- Serpopard
The serpopard is a term applied to a what is described as a mythical animal known from
Ancient Egypt ian depictions. The image is featured specifically on decorated cosmetic palettes from the Pre-Dynastic Period. Examples include theNarmer Palette and the Small Palette ofHierakonopolis .The "serpopard" has been defined as a cross between a serpent and
leopard , and is supposed to feature the body of the latter and a long neck and head representing the former. The image generally is classified as a feline, however, and resembles an unusually long-neckedlioness es instead, for there are no spots, the round-eared head most closely resembles the lioness rather than a serpent, and there are no serpent features such as scales, tongue, or head shape. [http://xoomer.alice.it/francescoraf/hesyra/palettes/narmerp.htm]The Egyptians are known for their very accurate depictions of the creatures they observed. Their composite creatures, assembled for deities who had become merged in religious concepts, have very recognizable features of the animals originally representing those deities merged. Lionesses played an important role in the religious concepts of both Upper and Lower Egypt and are likely to have been designated as animals associated with protection and royalty. The long necks may be a simple exaggeration, used as a framing feature in an artistic motif, either forming the cosmetic mixing area in the Narmer Palette or surrounding it in the Small Palette.
Depictions of fantastic animals also are known from
Elam andMesopotamia , [Michael Rice, "Egypt's Making: The Origins of Ancient Egypt, 5000-2000 BC", Routledge 2003, p.68 ] as well as many other cultures.References
*O’Connor, David 2002. Context, function and program: understanding ceremonial slate palettes. "Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt" 39: 5–25.
External links
* [http://xoomer.alice.it/francescoraf/hesyra/palettes/narmerp.htm good images of Narmer Palette] by Francesco Rafaele
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