Amemet

Amemet, also spelled Ammemet, Ammit, or Ahemait, is a composite demoness in ancient Egyptian mythology known as the devourer of the dead. Her name derives from Egyptian terms meaning devourer. In most depictions she bears the head of a crocodile, the body of a lion or lioness, and the hindquarters of a hippopotamus, making her a triadic creature. She is often described as a female demon rather than a goddess.

In Egyptian belief, Amemet appears in the judgment scene of the afterlife. During the Weighing of the Heart, the deceased's heart is weighed against the feather of Ma'at, representing truth and cosmic order. If the heart is heavier or judged unworthy, Amemet devours the heart, thereby annihilating the soul’s chance of immortality and preventing it from entering the realm of the blessed.

Amemet is closely tied to concepts of morality, order, and the consequences of wrongdoing in the afterlife. She appears in tomb inscriptions and papyri related to the judgment of the dead, but there is little evidence of independent cult worship dedicated to her. Instead, she functions as a personification of divine justice and the peril that awaits the wicked.

In modern times, Amemet has appeared in popular culture, including literature, film, and games, where the figure is often drawn from her recognizable composite form and role as the entombing devourer. Scholarly works typically distinguish Amemet from related figures such as Ammit, noting their shared iconography and function.