerful force for good in ancient Egypt. She symbolized all that the ancient Egyptians were afraid of and was a reminder of the principles of Maat. Ammit was also referred to as a demon, but she was still regarded as a force for order among the gods.

At the time of their death, each person was given the opportunity to defend their actions before they were condemned to eternal death. The scarab beetle was used to encourage the heart to stay silent against those who were deemed to be evil, while the negative confession allowed the person to point out all of their wrongdoings.

In addition to being depicted with various types of animals, Ammit has also been depicted with Egyptian gods who weigh the heart of a deceased individual.

Modern Day Influence

In recent years, Ammit has gotten a bit of a makeover from Marvel. She is now a more active participant in judging the dead. She is referred to as a riddler in the comics, which is a role that is attributed to the sphinx, not Ammit in Egyptian mythology.

In the “Moon Knight” series, her character continues to develop. She is now able to weigh the scales of the living to determine if they are guilty of crimes that they have yet to commit. This is a bit of a departure from her usual role, but it is also interesting because she is against the god Khonshu. It is believed that she has been trapped and that a winged scarab could lead her to her tomb.