Alligator and Crocodile in Myth and Folklore

What makes crocodiles even more frightening is the suddenness with which they strike. Most of the time, they appear utterly lethargic, yet they can rouse themselves almost instantly and attack, for short periods, with remarkable speed. Sometimes a lunge will thrust a crocodile partially out of the water until, for a second or so, it seems almost to be standing upright.

Unlike lions, for example, crocodiles can still inspire a sort of primeval terror, yet they do not seem entirely alien to us. The expressions in the eyes of most reptiles are almost impossible for us to read, but those of crocodiles sometimes appear to share a glimmer of human awareness. Female crocodiles care briefly for their young, and according to some observers, crocodiles may even engage in communal hunts. The upturned mouth of a crocodile can appear to be a perpetual smile, but the large teeth that always protrude on the sides give it a sinister aspect.

Crocodiles are closely identified with wetlands and, in consequence, with irrigation and fertility. According to legend, Menes, the first king of Egypt, was hunting when he fell into a swamp. His dogs failed to help him, but a friendly crocodile ferried the monarch to safety on its back. At the place where he arrived in safety, Menes founded the city of Crocopolis, where the crocodile-god Sebek was worshipped. Much the same story was later told of Saint Pachome, who founded a monastic order in Egypt during the third century. He was so beloved of animals that crocodiles would ferry him across the Nile River to whatever destination he might indicate. The Greek historian Herodotus reported that Egyptians in some districts killed and ate crocodiles, but those in others considered the animals sacred. In Crocopolis priests would place a tame crocodile in a temple, and golden ornaments would be placed in its ears and bracelets on its legs. Pilgrims would bring the holy crocodile special offerings to eat, and after death, it would be embalmed and placed in a coffin. Herodotus, who visited the labyrinthine temple containing the remains of crocodiles and kings at Crocopolis, wrote, “Though the pyramids were greater than words can tell, . . . this maze surpasses even the pyramids” (book 2, section 148).

Other mythologies throughout the world reflect admiration for the crocodile and its power. The dragon of Chinese mythology, which appeared to the emperor Fu Hsi out of the Yellow River, resembled a crocodile with its teeth and short legs, though stylized almost beyond recognition. A Muslim legend from Malaysia held that Fatima, daughter of Muhammed, created the first crocodile. In some parts of Java, mothers would traditionally wrap the placenta of their children in leaves and place it in a river as an offering to ancestral spirits that had become crocodiles.