Apep was the
Egyptian snake god/monster who lives in
utter darkness. Because of this he was the greatest enemy of the sun god
Re and everytime the sun (Re) makes his daily trip through the dark
underworld, Apep tried to stop him. Whenever it was believed he won, however temporarily, there was a
solar eclipse.
Apep had his own personal army of demons, spirits, and ne'er-do-wellers that he used to plague everything in the light. To help aid Re in his never-ending battle against him, his priests would recite prayers and create miniture snake sculptures to maim and destroy. They even created a book called The Overthrowing of Apep that contained prayers praising Re to help other priests in their devotion.
Apep epitomizes the forces of chaos and evil in the Egyptian world. He was eventually killed by Re and burnt to cinders by the sun. He was never worshipped in Egypt.
An ASCII interpretation of Apep's name in hieroglyphics:
i, .;sSS. SX@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@. @@@@ @ @@@@@
h B ;@; @ @
@#& rA@@ @@@@@ @@@B 3@@ @@r
3@G @: @@ @ @@M@ @
@@ @M @@ ;@. @ @M @ @
@@@ 3r @rrr@ @@ @;@A @@@
@ @ @S552:r M@@ ,@@@ @@@@ @@@ @@#
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@2@ :@@@@ r@;X @B@A @i@r@@#@@@A. ,
; ,2;:rX@@@@
(Two long sharp things, a bird, a snake under a square, and a big curly snake)