Aker |
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In Egyptian mythology, Aker was a god of the earth and of the dead. His name means “The Bender.” A god of duality and dual purpose. Aker received appeals from the dead, allowed them into the underworld and, would, because of his double-face, provide protection face-forward or from behind. Aker was also thought to guard against snakes, scorpions, and other poisoness creatures. It is believed that Aker was probably a more ancient earth god than even Geb. Aker had no temples of his own like the main gods in the Egyptian religion, since he was more connected to the primeval concepts of the very old earth powers.
The double lion god, Aker was often shown as two lions seated back to back. As the Egyptians believed that the gates of the morning and evening were guarded by Aker, they sometimes placed twin statues of lions at the doors of their palaces and tombs. This was to guard the households and tombs from evil spirits and other malevolent beings. This practice was adopted by the Greeks and Romans, and is still unknowingly followed by some today. Unlike most of the other Egyptian deities, the worship of Aker remained popular well into the Greco-Roman era.
Aker was called the “Lions of Yesterday and Tomorrow,” as one lion faces towards the east where the sun rises and begins the new day, and the other lion faces west where the sun sets and descends into the Underworld. The names of the two lions were “Sef” and “Duau.” The area between the lions’ backs shows the circle of the sun, rising between two hills. The western hill was called “Manu,” and the eastern hill “Bakhu.” Sometimes Aker was pictured in the form of a double sphinx, double human heads, or as double lions covered with spots like leopards. These lions are thought by some to be the extinct European lion which, unlike the African species, had the spotted coat that Aker was shown to have.
Also called Akeru, Akar, and Akerui.
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