CHAP. XIV. RANK OF DIFFERENT ANIMALS. 113 



It also appears, that intermediary agents and 

 Daemons were supposed to inhabit the bodies of 

 certain animals, in which they visited the earth ; 

 and conformably to this notion, the numerous 

 Genii of the Egyptian Pantheon were figured with 

 the heads of different animals, distinct from the 

 Deities to whom those animals were peculiarly 

 sacred. * 



The custom of representing the Gods under 

 a human formt, was owing to their considering 

 man the intellectual representative of the Deity, 

 who bore the stamp of the mind of the Creator, 

 and the only created being who was worthy of 

 being considered a likeness of the Divine original. 

 And in adding the heads of particular animals, they 

 probably alluded to certain properties, of which 

 they were deemed suitable emblems. 



From what has been stated, it is reasonable to 

 suppose that the sacred animals enjoyed different 

 gradations of rank ; and the same respect was not 

 paid to the crocodile, whose worship was confined 

 to particular parts of the country, as to the uni- 

 versally adored Ibis, or the Cow of Athor. Some 

 were in themselves sacred, — being looked upon, 

 as Strabo and Porphyry say, " really to be Gods," 

 — as the bull Apis, and others ; some were 

 adored as representatives of the Deities to whom 

 they were sacred ; and others were only emblems. 

 It is not, however, always easy to ascertain to 

 what degree the animals were held sacred by 

 the Egyptians, since ancient authors disagree 



* Vide supra, p. 89. f Vide supra, Vol. I. (^d Series) p. g-i?. 



VOL. II. — Second Series. I 



