Fantastic Animals Scenes at Beni Hassan Samar Mostafa Kamal – Engy M.Y. El-Kilany Faculty of Tourism, Minia University, Egypt

Published in Journal of Arab Universities for Tourism and Hospitality Vol. 8, Dec. 2011, Special Issue- Part 1

Abstract The private tombs at Beni Hassan enjoyed a particular interest as they are probably the best preserved and richest of the Middle Kingdom. The tombs of Beni Hassan for long times have been examined, photographed, recorded and analyzed their inscriptions and scenes. Site visits and photographing different themes on the wall scenes of Beni Hassan giving the opportunity to examine them under proper lighting conditions, and this was a major turning point in this research. The various themes that illustrated on the wall scenes of the tombs reflect a broader overview of life especially that related to the neighboring regions at the specific period of Middle Kingdom. A new approach of the wild hunting scenes at Beni Hassan is going to be examined in a descriptive and analytic study. They are not the common traditional hunting scenes but they are mingled with various types of fantastic animals. This paper discussed also the origin, history, classifications and significance of these fabulous creatures. Keywords: Fantastic animals, Desert hunting, Beni Hassan, Magic, Demons. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction Animals are figured in almost every aspect of ancient Egyptian life. Particularly, they provided food, transport, used in agriculture and hunting, kept as pets and slaughtered as ritual offerings for deities and the dead. Animals both domesticated and wild were therefore a critical source of spirituality, companionship and sustenance to the ancient Egyptians (1). Animals played a part in giving form to the divine, and many deities were associated with or represented by an animal or shown as a human figure with an animal head. Wild animals living in the marshes and the desert outside the ordered area of fields and habitations represented the forces of chaos. The power of such animals embodied the concepts of strength and male potency (2). The ancient Egyptians had a very honed imagination. Representations of their deities used to take parts of half animal and half human forms. Moreover, ancient Egyptians created their own fantastic animals, not found in nature. According to their own beliefs the composite animal body was the tentative representation of a divine and supernatural power as well (3). Fantastic animals appeared on ancient Egyptian antiquities as early as the pre- and early dynastic periods and were depicted on royal artifacts, like the case of the famous Narmer palette, (Fig.1). However they were curiously absent from the Old Kingdom elite tombs decoration and scenes. Perhaps with the increasing influence of Asiatic foreigners of the Levant region (4) from the First Intermediate period and onwards, fantastic animals were introduced into the repertoire of private tombs wall scenes. The best preserved examples at Beni Hassan are found in the desert hunting scenes in the tombs of Khnumhotep II, Baquet III and Kheti (5). A fantastic animal refers to a creature not found in nature but a product of human imagination. Generally, the parts that form the animal's body are borrowed from

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various species and fitted together. The composite animal body was a representation of supernatural power (6). The Egyptians seemed to have considered these animals to be real, since they were often represented as living in the wild, among antelopes and lions in the eastern desert of the Nile River valley. Among the most common depictions were the winged, falcon headed griffins, leopards with long winded necks and other accompanying animals that were considered being a context of the daily life at Beni Hassan (7). Literature Review Origins and History of Fantastic Animals As early as the predynastic period, scenes depicting fantastic animals mingling with wild, real world animals were carved on royal artifacts. These may be found on ceremonial slate palettes, ivory plaques and ivory knife handles, particularly found in Hierakonpolis, (el Kom el-Ahmar), or from nearby Naqada in Upper Egypt (8). Later during the Middle Kingdom, these legendary animals were depicted on the wall scenes of the local governors at Beni Hassan and Bersheh in Middle Egypt especially that illustrating wild hunting scenes (9). During the Middle Kingdom, these composite animals were also illustrated on various artifacts such as the so-called magical wands, (Fig.2). These curved amulets were inscribed with texts, figures of protective deities and mythical animals that were thought to have magical and protective powers for its owners. These wands were offered to women, especially to young mothers, to protect them and their children against demons bearing sickness. Most of these objects belonged to the elite, many of whom came from Middle Egypt, especially around the site of Beni Hassan. The same types of these magic wands were also found in Palestine, so it has been suggested that the two civilizations shared an interest in the same fantastic animals (10). At the end of the Middle Kingdom, such fantastic animals were more scarcely illustrated. Only the winged griffins were depicted during the New Kingdom, but in certain cases, like scenes of hunting from royal chariots. At any case we have gaps where extant documentation did not record any depiction of fantastic animals neither on artifacts nor wall scenes, but their images remained in use during the Roman period. They also continued to be thought of being beneficial powers up until the Christian period in the Roman era (11). Role and Significance of Fantastic Animals The Egyptians believed that these types of fantastic animals living in the desert outside the ordered area of fields and habitations represented the forces of chaos. The powers of animals that inspired terrors were regarded as a protection against enemies and hostile forces, and embodied strength and male potency as well (12). Fantastic Animals Classifications Mythical animals appeared on Egyptian monuments as early as the Pre- and Early Dynastic periods; however these were curiously absent from Old Kingdom elite tomb decorations. The well known examples may be found in the rendering of the king as a sphinx or with the body of a lion together with the wings and head of a falcon, which is illustrated in the funerary complexes of Sahure and Pepi II at Abusir and Saqqara respectively (13). Perhaps with the influence of Asiatic foreigners from the First Intermediate period and onwards, fantastic animals or the so-called 'Desert Animals' were reintroduced into the repertoire of wall scenes. These mythical animals could be classified into various types (14): - Serpopard

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A serpopard (15) is a mythical animal with a lion's body, a very long snake's neck and a leopard head. When depicted in pairs, the two were shown with intertwined necks, as the famous Narmer Palette, (Fig.1). This animal was regularly depicted on magical wands with a serpent in its mouth. The term for the serpopard, in old Egyptian, is unknown, unless the ancient name of el-Kusiyeh, which is possibly derived from a verb meaning 'to tie' or ' to make a tie', which has some etymological connection with the two serpopards intertwined necks (16). At the same time, the Mesopotamian serpopards had also the same long intertwined necks. At Beni Hassan tombs another form of serpopards appeared, perhaps a subspecies of a serpopard. It had a lion's body with the neck and head of a snake (17), (Fig.3). This mythical animal is termed in Egyptian language as 'sedja' or 's��' which means 'one who travels' or 'one who depart'(18). - Griffin The griffin is a fabulous animal with the head and wings of a falcon, and the body of a lion, originating in Middle Eastern legends. This mythical animal was the most common form in ancient Egypt, a lion's body with a falcon head and short neck. On early monuments, the griffin's wings were horizontal and parallel to the back of the animal, in accordance with the Mesopotamian models. This kind of winged griffin was illustrated on the wall scenes of desert hunting themes at Beni Hassan (tombs of Baquet III, no.15 and Kheti's, no.17), and also at Bersheh (11th Dyn. Tomb of Aahankhet, no.5). At Beni Hassan tombs, specifically at Khnumhotep II's a new type of griffins appeared, with V-shaped wings, a slender and speckled body, a longer neck and the beak of the falcon is less apparent, (Fig.4). The Egyptian term of this animal is 'sfr' or 'sfrr', and occasionally 'srf', this term was also mentioned in a Middle Kingdom religious spell in the Coffin Texts. This type of fantastic animal is common on magic wands, where it is frequently depicted wearing a collar and occasionally shown wearing a leash. This kind was not ever found after the Middle Kingdom period(19), but reappeared as a hieroglyph in texts at the temple of Esna (20). Another type of griffins is depicted on the wall scenes of a tomb at Beni Hassan, (Tomb of Kheti, no. 17), where this mythical animal wears an intricately box-hatched collar, combines the head of a falcon with the traditional tail of God Seth and stripped detail on the body (Fig.5,a,b). This kind of fantastic animal was mentioned in Coffin Texts and in Bersheh as 'tštš' which means in Egyptian language, 'one who tears to pieces' (21). - Seth Animal Among the fantastic animals illustrated on the wall scenes of Beni Hassan tombs, is the animal that usually embodied god Seth, called 'Sha' or 'šȝ ', (Fig.6). The 'sha' is assumed to be a wild dog inhabiting the deserts; particularly the region adjacent to the Nile Valley in Egypt (22). It may also be identical with the mysterious wild dog known to the modern Egyptians as the salawa. Depictions of the 'sha' appeared in Egyptian artwork from predynastic times until at least the New Kingdom date. The first known use of the Seth-animal is on the Scorpion mace head of king Scorpion, Dynasty 0. Tt is then depicted on the serekhs of Seth-Peribsen and Khasekhemwy (23). During the Middle Kingdom it was depicted on magic wands, and on the repertoire of the regular wild hunting scenes at Beni Hassan tombs (24). This mythical animal or the 'sha', was commonly represented as a dog with triangular ears, an elongated slightly curved nose and an arrow in the guise of a tail or the so called forked tail (25). Other Related Fantastic Animals

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Other related fantastic animals were traditionally depicted on magical wands as protectors of their owners, such as the double-headed bulls, Goddess Taweret in the form of a hippopotamus with a crocodile back and tail, and Bes in the form of a lion-masked dwarf. Other underworld mythical creatures could be added such as Amut or 'Amam' that witnessed the Judgment Court and mentioned in Chapter 125 of Book of Dead (26). Methodology This paper aimed to be a descriptive and analytic study of fantastic animals' scenes at Beni Hassan tombs which were very rarely represented in a context of such regular daily life activities. This study discussed also the origin, history, classifications and significance of these fabulous creatures. Discussion Beni Hassan is situated on the east bank of the Nile, approximately 25 Km south of El-Minia and falls within the ancient boundaries of the 16th Upper Egyptian province, the Oryx nome. The site was the cemetery of the local governors of this nome during the Middle Kingdom, 11th and 12th Dyns. (27). The increasing power and authorities of provincial governors that reached its peak during the Middle Kingdom gave them the right to be buried in their own localities and had the free hand in such independent provinces, that they went for desert hunting, and received gifts and tributes instead of the ruling king. They considered the administration of the Oryx nome as an inheritance rather than officially appointed by the king (28). The high officials who governed the Oryx nome during the 11th and 12th Dyns. were among the richest and most powerful in the country, strong ties with the kings as well as marriage alliances with the nobility in neighboring provinces to the north and south. Moreover they had the upper hand over other nations like the Asiatics. The wealth and power of these governors is reflected in the size, the architectural design as well as the quality and extensive repertoire of artistic themes represented in their tombs (29). The various themes that illustrated on the wall scenes at Beni Hassan reflect a broader overview of life especially that related to the neighboring regions at the specific period of Middle Kingdom. The mythical animals' depictions mingling with the regular wild ones in the desert hunting scenes, was a definite indication of the cross-effect in between the area of Beni Hassan with the Asiatics coming from the Egyptian North Eastern borders, and the Eastern desert. The sites of Beni Hassan and el-Kusieyeh (30), were regarded as the starting point for the Eastern desert road that led to the Red Coast. Hence, the high officials at Beni Hassan were charged with inspecting these roads and were therefore doubtless in contact with the nomads of the Eastern desert. Some of the provincial governors held the title of 'overseer of the Eastern desert', among the most famous ones was Khnumhotep II, the owner of (tomb no.3). It seems more likely that their interest in these kinds of fantastic animals derived and motivated by their contacts with the Eastern Desert dwellers and their beliefs of curious desert animals (31). During the Middle Kingdom, the Egyptian state played a significance role in the Near East and started to affect, as well as be affected by, neighboring cultures. Egyptian material culture has been found in many locations in the Levant just as there is

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evidence of foreign coming and residing within the borders of Egypt, especially at Beni Hassan (32). During the reign of king Senwsert II, it was depicted on the North wall of Khnumhotep's tomb (no.3) at Beni Hassan, the arrival of a group of 37 Asiatics led by the 'ruler of the foreign land, Ibsha'. They were presenting the presents and tributes not to the ruling king, but to the provincial governor who held the title of 'overseer of the Eastern desert'. The Asiatic group includes their women and children which suggest that their trip to Egypt was not intended as a temporary visit, but rather as a long term or even a permanent stay in the site (33). The gradual flow of foreigners into the country certainly affected different aspects of Egyptian life, including its art and mythology. This appeared on the representations of such fantastic animals for the first time in the regular wild hunting on the wall scenes of Beni Hassan tombs. The same style of these mythical animals was illustrated on magical wands that appeared during the Middle Kingdom date, and most of these wands came from middle Egypt, including Beni Hassan region. The same types of these magical wands were found in Palestine as well, so it has been suggested that those people shared an interest in the same fantastic animals (34). Beni Hassan local governors ventured into the Eastern desert for wild hunting, and were very proud and fascinated of exercising this kind of abnormal hunting. Middle Kingdom texts mentioned that the Eastern Desert was named in Egyptian language as 'God's Land', or 'T�-n�r'. This was indicated by the stelae of Khnumhotep II found in Wadi el-Hammamat, the heading of which exclaims 'establishing his (Senwsert II's) monuments in 'God's Land'. The texts that mentioned 'God's Land' make clear that 'T�-n�r' was not situated in any definite location but represented a large area including the Levant, Sinai, the Eastern Desert and Punt (35). Three of Beni Hassan local governors depicted themselves hunting wild animals in the desert that mingled with various types of fantastic animals named by Wallis Budge, as the so-called 'Desert Animals' (36). These scenes were commonly depicted on the North wall of the following tombs. Tomb of Khnumhotep II Tomb no.3, (12th Dyn.) is the best preserved and most elaborate tomb at Beni Hassan. Khnumhotep II held the titles of 'hereditary prince', 'count of Menat Khufu' and 'overseer of the Eastern Desert'. The scenes of the North wall indicated his direct relation and submission of the Asiatics and the Eastern Desert, through the peaceful coming scene of the 37 Asiatic with their leader Ibsha. The other indication is the depiction of two types of fantastic animals in such a regular wild hunting scene among the lions, leopards and oryxes. The first one has no specific name, (Fig.7), in the form of a griffin with a double-Oryx heads, a thin body and tail of a leopard, while the other one is a griffin with a V-shaped wings and a human head in between, depicted with a speckled body and head, and a neck of a snake, (Fig.8). Tomb of Baquet III Tomb no.15, (11th Dyn.), is one of the largest on the cliff, while Baquet held the titles of 'count', 'sole companion' and 'great overlord of the entire Oryx nome (37). The North wall of the tomb is divided into six horizontal registers, while the tomb owner is depicted standing as a large figure shooting wild animals, and accompanied by male hunters and his pets. Three different types of fantastic animals are represented among the wild ones in the upper register and each accompanied with its Egyptian term, (Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12). They are from left to right, the Serpopards named in Egyptian language as 's��' or 'sedja'' which means 'one who travels' or 'one who depart'. This mythical animal was

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firstly depicted at Beni Hassan tombs and could be regarded as another form of Serpopards which appeared, perhaps as a subspecies of a Serpopard. It had a lion's body with the neck and head of a snake. The second legendary animal was the winged griffin termed in Egyptian language as 'sfr', 'sfrr', or'srf". The griffin is a fabulous animal with the head and wings of a falcon, and the body of a lion, originating in Middle Eastern legends. This mythical animal was the most common form in ancient Egypt, a lion's body with a falcon head and short neck. On early monuments, the griffin's wings were horizontal and parallel to the back of the animal, in accordance with the Mesopotamian models. The third one is the Seth animal known as 'š�' or 'Sha'. The 'Sha' is assumed to be a wild dog inhabiting the deserts; particularly the region adjacent to the Nile Valley in Egypt. It was believed that the antelope, the desert dwelling horned bovid, which served as the local sacred animal of Beni Hassan could be resembled the 'sha' in presenting strength, power, protection and wildness(38). Tomb of Kheti Tomb no.17, (11th Dyn.) is in close proximity to that of Baquet III as the two tombs share many architectural and artistic similarities. Kheti held many titles including 'true acquaintance of the king' and 'great overlord of the entire Oryx nome'. The North wall of the tomb has the same types of mythical animals in the desert hunting repertoire, (Fig.13). The extreme left hand side of the South wall is depicted with another type of griffins, where this mythical animal wears an intricately box-hatched collar, combines the head of a falcon with the traditional tail of God Seth and a stripped detail on the body. It accompanied the tomb owner while supervising the activities in his province, playing the role of a pet or a guardian animal for his master, (Figs.5,a,b, 14). This kind of fantastic animal was mentioned in Coffin Texts and in Bersheh as 'tštš' which means in Egyptian language, 'one who tears to pieces'. Conclusion and Recommendations The frequency use of fantastic animals on the of these wall scenes at Beni Hassan tombs in the regular desert hunting repertoire among the wild animals, could be restricted to the Middle Kingdom date and geographically to the site of Beni Hassan and the neighboring area especially el-Bersheh. This might be explained by the strong contacts and cross effect of the provincial governors of the site with the nomadic populations of the Eastern Desert and the Levant, including Mesopotamia and West Asia. The Egyptian governors at Beni Hassan were inspired by the legendary animals originating in the Eastern Desert and Mesopotamia, where fantastic animals were probably a part of their local folklore and beliefs. At Beni Hassan, it seemed more likely that male hunters have supposedly to catch sight of such fantastic animals as a material indication of their youth and supernatural power, as well as enhancing the prestige of the tomb owner. On the other hand, there was a religious and ritualistic significance of hunting beyond the Nile Valley. Hunting such desert animals became the symbol of submitting and controlling the hostile forces that threatened Egypt. All these characteristic and unique scenes of the daily life routine, including the fantastic animals' scenes that illustrated on the wall scenes at Beni Hassan, and examined by the researchers, hoped to enhance the valued position of the site at Beni Hassan as deserved to get.

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Table 1: Fantastic Animals at Beni Hassan Tombs

Figure

No. Total

appearance Wall Tomb No. Name in

egyptian language

Fantastic animal form

3, 9, 10, 12,

13

Twice North wall

Baquet III'stomb, no.15, and

Kheti's tomb no.17

s�� Serpopards A subspecies of a

serpopards, it had a lion body with the neck and head of a

snake. 9, 10, 11, 12,

13

Twice North wall

Baquet III'stomb, no.15, and

Kheti's tomb no.17

Sfr, and occasionally,

sfrr or srf

A winged griffin, with a lion's body

and head, and wings of a falcon.

6, 11, 12, 13

Twice North wall

Baquet III'stomb, no.15, and

Kheti's tomb no.17

š� A Seth animal, in the form of dog's

body, with triangular ears,

elongated nose and an arrow in the guise of a tail.

7 once North wall

Khnumhotep II, tomb no.3

------ An unnamed griffin, in the form of

double Oryx heads and a lion's body.

4,8 once North wall

Khnumhotep II, tomb no.3

--------- An unnamed griffin, in the form of V-

shaped wings and a human head in

between, a speckled body and a neck of a

snake. 5, 6, 14

once South wall

Kheti, tomb no.17

TšTš A unique type of a griffin, wearing an

intricately box-hatched collar,

combines the head of a falcon with the

tail of Seth and stripped detail on

the body. References 1) Strauhal, E. (1992) Life in Ancient Egypt, Cambridge, pp.109-110. 2) Robins, G. (1999) The Animal World of the Pharaohs, American Oriental Society, 11 (9), pp.1-2.

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3) Donald, D.B. (2002) The Ancient Gods Speak: A Guide to Egyptian Religion, Oxford, pp.2-5; Wilkinson, R.H. (2003) The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, London, pp. 26-33. 4) Western Asia used to be a geographical area to the east of the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea, comprising Mesopotamia, Anatolia and the Levant (Syria-Palestine). Shaw, I. and Nicholson, P. (1995) The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, London, pp. 41, 280. 5) Dunn, J. (2010) Beasts of Ancient Egypt, pp. 1-5, (on line). Available from (Accessed on 12/3/2011) www.touregypt.net/featurestories/beasts.htm 6) Helck, W. and Otto, E. (1977) Fabel, LӒ 2, pp.67-8. 7) Meeks, D. (2001) Fantastic Animals, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt I, p.504. 8) Hayes, W.C. (1959) The Scepter of Egypt 1, p.4. 9) Kanawati, N. and Woods, A. (2010) Beni Hassan, Art and Daily Life in An Egyptian Province, Cairo, p.79. 10) Altenmüller, H. (1986) Ein Zaubermesser des Mittleren Reiches, Studien Zur Altägyptischen Kultur 13, pp.2-20. 11) Sauneron, S. (1964) Les Animaux Fantastiques du Désert, BIFAO 62, pp.15-18. 12) Baines, J. (1993) Symbolic Roles of Canine Figures on Early Monuments, Archeo-Nil 3, pp.62-63. 13) Borchardt, L. (1912-1913) Das Grabdenkmal des Königs Sa�ure 2, Leipzig, pl.8; Jéquier, G. (1929) Tombeaux de particuliers contemporains de Pepy II, Cairo, pls.15-16,18. 14) Maspero, G. (1893) Étude de Mythologie et d'Archéologie Égyptiennes 1, Paris, pp.117-118. 15) A serpopard is a term applied by some modern researchers to what is described as a mythical animal known from ancient Egyptian depiction. This term is not used in any original texts and it has been defined as a cross between a serpent and a leopard. 16) Browarski, E. (1981) Ahanakht of Bersheh and the Hare Nome in the First Intermediate period and Middle Kingdom, Studies in Ancient Egypt, the Aegean, and the Sudan: Essays in Honor of Dows Dunham, Boston, pp.14-29. 17) Griffith, F.L. and Newberry, P.E. (1894) El-Bersha II, London, pls.115-116. 18) Faulkner, R.O. (1991) A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian, Oxford, p.258. 19) Kanawati, N. and Woods, A. (2010), p.79; Newberry, P.E. (1893-1894) Beni Hassan, 1, London, pl.30; (1895-1896), 2, pls. 4,7, 8, 16; Newberry (1889), El-Bersheh, 2, London, pl.xvi. 20) Sauneron, S. (1964), pp.16-18. 21) Kanawati, N. and Woods, A. (2010), pls.208, 209; Redford, D.B. (1986) Egypt and Western Asia in the Old Kingdom, JARCE 23, p.506. 22) Daressy, M.G. (1917) Seth Et Son Animal, in BIFAO, 13, pp.77-82. 23) Wilkinson, R.H. (1992) Reading Egyptian Art: A Hieroglyphic Guide to Ancient Egyptian Painting and Sculpture, Thames and Hudson, pp.66-67. 24) Kanawati, N. and Woods, A. (2010), p.79. 25) Betro, M.C. (1995) Hieroglyphics: The Writings of Ancient Egypt, Section: 'Seth', variant 'The mythical animal Seth', Abbeville Press Publishers, p.75. 26) Meeks, D. (2001), p.506. 27) Kanawati, N. & Woods, A. (2010), p.5.

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28) Kemp, B. (1985) Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period, in Trigger, Kemp, O'Connor and Lloyd, (eds.) Ancient Egypt: A Social History, Cambridge, pp.137-149. 29) Kanawati , N. and Woods, A. (2010), p.81. 30) El-Kusieyeh locates to the south of Beni Hassan, on the East bank of the Nile, and it was the site of the capital city of Meir at Assiut governorate. During the Middle Kingdom the ancient Egyptian name of el-Kusieyeh was written in the form of two fantastic animals (serpopards), back to back, while their necks held by a male figure. 31) Couyat, M.J. (1911) Description du Désert de Siout a la Mer Rouge, BIFAO 9, pp.137-184. 32) Bietak, M. (1991) Egypt and Canaan during the Middle Bronze Age, BASOR 281, 27-30; Hall, H.R. (1914) The Relations of the Aegean with Egyptian Art, JEA 1, No.3, Cairo, pp.197-206. 33) Redford, D.B. (1986),pp.125-143; Kamrin, J. (1998) The Cosmos of Khnumhotep II at Beni Hassan,New York, pp.93-96. 34) Meeks, D. (2001), p.505. 35) Cooper, J. (2011) The Geographic and Cosmographic Expression T�-n�r, The Bulletin of the Australian Centre for Egyptology 22, pp.47-66. 36) Budge, E.A.W. (1904) The Gods of the Egyptians: Studies in Egyptian Mythology 1, London, pp.57-90. 37) Newberry, P.E. (1895-1896),2, p.43. 38) Daressy, M.G. ((1917), pp.85-91.

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Fig. (1) : Two Serpopards depicted middle register of Narmer Palette's

on the verso.

rt and evised

worth, 13-14.

Fig. (2) : Serpopards and various types of fantastic animals depicted on a magical wand. Smith, W.S., (1981) The A

Architecture of Ancient Egypt, rby Simpson, W.K., Harmondsp.34, figs.

Ritner, R.K., (2001) Magic in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, 2, edited by Redford, D.B.,Cairo, p.323.

Fig. (3) : A type of Serpopards appeared on the wall scenes of Beni Hassan tombs and named 'sedja' or s��'. Hayes, W.C., (1959) The Scepter of Egypt, 1, p.4.

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Fig. (4) : Agriffin with V-shaped wings and a human head in between, a speckled body and neck of a snake, Beni Hassan, of Khnumhotep II, Tomb no.3, North walls.

Fig. (5, a) : Another type of griffins depicted on the wall scenes of Beni Hassan tombs, Tomb of Kheti, no.17, South wall. Kanawati, N. & Woods, A., (2010) Beni

Hassan, Art and Daily Life in an Egyptian Province, Supreme Council of Antiquities Press, fig.204.

Kanawati, N. & Woods, A., Ibid, fig.208.

Fig. (5, b) : A detailed figure of the previous fantastic animal. Kanawati, N. & Woods, A., Ibid, fig.209.

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Fig. (6) : The fantastic animal that embodied god Seth, that called 'Sha'.

Fig. (7) : A male hunter is shooting a unique type of fantastic animal with a double-Oryx heads, a thin body and tail of a leopard, Beni Hassan, Tomb of Khnumhotep II, No.3, North wall, Row 1.

Montet, P., (1911) Notes sur les Tombeaux de Beni Hassan, in BIFAO, 9, pl.7, 1, 2.

Photographed by the researchers.

Fig.(8) : A griffin with V-shaped wings and a human head in between, depicted with a speckled body and head, and neck of a snake. It is represented among the regular wild animals in a desert hunting scene, Beni Hassan, Tomb of Khnumhotep II, No.3, North wall, Row 1. Photographed by the researchers.

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Fig. (9): Two types of fantastic animals, from left to right, the Serpopard 'sedja' and the winged Griffin 'sfr', depicted in a wild hunting repertoire, Beni Hassan, Tomb of Baquet III, No.15, North wall, Row 1.

Fig. (10) : The same previous figure. Photographed by the researchers.

Photographed by the researchers.

Fig. (11) : Two types of fantastic animals depicted in a regular wild hunting scene, accompanied by their hieroglyphic names, from left to right, the winged griffin 'sfr' and the Seth animal 'sha',Beni Hassan, Tomb of Baquet III, North wall, Row 1. Kanawati, N. & Woods, A., Ibid, fig.206.

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Fig. (13) : Three types of fantastic animals, a Serpopard 'sedja', a winged Griffin 'sfr' and a Seth animal 'sha', illustrated on a desert hunting scene, Beni Hassan, Tomb of Kheti, No.17, North wall, Row 1. Kanawati, N. &s Wood, A., Ibid, fig.207.

Fig. (12) : Three types of fantastic animals, a Serpopard 'sedja', a winged Griffin 'sfr' and a Seth animal 'sha', illustrated on a desert hunting scene, Beni Hassan, Tomb of Baquet III, No.15, Northwall, Row 1. Hayes, W.C., Ibid, p.4.

j

Fig. (14) : A characteristic type of fantastic animal, accompanied the tomb owner as a pet, Beni Hassan, Tomb of Kheti, No.17, South wall. Photographed by the researchers.