text: In Ancient Egyptian Religion , the hippopotamus-headed Tawaret was a goddess of protection in pregnancy and childbirth , because ancient Egyptians recognized the protective nature of a female hippopotamus toward her young .
simplified: In Egyptian mythology , Tawaret , a goddess of protection in pregnancy and childbirth , had the head of a hippo . This was because ancient Egyptians saw how protective female hippopotamuses could be about their young .