12 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022NATURAL HISTORYwhose “flipped” orientation allows it to
position its mouth close to the water’s
surface, from where it appears to be
swimming upside down.Catfish for Kings
Most of the animals associated with
ancient Egypt were popular in the ico-
nography of the New Kingdom (1539-
1075 b.c.). The humble catfish was an icon
thousands of years before then, during the
Middle and Old Kingdoms and even the
Predynastic Period.
The catfish’s use as icon can be traced
back to one of the oldest Egyptian artifacts,
the Narmer Palette. Around 3000 b.c.,
Narmer is said to have led Upper Egypt
in its conquest of Lower Egypt, thereby
uniting the land and founding Egypt’s
1st dynasty. The palette depicts Narmer
striking down an enemy with a mace; ar-
chaeologists know the victorious figure is
Narmer because his name appears above
him. It consists of two hieroglyphs: n’r
(catfish) and mr (chisel).
In their names, pharaohs would
attempt to align themselves with the kind
of wild animals that would command
respect. “The aggressive, controlling
power of wild animals is a common
theme in elite of the late Predynastic
Period,” wrote Egyptologist Toby A.H.
Wilkinson. “Within the belief-system of
the late Predynastic Period, the catfish
was evidently viewed as a symbol of
domination and control, an ideal motif
with which to associate the king.”C
obras, cats, and vultures are
among the most popular ani-
mals depicted in Egyptian art,
but the humble catfish once
reigned supreme in the ico-
nography of the civilization by the Nile.
Common to every continent except Ant-
arctica, catfish are the most diverse group
of fish on earth. The 2,000 to 3,000 spe-
cies have some remarkable characteris-
tics, so it is little wonder they attracted
the attention of the Egyptians, one of the
most animal-conscious ancient cultures.
Named for its feline-like whiskers,
called barbels, a catfish has finely honed
senses that allow it to survive and find
food in murky, muddy waters. Onefamily of catfish has a respiratory system
that allows it to use atmospheric oxygen.
This is most spectacularly employed by
the walking catfish (Clarias batrachus),
familiar today as an invasive species in
Florida, which uses its fins to waddle over
land.
The ancient Egyptians had intimate
knowledge of the several species of catfish
that they observed among the rich life of
the Nile River. Individual species are often
clearly identifiable in Egyptian art and
iconography.
A gold pendant (above) from the early
second millennium b.c. is so naturalistic,
it can be easily identified as the upside-
down catfish, Synodontis batensoda,Catfish of the Nile:
Whiskered
Icon of Egypt
At the dawn of ancient Egypt, the remarkable catfish occupied
an important part in Egyptian cosmology. Its survival abilities
became a symbol of both power and protection.UPSIDE-DOWN CATFISH GOLDEN
PENDANT. CA 1878-1749 B.C. ROYAL
MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND, EDINBURGHTHE NARMER PALETTE CELEBRATES THE MIGHT OF ITS NAMESAKE, NARMER. ABOVE THE FIGURE OF THE
PHARAOH IS HIS ROYAL NAME, SPELLED WITH THE HIEROGLYPHS FOR “CATFISH” AND “CHISEL.” THE SAME
SIGNATURE APPEARS ON THE REVERSE SIDE AS WELL. CA 3000 B.C. EGYPTIAN MUSEUM, CAIROBRIDGEMAN/ACIALAMY/ACI