Apuleius 67or animals had a vestibule where the people could
come to see the Apis and the mother of the Apis.
The Great Festival to the Black OneThe ancient Egyptians believed that it was neces-
sary to honor the Apis bull outdoors to establish
a connection between the people and the real liv-
ing Ausar. During this great festival, which lasted
for 7 days, multitudes of believers would come
from far distant towns and villages to get a
glimpse of the Apis bull.
Masses of people would gather in Mennefer
from every possible place to honor the Apis, to see
the Apis with their own eyes, and to be healed if
possible by just touching those who had seen the
bull. Those who were sick, infirmed, or otherwise
afflicted with psychological or physical problems
would congregate in the city for the 7-day festival.
Priests and priestesses in multicolored clothes
made of animal skins and linens would lead the
sacred Apis bull in a solemn procession through
the streets of Mennefer so that the people could
see with their own eyes the god in the flesh.
Parents would put their children forward, often
lifting them high so they could see over the
crowds, in the hope that their children would
smell the bull. It was thought that if a child
smelled the bull, that child would have the power
of predicting the future. Such a gift would serve
the child and his family well, thus the intense
desire to see and smell the Apis bull.
The priests who kept the court and temple of
the Apis bull also ran the oracle of Apis. Those
people who wanted to consult the living image of
Ausar could, with the proper permission, be
allowed to ask the Apis bull for his opinion. If the
bull were consulted, food would be offered to
him, and if the food was accepted, then the omen
was good; but if the bull rejected the food, then
the omen was bad.
A New ApisBecause bulls did not live forever, the priests who
attended the Apis had to be ready to search for
another bull with the proper signs once the Apis
died. Some have argued that the priests usually
killed by drowning the Apis once it reached 25
years of age. A major funeral was held for the
bull. It was then mummified, and the sarcophagus
was taken by sledge through the town with the
priests dressed in leopard skins wailing and sob-
bing to their god.
When the new bull was discovered, it was
taken to the City of the Nile and kept for 40 days,
during which time priestesses were the only ones
who could go near the bull. When the time was
completed, the bull was transported to Mennefer
on a boat with a golden cabin made especially for
the Apis. When the new Apis appeared, the people
greeted it with as much joy as they had shown
sorrow for the loss of the last Apis bull. All is
restored and the Great Black One lives forever as
Ausar lives forever.Molefi Kete AsanteSee alsoAnimalsFurther Readings
Armour, R. (2004).Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt.
Cairo: American University Press.
Hornung, E. (1996).Conception of God in Ancient
Egypt:The One and the Many. Ithaca, NY: Cornell
University Press.APULEIUS
In the second century of the Christian Era, Lucius
Apuleius wrote an account of the religion of Isis that
readers have loved. Apuleius was knowledgeable of
the ancient customs of Egypt and Greece and gave
his attention to trying to recast the information
from past thinkers. He is known for his interest in
Platonic philosophy, magical formulas, and histori-
cal mysteries. In fact, he was charged with casting
magical spells on his wife and defended himself in a
work calledApologia. However, for African schol-
ars and those interested in African religion, he is
most famous for his book calledMetamorphoses,or
The Golden Ass.
During the Roman Empire, the African deity
Auset, called Isis by the Greeks, became one of
the most celebrated of all goddesses. She was
worshipped, exalted, and praised in every part of
the Roman world. Originating in Upper Egypt,