Ancient Egyptian bestiary: Leopards

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Leopards

Panthers, like most wild cats, have a short fuse. Their fierceness was used metaphorically, as in the tale of Prince Pedikhons and Queen Serpot, (they attacked like panthers) and their temper was proverbial among Egyptians who used it often to describe royal ire. Piye when reading the report of his victorious troops

raged about it like a panther: "Are you continuing to fight while delaying my orders? It is the year for making an end, for putting fear of me in Lower Egypt, and inflicting on them a great and severe beating!" .
M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Vol.2, p.72

Sometimes kept as pets by royalty, leopards were also hunted for their skins, which were worn by priests and pharaohs on certain occasions, like the opening of the mouth ceremony.

It is well with Unas and his ka,
Unas shall live with his ka,
His panther skin is on him,
His staff in his arm, his scepter in his hand.
M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Vol.1, p.34

The goddess Mafdet, mistress of punishment and helpmate of the dead, was sometimes worshipped in the form of a leopard.