Egyptian Hippos Entered Tombs Legless

Around 50 to 60 blue faience hippopotamus statuettes have survived from ancient Egypt. Although Egyptians associated hippos with fertility and rebirth, they also feared the dangerous animals and linked them with chaotic forces. Before placing the statuettes in tombs, they often snapped off their legs so the hippos could not eat the deceased person's soul. One famous example, William at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has three restored legs that ancient Egyptians deliberately broke before burying it near the tomb chapel of the steward Senbi II at Meir.

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