Ancient Egyptian Mythology: Learn the Deities
By Sarbashree Mallik
Ancient Egyptians were among the first civilizations to practice the scientific arts, embalming, engineering, stone architecture, and astronomy. Mythology and religion were the cornerstones of the Egyptian civilization. The ancient Egyptian society was based upon three pillars; religion, Pharaoh, and military.
Primordial Gods, a.k.a. the Ogdoad of Ancient Egypt:
Egyptians believed that the Gods came down upon Earth in four pairs, hence, Ogdoad (eight) Gods. Each of these pairs had unique attributes and ruled in their respective domains. “Heh and Hauhet” were bestowed with formlessness, “Kek and Kauket” were darkness, “Amun and Amaunet,” were hiddenness, and “Nun and Naunet” were the primordial waters. However, ancient Egyptian myth suggests that when the Primordial Mountain rose from the chaotic dark waters, God Atum or Ra came into existence. It was believed that he created the new Gods of Ancient Egypt.
The Gods of Egypt:
Ra or Atum: The Sun God of Egypt. The supreme lord of the Gods, creator of the universe, and human beings. Ra created himself on the primeval hill amidst the chaos and stabilized Egypt's divine order. He was the great Sun God of Heliopolis and acquired an apex position of divinity during the 5th dynasty.
Shu and Tefnut: On the primeval hill, Ra created himself along with the first pair of Gods; he created the twin God and Goddess, Shu (Dryness and Air), and his partner or female consort Tefnut (Humidity). They were the firstborn of Ra.
Nut and Geb: They were the twins conceived by Tefnut and Shu. Nut was the sky above and Geb the Earth. While the twins embraced one another, there was no place for a world to form. Shu forced his kids apart, upended on Geb's body, and held Nut high above. However, Tefnut became the Goddess of moisture and mist, moderating the dry air while filling the space, so, that Nut and Geb can be together.
Osiris: He was known as the “Lord of the Dead” one of the first four Gods born out of Nut at the dawn of creation. He was tricked and murdered by his evil brother Seth; however, his wife Isis resurrected him from the dead. Later, he became the God of the Underworld (afterlife). In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, Osiris is mentioned as the unbiased judge in the Hall of Truth.
Isis: She was associated as the "Mother of the Gods." She was the second-born of the first four Gods. Isis was the sister-wife of Osiris, mother of Horus, and symbolically known as “the mother of every king.” After Osiris was murdered, Isis collected his body with the help of her sister Nephthys and nephew Anubis. They accomplished the first mummification in Egyptian history and revived Osiris from the dead.
Seth: The God of chaos, storms, virulent disease, and the evil brother of Osiris. His name also meant "Leader of Confusion" and "Destroyer.” Seth was depicted as a red beast with cloven feet and a forked tail.
Nephthys: She was the funerary Goddess, one of the first four Gods born of Geb and Nut. Nephthys was the wife of Set, twin sister of Isis, and mother of Anubis. Her name meant "Mistress of the Temple Enclosure" or "Mistress of the House,” denoting a heavenly house or temple.
Horus: The falcon-headed God of Egypt. He was the son of Osiris and Isis. Horus was associated with the sun, sky, and power. After avenging his father Osiris’ death by defeating his evil uncle Seth, he became the first king of Egypt.
Anubis: The God of the dead, embalming, and protector of graves. He is the jackal-headed God associated as the patron God of lost souls and the helpless. Anubis is the God of mummification, and he guides the soul towards the Hall of Truth.
Ma’at: The Goddess of truth, justice, and harmony. She set the stars in the sky and attuned the seasons. Ma’at embodied 42 principles of harmony which became the pivot of Ancient Egypt. Ma’at was depicted as a woman wearing a crown with an ostrich feather.
Thoth: The God of writing and wisdom, truth, and integrity. He was the Ibis-headed God and one of the most imperative deities in the Egyptian pantheon worshipped from the Predynastic Period. Thoth was also considered as the God of medicine.
Montu: The God associated with war. Montu was represented as a man with a falcon’s head, wearing a crown of two plumes with a double uraeus (rearing cobra) on his forehead. He rose to prominence in the 11th Dynasty at Thebes. The Greeks equated him with Apollo.
Ptah: He was the great God of Memphis, creator-God and maker of things, a patron of craftsmen, especially sculptors, and lord of truth. Ptah was among the Memphis Triad; his female consort was Sekhmet and his son was Nefertem.
Sekhmet: She was the leonine deity usually depicted as a woman with the head of a lion and body of a woman. She was also the daughter of Ra, known as the "Destroyer of the Nubians," she also brought natural disasters and later plagues were known as "Messengers of Sekhmet."
Bastet: She was the lovely Goddess of cats, women's secrets, childbearing, fertility, and protector of the household against evil or misfortune. Bastet was the daughter of Ra and closely associated with Hathor.
Hathor: She was the cow-headed Goddess and worshipped as the Goddess of the sky, fertility, music, and dance. Hathor was the wife of Horus and the symbolic mother of the pharaoh or ruler of Egypt.
Amun: The God of the Sun and air. He was among the Theban Triad of Egypt, also known as Triad of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. Their son Khonsu is also known as "The Traveler" and he was the God of the Moon.
Sobek: A crocodile-headed God who was worshipped as the lord of marshes and wetlands of Egypt. Sobek was the God of water; however, he was also associated with medicine, particularly surgery.
Khnum: Khenmu or Khnum was depicted as a ram-headed God symbolizing virility, manhood, and fertility. He was the patron God of potters and those who worked in ceramics.
Heka: He was among the oldest Gods of Egypt. Heka was the patron God of magic and medicine along with the primordial source of power in the universe.
Bes: He who protected the children and women of Egypt. Bes was the God of childbirth, fertility, sexuality, humor, and war, popularly known as the dwarf God.
The list can go on because Egyptian mythology and religion are some of the most wonderful documented parts of our ancient history. The conception of mastaba, tombs, Pyramids, mortuary temples, and the theory of “Ka and Ba” came from the Egyptians. When we dig more into their lives, we can see that they were exceptionally well-versed in harnessing the forces of nature and magic. Religion played an impeccable role in shaping Egyptian civilization.