Thoth and the baboon

I've seen pictures of Thoth all my life, without paying much attention.  His figure was just another odd image in a vague Egyptian background.  Probably first spotted in some Abbot and Costello movie, right?  But unlike Greek and Roman gods, I never thought much about him or about other gods of his Egyptian ilk.

But I understand he was pretty cool, bird head and all.  As Wikipedia informs me, he was the god of wisdom, writing, hieroglyphs, science, magic, art, judgment, and the dead.  Pretty good stuff.  A bit like Apollo, who we talked about last month.  But Wikipedia says he is actually the Egyptian equivalent of the Greek god Hermes, who in turn is compared in some respects to the Roman god Mercury.

Thoth had some weighty duties, like maintaining the universe, arbitrating inter-god disputes, and judging the dead.

But he apparently started out as god of the Moon (like the Greek god Diana).    The Moon's crescent shape, reflected in the shape of the ibis's bill, apparently led to the ibis being considered his manifestation on Earth -- hence the ibis head in his frequent portrayal.  Millions of ibis, after death, were therefore wrapped up as mummies.

But another manifestation was the baboon.  Why?  Wikipedia says only, cryptically: "Sometimes, he was depicted as a baboon holding up a crescent moon."

It is Thoth's identification with the baboon that gave rise to this illuminating blog entry.  This week's issue of The Economist discusses the economic (of course) consequences of Thoth as baboon.  Egypt apparently had plenty of ibis of its own, but was short of baboons.  The nearest plentiful supply of baboons was in present-day Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia -- then part of the Kingdom of Punt.  Egypt developed the sea skills necessary to sail to Punt primarily because of the lure of baboons -- like gold and spices lured the Spaniards and Portuguese to America.  Experts say that this Egypt to Punt sea route, over a period of more than a thousand years, became the first leg of what eventually became the spice route.  

Other goods also drew Egyptian sailors to Punt, such as incense, but baboons were the big draw.

I've seen baboons.  I've met them rushing down a trail past me in Zambia.  I've awakened on a pleasant morning in Kenya, finding my tent surrounded by outraged baboons, yelling and screaming.  Whether at me and my audacity for existing, or at each other, I'm not sure.  But, at the time, I feared the worst.  

They're rather ugly animals, both in looks and in conduct.  Ill-behaved.  Uncouth.  It's hard to imagine their being valued over gold or incense.  Or being deemed manifestations of the god of wisdom, science, writing, and art.

But then I suppose other cultures have worshipped gods (or men) who were even less obviously admirable than a baboon.