What's the meaning of the Hippopotamus »

Hippopotamus

This page is about the meaning, origin and characteristic of the symbol, emblem, seal, sign, logo or flag: Hippopotamus.

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The hippopotamus is an extremely powerful animal, both on land and in the water. Its massive size and fierce demeanor, yet also its association with fertility, all contribute to its potent symbolic meaning.

One location where the hippopotamus held powerful meaning was in ancient Egypt, since they frequented the banks of the River Nile. The goddess Taweret, who presided over childbirth, was strongly associated with the creature and was depicted as part human and part hippopotamus in varying capacities. The goddess Rerat, who was also associated with the hippopotamus (and physically combined with the animal), was one of the guardians of the realm of the dead, which was known in ancient Egypt as Duat or Tuat. Given the nature of the hippopotamus, these associations are easy to understand; whether it’s protecting their young (childbirth) or defending their territory (guardian), hippopotami are highly aggressive and dangerous creatures- even towards other top predators such as crocodiles- so it’s no wonder that the Egyptians came to revere them.

The hippopotamus also plays a role in Jewish tradition. The Old Testament’s Book of Job describes two immensely powerful creatures known as the Behemoth and the Leviathan, which are traditionally said to hold dominion over land and sea, respectively. As one of the largest and most powerful animals known in ancient times, the hippopotamus was commonly believed to be a symbolic representation of the Behemoth. In some cases, the crocodile filled this role, but the symbolism was clearly the same, regardless.

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Graphical characteristics:
Asymmetric, Open shape, Monochrome, Contains curved lines, Has no crossing lines.

Categories: Animal Symbolism, Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Religious Symbols.

Hippopotamus is part of the Jewish Symbols group.

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Jewish signs and symbols. read more »

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The formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that contained a combination of logographic and alphabetic is called hieroglyphics. They began to develop this system around 3000 BC.The first … read more »

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Religious symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork, events, or natural phenomena, by a religion. Religions view religious texts, rituals, and works of art as symbols of co… read more »

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