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Ammit

Ammit, sometimes spelled Ammut or Amit, is a figure in ancient Egyptian mythology described as a demoness or goddess of the underworld. Her name means "devourer" or "devourer of the dead." She is best known for her role in the afterlife judgment of the deceased.

Ammit is depicted as a composite creature with the head of a crocodile, the front part of

During the judgment, if the heart is found heavy with sin, Ammit devours it, and the soul

Ammit does not appear as a major cultic goddess but rather as a powerful symbol in funerary

a
lion
or
leopard,
and
the
hindquarters
of
a
hippopotamus.
This
hybrid
form
symbolizes
her
power
to
destroy
the
wicked.
In
Egyptian
funerary
belief,
she
appears
in
the
Weighing
of
the
Heart
ceremony,
where
the
deceased’s
heart
is
weighed
against
the
feather
of
Ma'at,
the
personification
of
truth
and
cosmic
order.
is
denied
entry
to
the
afterlife.
In
this
way,
Ammit
acts
as
a
guardian
of
divine
justice,
ensuring
that
immortality
is
granted
only
to
those
whose
hearts
align
with
Ma'at.
If
the
heart
is
light,
the
scale
tips
in
favor
of
the
deceased,
and
the
soul
can
proceed
to
Osiris
and
the
eternal
life
that
follows.
texts
and
tomb
art,
illustrating
the
fate
awaiting
the
dishonorable.
Her
figures
and
motif
recur
in
papyri
and
tomb
scenes,
underscoring
the
Egyptian
emphasis
on
moral
balance
and
accountability
after
death.
In
modern
times,
Ammit
has
been
featured
in
various
works
of
fiction
and
popular
culture,
drawing
on
her
role
as
the
devourer
of
the
wicked.