Why do ancient deities appear as certain animals? In the case of an ancient Egyptian god named Thoth, the relation to its animal might be related to moonlight. Thoth was a god of magic, writing, wisdom, and the moon, and frequently appears either as a baboon or with the head of a large bird called an ibis. But we don’t really know why.
Recent work has tracked the roots of Thoth’s Egyptian name back to “bright/white thing” in North African linguistic terms and made associations with the bright white feathers of African sacred ibises, several of which have been found mummified in several ancient Egyptian burials. Furthering this line of research, a team of scientists has now investigated the colors of both animals and found that they both reflect light very similar to moonlight.
“We examined the two species of baboon accessible to ancient Egyptians, P. anubis [Papio Anubis] and P. hamadryas [Papio hamadryas], along with T. aethiopicus [Threskiornis aethiopicus], and found that the grizzled hair of P. hamadryas and plumage of T. aethiopicus have spectral profiles indistinguishable from moonlight,” the authors wrote in a study recently published in the journal Time and Mind.
The team measured the light wave frequencies reflected from the animals using an approach called spectroscopy. With this technique, researchers can avoid depending on subjective color perceptions. They ultimately found that the colors reflected by both hamadryas baboons and sacred ibises are just like moonlight, adding credence to the theory that these animals were made godly because of it.
“Why would two such different animals be used to represent one deity? Most other Egyptian deities are represented by just one type of animal. Ancient Egyptians were familiar with at least three species of ibis, but they chose the white one for embodying Thoth. They were also familiar with two species of baboon, along with vervet monkeys and patas monkeys, but again they chose the silver-white species,” Catherine Hobaiter, a primatologist at the University of St Andrews and lead author of the study, said in a statement. “So, sacred ibises and hamadryas baboons are different in many ways, but one thing that unites them is their moon-like colour.”
Many African cultures today dislike baboons, according to the statement, mostly because these primates destroy crops. Ancient Egyptians, however, went as far as to deify them, perhaps because they are moonlight-colored.
Facts Only
* Thoth is an ancient Egyptian god of magic, writing, wisdom, and the moon.
* Thoth is depicted as a baboon or as a figure with the head of an ibis.
* North African linguistic research links the name Thoth to "bright/white thing."
* African sacred ibises have been found mummified in ancient Egyptian burials.
* A research team used spectroscopy to measure light wave frequencies reflected from animals.
* The species studied were P. anubis, P. hamadryas, and T. aethiopicus.
* P. hamadryas (hamadryas baboon) and T. aethiopicus (sacred ibis) have spectral profiles similar to moonlight.
* The findings were published in the journal Time and Mind.
* Catherine Hobaiter is a primatologist at the University of St Andrews and the study's lead author.
* Ancient Egyptians were familiar with at least three species of ibis and multiple species of baboons and monkeys.
Executive Summary
The ancient Egyptian deity Thoth is uniquely represented by two distinct animals: the sacred ibis and the hamadryas baboon. While most Egyptian gods are associated with a single animal, the choice of these two specific species has long been a subject of inquiry. Recent linguistic analysis suggests Thoth's name originates from terms meaning "bright" or "white," which aligns with the physical appearance of these animals.
To test the hypothesis that these animals were chosen for their resemblance to moonlight, researchers utilized spectroscopy to analyze the light wave frequencies reflected by their fur and feathers. The results indicated that the spectral profiles of the hamadryas baboon and the sacred ibis are nearly indistinguishable from moonlight. This provides a scientific basis for the theory that the animals were deified due to their moon-like coloration, despite their biological differences.
Full Take
SKEPTICAL MODE:
The strongest version of this narrative is that science can provide a physical, empirical basis for ancient symbolic choices, bridging the gap between linguistic evolution and biological reality. By using spectroscopy, the researchers move the conversation from subjective "color" to objective "spectral profiles," suggesting that the ancient Egyptians were observing a specific physical property of light.
The narrative relies heavily on a "convergent evidence" pattern—linking linguistics, archaeology (mummies), and physics (spectroscopy)—to create a sense of inevitability in the conclusion. However, the jump from "these animals look like moonlight" to "this is why they were deified" is an inferential leap. The data shows a physical similarity, but it cannot prove the psychological or theological intent of people who lived thousands of years ago.
Root Cause: This reflects a modern paradigm of "scientific archaeology," where we seek to find a rational, materialist explanation for spiritual or mythological phenomena. It assumes that ancient symbolic systems were driven by observable physical analogies rather than complex social or purely metaphysical constructions.
Implications: This approach validates the observation skills of ancient cultures but risks reducing rich mythology to mere optical coincidences. If all mythology is reduced to "spectral profiles," we may lose sight of the cultural and ritualistic contexts that define human meaning.
Bridge Questions: Are there other moon-colored animals or minerals the Egyptians ignored, and why? Would the theory hold if the spectral profile of a common stone or plant also matched moonlight?
Counterstrike Scan: A coordinated influence campaign using this would likely employ "scientific veneer" to present speculative history as settled fact to push a specific cultural agenda. This content does not match that pattern; it presents a specific study's findings without attempting to rewrite a broader geopolitical or social narrative.
Patterns detected: none
Sentinel — Human
The text blends historical speculation with recent scientific research effectively, displaying characteristics of investigative journalism rather than purely synthetic generation.