Ammit

"Beneath the lilies, Ammit stirs – all flesh and teeth and hunger.
Orange flames shoot from the corners of her mouth.
Beware the Eater of Hearts.
Beware the crocodile, lion, hippo.
Beware the snake among the white lotuses.
Turn back, Ammit, you Robber of Memory.
Turn back, Oblivion, Kidnapper of Dreams, Pirate of All Emotion.
Tear not my heart from me.
No heart shall be given to you.
No heart shall be eaten.
No heart shall beat with my thoughts inside you.
No hands shall pluck out my eyes.
No twisted fingers shall pierce my red, red heart.
Oh round and pointy-nosed Ammit, pry your fingers from my heart." - Hymn Against Ammit

Ammit was the devourer of criminal souls in the underworld, a demoness who lived by a lake of fire. Ammit was present at Maaty ("The Hall of Two Truths,") where the deceased’s heart was weighed on the scales. If the heart was maat heru (“true of voice”) it would be allowed to pass by. Ammit swallowed the hearts of those who were deemed not fit to enter. Once Ammit swallowed the heart the soul was believed to become restless forever - this was called “to die a second time.”

Ammit was not worshiped, and was never regarded as a goddess. Instead she embodied creatures that the Egyptians feared, threatening to eat them if they did not follow the principals of Ma’at. Yet although she was a terrible demon, Ammit only followed the will of the gods.

Ammit was depicted with the head of a crocodile, the front part of her body like a lion or leopard, and her back part in the form of a hippopotamus. Thus she is a combination of those animals which were considered as the most dangerous to the ancient Egyptians. It has been suggested that this composite form of land and water animals left the damned no place to escape her wrath.

The Book of the Dead says: “The Osiris, whose word is true, is holy and righteous. He has not committed any sin, and he has done no evil against us. The Devourer Ammit shall not be permitted to prevail over him.”