Showing posts with label Gods of Ancient Egypt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gods of Ancient Egypt. Show all posts

Friday, 11 August 2017

Ra - The Sun God

Ra - The Sun God

The Sun God in ancient Egypt was primarily known as Ra, he was often known as the king of the gods and was thus the patron of the pharaoh and one of the central gods in the Egyptian period. Ra was known to be the one who created everything and he was very powerful and popular and was worshipped all throughout Egypt. His worship was so enduring that in today’s time some believe that the Egyptian religion has just one god and that was Ra. Some other names by which the Sun god is known are Re Patron of: the sun, heaven, kingship, power, light.


Appearance

Ra most commonly appeared as a sun god who wore the sun disk on his head. He was also represented as a man having a hawk head and wearing a headdress with a sun disk.

The people in ancient Egypt believed that Ra was the ruler of heavens and he was the bringer of light, the god of the sun and the patron of the kings. As per legend its believed that the sun travels in the sky when Ra drives his chariot through the heavens. Initially Ra was linked only with the noon sun but later on he got associated with the presence of the sun at the entire day. Ra was said to be the commander of not just the sky, but the earth and the underworld as well.


What people in ancient Egypt believed about Ra

Ra different from other gods worshiped in ancient Egypt was strictly a celestial god. And its due to his position in the sky that he is able to watch over his independent children. Horus is said to be the proxy of Ra who rules on the earth. People in ancient Egypt took sun to be the source of life and the power. Light, energy and warmth of the sun was what helped the crops grow every season, Thus the cult of Ra was said to possess great power and was popularly known. By the fourth dynasty, the pharaohs were believed to be seen as incarnations of Ra for obtaining absolute powers. Many kings got temples and pyramids constructed in the honor of Ra to keep him happy and to guarantee a long and prosperous rule as a pharaoh.

Another belief about Ra by the ancient Egyptians was that he was swallowed every night by the sky goddess Nut, and was reborn every morning. Another belief was that Ra traveled though the underworld at night in which form he was represented as a man having a head of a ram.


The bottom line

Ra was worshipped widely throughout the country and he was referred as the principal sun god for centuries. The two variants of Ra which are popularly known are Amun Ra and Ra-Atum or Atum-Ra. Even today some Egyptologists and followers of Kemeticism believe Ra to be the supreme god of the sun and still honor him greatly. Ra was the almost universally-worshipped king of the gods and all-father of creation.

Nut - The Sky Goddess

Nut - The Sky Goddess

Nut, the sky goddess is known by a legend that her body created a vault or canopy over the earth. Her appearance as a woman whose body arches across the sky wearing a dress adorned with stars is very popular. Nut is said to have been the mother of Isis, Osiris. Nepthys and Seth and she was the wife and sister of the god of the earth, Geb. There was a popular myth associated with goddess Nut in ancient Egypt who thought that Nut swallowed Sun god Ra at the end of the day and gave him birth again on the next morning. The birth of the children of Nut is said to coincide with the five epagomenal days of the years and every year each of these five days were celebrated in Egypt.


More about Nut

Nut was the personification of the heavens and the sky and she was the daughter of Shu and Tefnut and the granddaughter of Atum or Ra who was often popular as the creator god. The husband and brother of Nut was the earth god, Geb. She was even said to be the mother of Ra, the sun god. In one myth it’s said that Ra used the Atet (or Matet) boat to travel across her body until noon and then used the Sektet boat until sunset.



The role and representation of goddess Nut

Nut was often referred as a cow goddess who got some of the qualities of Hathor. It’s believed that when Ra became tired of ruling she took him up into the heavens on her back in the form of a cow. She is more commonly represented as a naked woman covered with stars and her body is held in an arch facing downwards. Her legs and arms are the pillars of the sky and the feet and hands touch the ground at four cardinal points on the horizon. Geb is often depicted beneath Nut. Because of her association with rebirth of sun, Nut became a mother like figure and protector of the dead whose picture was painted on the inside lid of the sarcophagus in order to protect the mummy. There were many festivals dedicated in the honor of Nut and celebrated throughout Egypt. Festival of Nut and Ra" and the "Feast of Nut" are two of them. Nut is said to appear in numerous depictions, yet no temples or specific cult centers are linked to her.

The most important Myth

The myth of Nut swallowing the Sun god at the end of the day and giving rebirth at the start of next morning is very famous and the same is told with many alterations.

Seth - The God of Chaos

Seth - The God of Chaos

Seth, the god of Chaos, was known to represent everything that threatened harmony in Egypt. He was the brother/husband of Nephthys and the brother of Isis and Osiris. His cult is believed to be the oldest in Egypt and Seth seems to have created plenty of mayhem. Over time the concept of Seth changed in Egypt as initially he was known as a beneficial god but lived in the realm of the blessed god. It’s said that Egyptians prayed and worshipped Seth so that he would take care of the dead family members.



The various forms of god Seth

Usually Seth was depicted as a man having a head of an animal that was known as Seth animals and had tall, Snout, rectangular ears and a thin canine body with long forked tail. The body of this animal had fur tufts which were shaped like inverted arrows. Most images of Seth show him holding an ankh in one hand and a was staff in another. The staff was a long staff which has head of Seth animal on top and was forked at the bottom.

He was also illustrated as different animals like the antelope, the boar, the ass and the crocodile. He was also associated with some poisonous creatures like scorpion and snakes and less as a hippopotamus.

Seth was the personification of drought and as lord of the desert and the drought he was an opponent of everything that bore life. He was also known by Egyptians as the war and storm god. The god was linked with planet mercury and the color red. The people thus rivaled people with red skin and even killed animals having red fur.



The worship of god Seth

It’s believed that Seth was among the two gods who gave pharaohs power and authority and was thus respected a lot for his powers. Some kings were also named behind his name and many others used the Seth animal as part of their emblem.

In Egypt there are two main festivals linked with god Seth’s worship. One is among the five intercalary days which were celebrated just before the New Year started. The five days were celebrated as birthdays of the five osiranian gods. The second festival to his honor was a ritual reenactment. This festival reenacted Horus’ defeat of Seth.



Temple of Seth

Tukh or Ombos is one of the centers where god Seth was worshipped. Most part of the temple is now destroyed but the remaining is what dates to the New Kingdom period. A huge scepter was found here which was dedicated by Amenhotep III to Seth and is said to be the largest faience object ever found in Egypt. Other center of worship was Avaris, the capital of the Hyksos these people worshipped him, as he was a chief god known as the storm god.

Artifacts

Images on temples are the most common artifacts associated with God Seth. The images also illustrate the many myths linked with him. The scepters in the temples of Seth are believed to be dedications to the god made by pharaohs and his worshippers.

Ma'at - The God of Justice

Ma'at - The God of Justice

Ma’at often referred as a goddess is more commonly considered to be an idea and is said to be core to the conceptions of the universe and in maintaining the balance and divine order in ancient Egypt. The name Ma’at represents that which is straight or truth and often stands for balance, order and justice. Thus the goddess was the personification of order and harmony. She is said to have originated when Ra rose from the waters of Nun and thus she is often referred as the daughter of Ra. Also some consider her to be the wife of the god of wisdom, Thoth.

Some more about Ma'at

Ma’at in ancient Egypt was represented as the goddess of truth, justice, divine order, cosmic order and balance. She is represented with wings of the vulture which is her sacred animal and the feather of truth in her headdress. She is often shown carrying an ankh which is the key of life and sometimes a scepter. The presence of this goddess seems to have been since the old kingdom. She is often referred as the eye of Ra. Thoth is her equivalent husband and brother Set is the opposite. The Goddess Ma'at was most cherished by the pharaohs and kings of ancient Egypt, and most of them were referred to as "Beloved of Ma'at." Pharaohs would carry an effigy of Ma'at seated as a sign that he represented her regime.


Judges during the ancient Egyptian period wore an emblem of the goddess on their chest and all Egyptians were urged to seek her. Invoking the goddess is considered important for righting wrong and to the help the truth and understanding emerge from any situation. Invoking Ma’at also helps in bringing a person to the beginning of earth, finding common ground, balance and in embodying righteousness.

Representations

Ma’at was represented as a woman who wore a crown with a single ostrich feather in her headdress. She was often represented as a winged goddess; the totem was a stone platform which stood for stable foundation on which order was constructed the primeval mount which is said to have first originated from the waters of Nun or chaos.


The role of Ma'at

After a person die their soul was taking into the Hall of Double Justice by the god of wisdom, Thoth. Here there was presence of others gods like lord of the dead, Osiris also there were 42 assessors or judges of Ma’at goddess. The heart which is touted to be the essence of any person is weighed here in the scales of justice with the feather from the headdress of Ma’at on the other side. For a person with a good life the scales will be balanced but for those who have committed a crime the heart would weigh heavier after which the person is eaten by the goddess Ammut. The balanced hearts were led to Osiris by Ma’at where they were allowed to join with the celestial gods for all eternity. Ma'at ruled over all 3 worlds; even the gods had to obey her rulings.

Isis - The Goddess of Fertility

Isis - The Goddess of Fertility

The goddess of fertility, Isis was also known as the goddess of motherhood, fertility, magic, death, healing and rebirth and she was worshipped in ancient Egypt. Isis was the first daughter of Geb and Nut who were the god of the earth and the goddess of the sky respectively. Isis was the sister of Osiris who later on became his wife. The son of Isis and Osiris was Horus. Other names by which she was known in Egypt are Auset, Aset or Eset, which are words that were often associated with the word throne. After the death of Osiris, his husband, Isis took over as the goddess of the dead and the funeral rites. She was both the sister and wife of Osiris but in ancient Egypt incest was seen as up to standard in the lives of the Egyptian Gods as it helped in retaining the sacred bloodline of the gods. Isis was also touted as the mother and protector of the Pharaohs.


Some more about Isis


Isis was usually represented as a woman donning a long sheath dress and an empty throne as her headdress. The empty headdress represented the death of her husband and her role as the seat of the power of the pharaoh. In some scenes she is seen as a woman with a headdress of a solar disc and horn. In some rare scenes she is a woman with the head of a cow. She is also represented as the goddess of the wind as a woman with outstretched wings. She is also seen with Horus her son and a crown and a vulture. She is also seen as a woman holding a lotus. In the heavens, her symbol is the star Sept (Sirius). The scared animals of Isis are the cows, snakes and scorpions. She is also the patron of hawks, swallows, doves and vultures.

Isis as goddess of  motherhood and fertility


Isis was referred to be the mother goddess where she represented the maternal spirit in the purest form. She was the divine life giver and was honored as the mother of one of the most powerful gods, Horus. She was said to be the mother of all the pharaohs and entire Egypt. She played the part of nursing Horus along with Hathor. Isis is also known for offering Egyptians the knowledge of cultivation and the advantages of the river Nile. It is believed that the annual inundation of the Nile was tears of Isis which came out because of her husband’s death preceded by the appearance of the star Sept (Sirius) in the sky. This legend till today is known as the yearly celebration known as “The Night of the Drop”.

Ihy - The God of Music

Ihy - The God of Music

The Egyptian god of music, Ihy is said to have played a minor role in the mythology. His name has been mentioned at very few places in the Book of the Dead and on the texts on the Coffin. he represented childhood, joy and music. As a child god, Ihy was known to complete the view of gods being connected as a family.


Appearance of Ihy

At the Dandera temple in the Mammisi, Ihy is represented as a young boy who is naked. He wore side locks of braided hair which show that his age was not more than 14 years. One of his hands is seen holding a finger to his mouth while in the second he holds a Sistrum which is a rattle made of bronze or brass and is sacred. He is shown wearing the sacred menat necklace and a white and red Pshent crown which is decorated with the uraeus.


 Some more about Ihy

Ihy was often referred as the Sistrum player where the sistrum is said to have close link with Hathor who was also his mother. No temple specifically to the name of Ihy has been found but he was worshipped in the temple of Hathor located in the Dandera temple complex as the son of Horus and Hathor. His appearance in the coffin texts and as lord of bread in the Book of Dead is seen and was in charge of beer because maybe due to Hathor’s association with intoxication and beer.

The Royal Family

Even being a minor god in Egypt. But Ihy is said to have an impressive family tree. He is said to be the child of Horus, Isis, Sekhmet or Neith. Later on it was confirmed that Ihy was the first child of Ra and Hathor. His position as a perfect child made Ihy very loved in the family. Even being represented beautifully in all texts but Ihy was said to have been feared in ancient Egypt. Even being a child god Ihy was still seen with great respect.

Conception and birth of Ihy have been memorialized in the birthing house at the temple of Hathor at Dandera. Also Ihy along with his siblings were significant in transforming the perception of Hathor being a vengeful goddess and after this she was also known as a kind and loving mother.

Various names and  mentions of  Ihy

Ihy as the god of music represented the playful side of childhood. He was often viewed as actual joy that came after playing the sistrum and in Upper Egypt playing sistrum was an important part of the worship of Hathor. Ihy over time was linked with much more than music. His connection with Hathor transformed him into a god of pleasure, lust and fertility. He was also referred as the Lord of Bread as in charge of beer and many Egyptians believe that in order to connect with god Hathor the person must become intoxicated first and worshipping Ihy in this way can help in reaching his mother.

Horus - The Egyptian Falcon God

Horus - The Egyptian Falcon God

The Egyptian falcon god, god Horus is among the most famous gods worshipped in ancient Egypt. Airlines Egypt air has even symbolized their logo with Horus because of the ancient importance as a winged god of the sky. Horus’s name itself says that the falcon soars above all the other inhabitants of the land and was also a natural symbol of any king who ruled over Egypt. The symbol of Egypt Air symbolizes it correctly of flying throughout Egypt and across the world.


Some more about Horus

Horus was also among the oldest gods of Egypt and his name is associated with the start of the dynastic period. Depictions of a falcon on the artifacts from the Narmer palette show how old he was. The use of the name of Horus was very popular across Egyptian history and as a personal name Hor still seems to be used in a number of different forms


How Horus became Horus

Every pharaoh of Egypt is said to be an incarnation of Horus who as per the legends is said to have conquered the evil god Seth in Upper Egypt. Seth is said to be the god of confusion and turmoil who killed Osiris who was the father of Horus. Horus in order to take revenge for his father’s death then became the god of justice and order. Thus the pharaoh Horus in ancient Egypt became Horus on earth who was the ruler of both upper and Lower Egypt. Horus is represented by the Hawk as the god of the sky. It’s a symbol of divine kingship and the protector of the one who is ruling.

The meaning and significance


The name Horus meant foresighted where one of his eye represented the sun and the other moon. Sun was referred as Horakhty or Horus in horizon and thus Horus was also touted to be the god of the east and the rising sun. Horus as a falcon or a hawk could even take a human shape. Horus was also known as the god of the Nile Delta and then he became the king of upper and Lower Egypt and the symbol of kingship because it was Horus who led to the union of the two kingdoms.

Some famous scenes

In the later period Horus took a new form when he became known as a god and was represented as a naked child standing above a crocodile holding in his hands snakes, scorpions and lions. After this he was known as a healing god for the people with snake bites and scorpion stings. Among the most famous scenes of Horus is one where he is represented as a falcon perching on a throne behind the head of king Khafre who was the builder of the second pyramid in Giza. The falcon here embraces the king to help him fly into the sky. In another scene Isis is shown nursing Horus. Where Hathor and Isis nurse and raise him to take revenge from Seth the one who killed his father. Ancient Egyptian literature depicts great battles between Horus and Seth and how Horus defeated Seth and united the two lands of Egypt. Therefore he was also known as Horus the fighter.

Hathor - The Cow Goddess

Hathor - The Cow Goddess 

Hathor the cow goddess is among the most famous goddesses worshipped in ancient Egyptian era. Also referred as the great one of many Names, she had many titles which made her very important in every sphere of life right from birth till death. Her worship was widespread in the pre dynastic era as her name was found on the Narmer palette. Hathor was also known as the goddess of motherhood, joy and love. The goddess was also known to be the protectress of pregnant women and a midwife. Also known as the goddess of music and dancing in this form she was represented by the symbol of the sistrum. Hathor was also linked with the inundation of Nile for being the goddess of moisture and fertility goddess.


Representations of Hathor

Originally worshipped as a cow she was sometimes represented as a cow having stars. Later on she was represented as a woman having a head of a cow and still later on as a full human. The face then was placid and broad and in some pictures she is depicted having ears or horns of a cow. Some pictures show her wearing a headdress resembling two horns with the moon disk between them. A cow standing in the boats surrounded by tall papyrus reeds represent her sometimes. As the "Mistress of the Necropolis" she was shown as the head of a cow protruding from a mountainside, where she is wearing a menat necklace symbolizing rebirth.



The many forms of Hathor

Hathor took many forms including woman, goose, cat, malachite, lion, Sycamore fir which are just few of the many. The most famous manifestation of Hathor is a cow and even as a woman where she is seen having ears of a cow or a pair of horns. As a cow she was always shown having beautiful eyes and she was mostly shown in the color red even though her sacred color was turquoise. Also an unusual fact with Hathor is that only she and the dwarf God Bes were depicted in portrait form. It’s said that Isis was similar to Hathor in many ways and in some pictures it’s very difficult to say that which of the two goddesses have been shown.


Hathor was considered to be an embodiment of success and power and was not believed to have experienced doubts. Hathor was believed to be very goal centric and single minded to pursuit her goals. In the form of Sekhmet she took no pity on the people and did not stop killing them even when she was ordered to do the same.

The change of role

During later times when the cult of Osiris gained popularity, the role of Hathor changed. She was now known to welcome the arrival of the deceased to the underworld. Who dispersed water to their soul from the branches of a sycamore and also offered food. Hathor was also represented as a cow suckling the soul of the dead, thus giving them help during their mummification, their journey to the hall of judgment, and the weighing of soul. During later time deceased women associated themselves as Hathor as men identified with Osiris.

Anubis - The God of Death - Gods of Ancient Egypt

Anubis The God of Death

Anubis, the God of Death is among the most iconic gods in ancient Egypt and the people during this time knew him as Anpu or Inpu. Anubis is among the oldest deities whose mentioning can be seen in the oldest mastabas of the Old Kingdom and also on the texts in the pyramids as a protector or guardian of the dead. Initially he was known as the god of the underworld but later he became associated with the embalming process and the funeral processions. After being adopted as the son of the King Osiris, his name got slightly changed and he was then known as "Imy-ut" ("He Who is In the Place of Embalming"), "nub-tA-djser" ("lord of the scared land").


Ancient Egyptians believed that persevering the body of the dead and using sweet smelling herbs and plants would help the dead because Anubis would then sniff the mummy of the deceased and will allow only the pure to move on to the paradise. Early myths even show that Anubis was successful in defeating all the nine bows or the traditional enemies of Egypt after which he was given the title of the Jackal ruler of the bows.

Some other names by which Anubis was known in ancient Egypt include Anpu, Inpu, Ienpw, Imeut (Lord-of-the-Place-of-Embalming). He was a supporter of mummification and the deceased when they moved to the underworld. The appearance of Anubis was seen as a man who has the head of a jackal like animal. The head color was black and represented him as the god of the dead. The full human scene of Anubis could be very rarely seen but in the Temple of Rameses II at Abydos Anubis can be seen in a full human form. Also Anubis has a beautiful statue to his name which is made in the form of jackal that could be seen at the Tomb of Tutankhamun.

Some more about Anubis

Anubis is an extremely ancient god in Egypt’s history ad he was the original god of the dead after which Osiris took over the position and after this change Anubis was made as one of the many sons of the Osiris and the psychopomp or the conductor of the souls of the underworld. His totem was a jackal as these were animals that hunted at the edges of the desert near the cemeteries and necropolis throughout Egypt.


The many roles of Anubis



Prayers devoted to Anubis can be seen carved on many ancient tombs of Egypt and he has many duties to his name. He watched over the process of mummification of the dead to ensure it was proper. He conducted the souls of the underworld while testing the knowledge of the gods and their faith. He placed the heart of the dead on the scales of justice when the judging of the heart took place and also he fed the souls of the wicked people to Ammit.

Anubis was worshipped throughout Egypt widely and his cult centre was at Cynopolis.

Geb - The God of Earth - Gods of Ancient Egypt

Geb - The God of Earth - Gods of Ancient Egypt

Geb who is one of the most important gods in ancient Egypt was known as the God of the earth. He is known to have come from an important line of gods and he was the son of Shu who was the god of Air and Tefnut who was the goddess of moisture. Geb and Nut had four children who were Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nephthys. However, Geb may also be referred in a number of other ways in various literatures as Seb, Keb, Kebb or Gebb. After Atum the four deities Shu, Tefnut, Geb, and Nut recognized the Cosmos, whereas the second set of deities Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nephthys interceded between humans and the cosmos. The ancient Egyptians believed that earthquakes that occurred were the laughter of Geb.


Representation

Geb was represented usually as a man wearing a combination of the white crown and the Atef crown, although he was also depicted as a goose - his sacred animal. In the form of a man, Geb is depicted as personifying the earth and is shown green colored with vegetation growing from his body. As the earth he is often seen lying on his side with one knee bending towards the sky. In compositions and hymns, Geb is often shown as the erpat i.e. hereditary and is considered a very important god in the Book of the Dead who plays a part in watching weighing of the heart of the dead at the judgment Hall of Osiris.


Origin of Geb

Heliopolis is believed to be the birthplace of the gods worshipped in Egypt it’s said that here the work of creation began. Many papyruses indicate this and even show that after the Sun-god appeared in the sky he rose into the sky and sent his rays on earth. These papyruses even show Geb having a prominent position where he is shown lying on the ground with one hand stretched on it and the other pointing towards the heaven. In Ptolemaic times, Geb became identified with the God Kronos worshipped in Greek mythology.

It’s believed that worship of God Geb began in Lunu during the pre-dynastic era during which he was largely worshipped as a goose which is his scared animal. Edfu was called the "Aat of Geb," and Dendera was also known as "the home of the children of Geb". Having a male earth god may seem unusual, but some say that Geb was bisexual. In his shrine at Bata he is said to have laid the great egg from which the sun god rose in the form of a phoenix or Benben. Geb was given the epithet the great cackler because of the sound that came when the egg got laid.

The many roles he played


It’s said that earthquakes where the laughter’s of Geb and it was him who supplied precious stones and minerals which could be found in the caves and mines so he was recognized as the god of the mines and caves. As a god of the harvest, he was sometimes considered to be the spouse of Renenutet, the cobra goddess.

Amun King of the Gods - Gods of Ancient Egypt

Amun King of the Gods - Gods of Ancient Egypt

Amun often referred as King of the Gods was among the most powerful Gods in Egypt. Throughout the history of Egypt has been an important figure and when combined with Ra, the Sun god, he became even more powerful referred as Amun-Ra. Amun is often known by names like the god of the sun, air and the sky. He is the member of the Ogdoad of Hermopolis, and was one of the eight gods who formed the same, followed by the Theban triad. The symbols used for representing the god are the Amun crown of two, the ram headed sphinx and the long feathers.

Some more about life of Amun

Some alternative names which are used to designate Amun are Amon, Amen, Amana, Ammon and Hammon. The cult centre of the god is at Thebes which is modern day Luxor and here is also built a large and important temple in the honor of the god. Amun was the husband of Mut, referred as the Mother Goddess during the Thebes Triad and the name of his son was Khonsu, who was known as the Moon God.

Various Representations

God Amun from Egyptian history was often associated with a large number of animals whom he even transformed into during inscriptions. Originally goose depicted him and due to this he got the epithet the Great Cackler. Most commonly Amun was depicted as Ram which symbolized fertility. Finally he was depicted as a king on his throne wearing the double plumed crown.

In the texts found on Pyramids, Amun was described as a primeval deity and a figure symbolizing creative force. However he came to power during the eleventh dynasty after succeeding the Theban war god, Montu.

Amun was worshipped in not just Egypt but his worship spread to some neighboring countries as well and especially in Nubia. Amun Ra emerged as the principle god during the twelfth dynasty and Greeks considered him equivalent to Zeus.

Celebrations associated with Amun


Celebration mainly associated with this King of the Gods was the Opet festival in which the statue of Amun was carried down the river Nile from the temple of Karnak to the temple of Luxor where was celebrated the marriage of this god with Mut.

How Amun became God

Amun was adopted as the King of the Gods in Thebes with Mut as his consort. He was made a national god by the first pharaoh of the New Kingdom, Ahmose I. The pharaoh believed that Amun has assisted him in sending out the Hykos from the country. Also Amun was adopted into Ennead of Heliopolis after he combined with the sun god Ra becoming even more powerful and important as Amun Ra. After joining with Ra, Amun became both an invisible and a visible god.

Temple's of Amun Honor

In order to show gratitude to Amun who quickly rose to power, many temples were built throughout the Middle Kingdom by the royal family. The most notable of these are the great Temple at Karnak and the Luxor Temple.

Gods of Ancient Egypt

The 30 Most Famous Ancient Egyptian Gods


Gods in ancient Egypt were worshiped a lot and they had many gods each associated with some specific element or quality. Below are mentioned 30 of the most famous gods of Egypt in no particular order,

  • Amun who was the King of the Egyptian gods was the greatest of the sun gods. Depictions of Amun represent him as a man with a hawk’s head with a bull’s tail hanging from his tunic.
  • God of death, Anubis is represented as either a man with a jackal’s head or as a jackal. He presided over funerals and guided the souls of the dead He also oversaw the ceremony where the gods weighed a human heart.
  • Aten, the sun god had no human shape and was illustrated as a sun disc having hands at the end of each ray.
  • Atum who is considered the oldest of the creation gods seems to have existed before anything else.
  • Bast represented the cat goddess who is represented either as a woman having a cat head or as a cat, people in ancient Egypt mummified cats in her honor.
  • Bes, the patron of art, childbirth and music was a war god. People placed Bes’ image above their headrests to ward off evil spirits.
  • Geb - God of the Earth represented the fertility of the earth.
  • Hapy, god of the Nile was considered to have created everything.
  • Hathor, the cow goddess was also a mother goddess who was represented as a cow or a woman with a cow’s head or horns.
  • Horus - The Egyptian Falcon God, was among the five Osisrains god was a man with a hawk’s head.
  • Isis - The Goddess of Fertility was also the goddess of magic, and a healing goddess.
  • Khepri, was a self created god and was the rising sun.




  • Khnum, a creator-god and the god of fertility.

    • Ma'at - The Goddess of Truth and Justice personified moral and physical law.
    • Nephthys the personification of darkness, death and decay was one of the Osirian gods.
    • Nun was the celestial waters who had no temples dedicated to him.
    • Nut - Goddess of the Sky was personified as the sky and she was the consort of Geb and also considered the mother of the Osirain gods.
    • Osiris - God of the Underworld was the god of the dead and resurrection.
    • Ptah was the god of artists and artisans and a craft-god.
    • Ra was a sun god and myths claimed that he created everything.
    • Ra Horakhty was a composite of the gods Horus and Ra.
    • Sekhmet was a lion goddess, the goddess of war and battle.
    • Seshat was the goddess of libraries and literature and the Egyptians associated her with Thoth.
    • Seth - God of Chaos was the god of darkness and evil and was one of the Osirian gods.
    • Shu was the god of air.
    • Sobek - The Crocodile God of Strength.
    • Tawaret was the hippopotamus goddess and the patroness of motherhood and childbirth.
    • Tefnut was the goddess of moisture and the consort of Shu.
    • Thoth was a moon god and the patron of the arts, hieroglyphics, science, speech and wisdom.
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