Mythology · 2
What happened to a person's heart in ancient Egyptian belief if Ammit, part crocodile, part lion, part hippopotamus, devoured it during judgment?
Answer
The soul was condemned to permanent non-existence
If the heart, weighed against the feather of Ma'at, was found too heavy with sin, Ammit consumed it, denying the soul any afterlife and erasing it from existence.
💡 Did you know?
Ammit, the devourer of hearts, was part crocodile, part lion, part hippopotamus—three animals Egyptians feared most—combined into a single judgment executioner.
Other options people guess
- The soul was reborn as one of Ammit's animal forms
- The soul was sent to serve Osiris in the underworld
- The soul was purified and allowed a second judgment
Topics
- egyptian-mythology
- ammit
- afterlife
- judgment-of-the-dead
Know your mythology trivia?
Play a free Mythology quiz and see how many you get right — no signup needed to start.
More Mythology facts
Mythology
Ammit, the Egyptian underworld demon who devoured unworthy hearts, was depicted as a composite of a crocodile, a lion, and which other animal?
Ammit, the devourer of hearts, was part crocodile, part lion, part hippopotamus—three animals Egyptians feared most—combined into a single judgment executioner.
Mythology
In Egyptian mythology, what was believed to be placed in tombs to protect and guide the deceased?
The word 'mummy' comes from the Arabic word 'mummiyah' meaning bitumen, as Egyptians used resin and natron to preserve bodies for the eternal journey to the afterlife.
Mythology
The curved beak of Thoth's sacred ibis was said to visually mirror which shape worn on his headdress?
Thoth, god of wisdom, was depicted as an ibis—a bird that uses its curved beak exactly like a crescent moon, matching the lunar symbol on his head.
Mythology
What event finally ended Prometheus's centuries-long punishment of having his liver eaten daily by an eagle?
Prometheus's eternal torture—an eagle eating his regowing liver daily—only ended when Heracles killed the eagle. Prometheus didn't suffer forever, contrary to popular belief.
Mythology
In Norse mythology, which trickster god was responsible for the death of the beloved god Baldr?
Baldr's death was so devastating that even inanimate objects wept for him — all except the giantess Þökk, who was Loki in disguise, preventing Baldr's resurrection.
Mythology
Which West African trickster deity, revered as guardian of crossroads and messenger between humans and gods, comes from Yoruba tradition?
Eshu in Yoruba tradition is simultaneously a trickster, a messenger god, and a guardian of crossroads—capable of being helpful or destructive depending entirely on how he's respected or disrespected.