Khepri

Father of the Spirits

**Also Known As:** Kephera; Kefri

**Pantheon**: Egyptian

**Title**: The Dawn Bringer

## Information

Deities come in all forms. Khephri is a deity in the form of a dung beetle. (Species: Scarabaeus sacer or Ateuchus aegyptiorum.) Khephri is the spirit of life, resurrection and the sun. He is invoked for spiritual protection; resurrection into the Afterlife and to keep the sun shining in the sky.

Dung beetles, also known as scarab beetles, lay their eggs in dung, which they then roll into a ball and move so as to hide them in a safe place. The ancient Egyptians interpreted this action to be akin to the ball of the sun moving across the sky daily. Dung beetles fly during the hottest part of the day, furthering their associations with the sun.

Khephri’s name derives from an Egyptian word meaning “to come into being.” Because baby dung beetles were witnessed emerging from this ball of dung, rather than from a mother or directly from eggs and because dung beetles were believed to be exclusively male, they were perceived as self-generated just like the solar deity Ra. Khephri is a spirit of creation; a progenitor of life.

Veneration of Khephri was eventually grafted onto the state cult of Ra. Khephri is described as being an aspect of Ra; specifically the morning sun. However veneration of a deity in the form of a scarab beetle predates veneration of Ra. Some Egyptologists believe that Khephri was among the most ancient deities of Egypt and that, at one time, a giant stone scarab on a plinth, appeared in most, if not all, Egyptian temples.

Khephri’s power and blessings are transmitted in the form of scarab amulets, formed in his image. Scarabs were among the most popular amulets serving both the living and the dead. Scarabs were considered protectors of the heart, thus a scarab amulet was placed within a mummy’s heart cavity.

* Placing scarabs within a tomb invoked the blessings and protection of Khephri.
* If scarabs were placed beneath the coffin, it was believed that nothing, no spiritual or magical force, could harm the deceased.
* Scarab amulets allegedly provide longevity to the living.
* Scarab amulets are worn or carried to protect the heart: whether physically (heart disease), spiritually or romantically.

**Iconography:** Khephri is depicted as a man with a scarab beetle on his head; as a man with a scarab beetle head or as a scarab beetle. Sometimes he is depicted wearing a crown more usually associated with Osiris.

**See Also:** Osiris

## Smite Lore

At dawn, the sun lifts above the horizon, bathing mankind in colour and life. At dusk, it sinks beneath the edge the world, lost to sight, casting all into darkness. While the sun shines on the realm of mortal kind it is radiant Ra that guides it, but at night we share the sun with the underworld. It is not Ra that moves the sun along its subterranean path but Khepri, the scarab God, he who comes with the dawn.

Scarabs form dirt and dung into perfect spheres. Within, they lay eggs from which their young emerge fully formed. Using powerful arms and legs, scarabs can roll these spheres - many times their own size - incredible distances. It is from their father, Khepri, the sacred scarab gained this power. For the Dawn Bringer, the Sun is his sphere and all souls, living and dead, his children.
Khepri is a guardian, a protector and a friend. He is a symbol of power and loyalty.

## Appearance in Modern Media

From SmiteFrom tower of SaviorsFrom Age of IshtariaFrom Dawn of GodsFrom Blood Brothers
## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes