Oryx

The Oryx in Ancient Egypt


 * Egyptian Names:**

//Ma-hd//, //Mahedj, or Shezau//


 * Hieroglyphics:**

or

The Scimitar Oryx and the Common Beisa Oryx were common in ancient Egypt - the Arabian Oryx was imported as a curiosity. There is hardly a hunting scene in Egyptian art that does not include oryx racing along the slopes of the desert margin. In addition to being hunted by pharaohs and noblemen for sport, live oryx, horns, and skins were a common tribute item from Nubia.

The Scimitar Oryx was semi-domesticated and bred at the time of the Middle Kingdom, and fattend for the table. Tomb paintings from Beni Hasan show a small herd of oryx, together with their young, feeding from mangers under the charge of a keeper. Occasionally oryx were shown wearing decorated collars, suggesting that they may have also been kept as pets.

The oryx symbolized solar protection, and faience, gold, and bone amulets of oryx were buried with the dead. The oryx was sacred to the god Sokar, and carved oryx heads adorned his sacred barque. Its meat was considered pleasing to the gods - Ramses III presented 367 oryx to various temples. Its image was often used in a decorative context, such as on cosmetic tools. In later times the oryx was associated with the evil god Set, and was ritually sacrificed.

The Herbivores of Ancient Egypt