March 8, 2022

Egyptian Bull God in Hemophilia

I’m in Egypt, first to visit a patient with hemophilia (read this story in last week’s blog!) and second to vacation and learn all I can about ancient Egypt. It’s an incredible tour, complete with lectures and a visit from the famous Dr. Zahi Hawass!

As I am learning about the ancient gods and pharaohs, one symbol keeps appearing on the carvings on the temples and tombs. A bull with the sun sign between his horns. Where have I seen that before? It’s the logo for the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which is a Danish company.

Who was this god? He is Apis, one of the sacred animals of ancient Egypt. He represents strength and fertility. His mother is sometimes listed as Hathor, an extremely important goddess, whose temples are everywhere. I visited some and carvings everywhere show the cow and bull.  

Our guide, Mohammed, tells me Hathor is the goddess of health and motherhood, and was also the mother of the god Horus, one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt.

I just found this all so interesting. The word “logo” is defined as “meaning,” so it’s always important to choose a logo (image, color, size and intensity) that has specific meaning to the company. I think Novo Nordisk chose well!

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