Around them Egyptians see a world of strange creatures which, like them, also depend on the river. Some are admired. Some are feared. All are respected. The natural world has a profound influence on the Egyptians. They see it as a world of magic. It provides a potent source of symbolism. The tilapia fish is a symbol of rebirth and this is why. The fish broods its young in the safety of its own mouth, before ejecting them in a cloud of new life. The natural and the supernatural are intimately connected. Aware that they owe everything to their river, they imagine the Nile lies at the heart of a cosmos composed of water.


在埃及人的周围世界存在着奇特的生物，它们和埃及人一样要仰赖大河维生。有些生物受到崇拜，有些生物为人所敬畏，但它们全都获得了尊重。自然界对于埃及人造成了深远的影响。他们视自然为神奇世界，万物成为象征主义的主要来源。罗非鱼就是代表重生的象征，原因就在这里。它们会在自己的嘴里安全的孕育后代，然后再喷射出新生的小生命。自然界和超自然界紧密的连结。他们深知一切都是大河所赐，他们想像著尼罗河位于汪洋宇宙的中心。