Did you know that there were giraffes π ππ ππ±πͺ in ancient Egypt ππ ππ? Giraffes π ππ ππ±πͺ are another one of my favorite animals and I was so excited to see them so close on the Kilimanjaro Safari at Disneyβs Animal Kingdom! I have been on the safari many times but I have never seen so many animals on it before!Β
Giraffes π ππ ππ±πͺ are native to the African continent, so it would make sense that the ancient Egyptians πππππͺ would encounter these beautiful π€ animals! When giraffes π ππ ππ±πͺ first evolved, they made most of the African continent (including Egypt ππ ππ) their home! There is some Pre-Dynastic period art that depicts giraffes π ππ ππ±πͺ because they were living among the Egyptians πππππͺ at that time! By the Early Dynastic Period, the giraffes π ππ ππ±πͺ had left the area so they are not as commonly seen in art as the hippos πππ―π¦, crocodiles π π΄πππ¦ and lions π³πΉπΏππͺ.
Giraffes π ππ ππ±πͺ did not appear frequently in ancient Egyptian art or mythology because they were considered to be βforeignβ animals and were mainly shown as signs of conquest of foreign lands. Giraffes π ππ ππ±πͺ could also be presented as gifts to the pharaoh ππ» from foreign rulers!
One famous depiction of a giraffe π ππ ππ± in ancient Egypt ππ ππ is on the temple reliefs of Hatshepsutβs ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ Mortuary Temple at Deir el-Bahri π¦ππ¦π₯π! Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ was also the first π recorded person to have a menagerie, so she clearly liked animals!Β
There are two π» ways to write βgiraffeβ in hieroglyphs πΉππͺ:
π ππ ππ±
π΄ππ±
The word βπ΄ππ±β can also mean βforetell,β (either with the giraffe determinative or written as π΄ππ) and I wonder why both βgiraffeβ and βforetellβ are the same? Maybe thereβs some cultural significance of the giraffe π ππ ππ± that we donβt know about yet!
I also find the giraffe symbol π± to be so adorable! It was mainly used as a determinative in the words for giraffe π ππ ππ± / π΄ππ±! The hieroglyphs giraffe π± also looks like the emoji giraffe π¦!
I hope youβre enjoying my βAncient Egypt in Disneyβ series and learned something about giraffes π ππ ππ±πͺ in ancient Egypt ππ ππ!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.