the role of animals in religion
One of the common misconceptions about Egyptian religion is that Egyptians worshipped animals. Evidence of animal cults includes "the care with which these animals were buried and provided with grave goods". http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/animalcults.htm
Actually, in Egypt, the animals themselves weren't worshipped so much as the gods they were thought to represent. Similiar to statues in other religions, animals were a vessel in a god's image for the manifestation of that god's will. This belief was logical, because, for example, Horus was usualy depicted as a falcon in statues and drawings, so it would make sense for the living animal to be worshipped as well.
There were three main types of sacred animals in Ancient Egypt. Temple animals were kept in or near a temple, and had special markings. One example of this is the bull of Memphis, which was required to be a black bull with a white triangle on its head, a crescent moon on its chest and flanks, as well as having black and white in its tail. It was the manifestation of Ptah. The bull was treated as an oracle - it was asked yes or no questions, and gave its answer by entering one of two stables.
Sacred animals were also kept in large numbers near a temple. In animal cults, Egyptian gods were said to be able to be manifest in all of one species. At Saqqara, there was a team of priests dedicated to the care of a ibises and falcons, considered to be the representation of Thoth and Horus. Necropolises (cemetaries) can be found for Bastet's cats at Bubastis, crocodiles, snakes, falcons and ibises at Kom Ombo and ibises and falcons at Abydos.
People frequently kept sacred animals in their homes as representations of the gods. They included snakes, cats and dogs, which were kept in cages and buried when they died.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/animalcults.htm
Actually, in Egypt, the animals themselves weren't worshipped so much as the gods they were thought to represent. Similiar to statues in other religions, animals were a vessel in a god's image for the manifestation of that god's will. This belief was logical, because, for example, Horus was usualy depicted as a falcon in statues and drawings, so it would make sense for the living animal to be worshipped as well.
There were three main types of sacred animals in Ancient Egypt. Temple animals were kept in or near a temple, and had special markings. One example of this is the bull of Memphis, which was required to be a black bull with a white triangle on its head, a crescent moon on its chest and flanks, as well as having black and white in its tail. It was the manifestation of Ptah. The bull was treated as an oracle - it was asked yes or no questions, and gave its answer by entering one of two stables.
Sacred animals were also kept in large numbers near a temple. In animal cults, Egyptian gods were said to be able to be manifest in all of one species. At Saqqara, there was a team of priests dedicated to the care of a ibises and falcons, considered to be the representation of Thoth and Horus. Necropolises (cemetaries) can be found for Bastet's cats at Bubastis, crocodiles, snakes, falcons and ibises at Kom Ombo and ibises and falcons at Abydos.
People frequently kept sacred animals in their homes as representations of the gods. They included snakes, cats and dogs, which were kept in cages and buried when they died.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/animalcults.htm
Animal manifestations
Cat - Many gods were represented as cats, so they were seen as especially sacred animals. Bastet, originally a desert cat, was later depicted as a domestic cat. Ra was shown as 'The Great Cat of Heliopolis' in the Book of the Dead. Cats were the guardians of the underworld.
Falcon / Hawk - The sacred bird of the god Horus. The falcon was linked with protection and royalty. It was also sacred to Montu, god of war, and Sokar, god of the necropolis at Memphis.
Hippopotamus - Seth was thought to have turned into a hippo when he was defeated by Horus. Because of this, male hippos were seen to be evil. The female hippopotamus, however, represented Taweret, the goddess of fertility and childbirth. She was a very popular household goddess, particularly with new mothers because of her protective powers.
Jackal - The most wellknown jackal god was Anubis, of embalming and mummification. The other main jackal god was Wepwawet, who performed the Opening of the Mouth ceremony on the dead pharaohs so eating, drinking and speaking were possible in the afterlife. Because jackals often hung around the desert and mountains where tombs were built, they were considered to guide the newly dead through the afterlife.
Lions - The lion was connected to the sunrise and sunset, they had the task of guarding the horizon, and were linked with multiple deities. Aker, earth god, was shown as two lions. Shu and Tefnut, were lion-headed or lioness-headed. Many pharaohs associated themselves with lions, and so the lion came to symbolize rulership. Lions were also linked with ferocity and war-like deities. Sekhmet was either shown as a lioness, or a lioness-headed woman who came into being to destroy mankind for Ra, who was also known for her healing powers. Hathor, goddess of love, was thought to have been sent out as the Eye of Ra, and so was also linked to lionesses. Even the cobra goddess, Wadjet, had a lioness form when she was identified as the Eye of Ra. Mut, too, had a lioness form when she was showing her more war-like side. The son of Bastet or Sekhmet (there was confusion over the motherhood of this god in ancient times), Nefertem, was a lion-headed sun god of the lotus, healing and perfume.
Scarab Beetle - The personification of the scarab god Khepri, a solar god of resurrection. As the scarab pushes its dung behind it in a ball, so the Egyptians thought that Khepri pushed the sun across the sky. Young scarabs emerged, born out of the dung, and so the scarab also came to symbolize new life and creation. The scarab was also linked to Amun, as was Khepri himself.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/animalgods.htm
Falcon / Hawk - The sacred bird of the god Horus. The falcon was linked with protection and royalty. It was also sacred to Montu, god of war, and Sokar, god of the necropolis at Memphis.
Hippopotamus - Seth was thought to have turned into a hippo when he was defeated by Horus. Because of this, male hippos were seen to be evil. The female hippopotamus, however, represented Taweret, the goddess of fertility and childbirth. She was a very popular household goddess, particularly with new mothers because of her protective powers.
Jackal - The most wellknown jackal god was Anubis, of embalming and mummification. The other main jackal god was Wepwawet, who performed the Opening of the Mouth ceremony on the dead pharaohs so eating, drinking and speaking were possible in the afterlife. Because jackals often hung around the desert and mountains where tombs were built, they were considered to guide the newly dead through the afterlife.
Lions - The lion was connected to the sunrise and sunset, they had the task of guarding the horizon, and were linked with multiple deities. Aker, earth god, was shown as two lions. Shu and Tefnut, were lion-headed or lioness-headed. Many pharaohs associated themselves with lions, and so the lion came to symbolize rulership. Lions were also linked with ferocity and war-like deities. Sekhmet was either shown as a lioness, or a lioness-headed woman who came into being to destroy mankind for Ra, who was also known for her healing powers. Hathor, goddess of love, was thought to have been sent out as the Eye of Ra, and so was also linked to lionesses. Even the cobra goddess, Wadjet, had a lioness form when she was identified as the Eye of Ra. Mut, too, had a lioness form when she was showing her more war-like side. The son of Bastet or Sekhmet (there was confusion over the motherhood of this god in ancient times), Nefertem, was a lion-headed sun god of the lotus, healing and perfume.
Scarab Beetle - The personification of the scarab god Khepri, a solar god of resurrection. As the scarab pushes its dung behind it in a ball, so the Egyptians thought that Khepri pushed the sun across the sky. Young scarabs emerged, born out of the dung, and so the scarab also came to symbolize new life and creation. The scarab was also linked to Amun, as was Khepri himself.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/animalgods.htm