Thoth was considered one of the most important deities of the Egyptian pantheon. In art, he was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a baboon, animals sacred to him. Thoth played many vital and prominent roles in Egyptian mythology, such as maintaining the universe, and being one of the two deities (the other being Ma'at) who stood on either side of Ra's boat. In the later history of ancient Egypt, Thoth became heavily associated with the arbitration of godly disputes, the arts of magic, the system of writing, the development of science, and the judgment of the dead.

Iris, The Happy Professor or (Professor Iris, as it was called in the United States, where it aired on TLC as part of Ready Set Learn) was a Canadian-produced television puppet show that ran from 1992 to 1994, revolving around Professor Iris, a purple ibis who taught his class, which included his three students; Piano, Skeleton, and Plant. The Professor would teach a variety of subjects to his students and would always wear bow ties based on whatever the lesson was, not unlike Ms. Frizzle and her dresses from The Magic School Bus. Also featured on the show was Ms. Principal, the school's headmistress who would often come in, complaining about the noises.