Of the great ancient societies, the ancient Egyptians may well have been the most impressive. The building of the pyramids is still somewhat of a mystery, especially considering how long their construction must have taken with the technology that was available during that time period.
Ancient Egyptian society was also highly complex, all trickling down from the pharaoh, who was said to be descended from the gods themselves and was often depicted within the ancient Egyptian pantheon alongside the gods. Thus, Egyptian deities played a role in almost every aspect of everyday life and were thought to be present throughout every facet of the universe.ย
In ancient Egypt, the gods were not just powerful beings floating aloofly in the sky; they were present in peopleโs homes, in nature, and could even appear to people on occasion. There were thousands of different Egyptian gods that ruled over their own specific domains, some of which were only revered in certain parts of Egypt. However, there were a few major deities that were pretty universally worshipped throughout ancient Egyptian society.ย
Egyptian mythology was rich with interesting and strange stories that are used to describe the place of the gods, as well as human beings and other animals, in the universe. Youโve probably heard the name of an ancient Egyptian god thrown around here or there. But, in case youโre unfamiliar with ancient Egyptian mythology, here are a few of the main gods that you should be aware of:
Ra
Undoubtedly one of the most important gods in the ancient Egyptian pantheon, Ra, was said to have been the first-ever pharaoh in Egypt. He is also the god of the sun, who would pull the sun through the sky each day on his golden chariot and then travel through the underworld of Duat, crossing the River of Darkness, and fighting off monsters along the way.ย
Ra was most often depicted as a man with the head of a falcon and a disc on top of his head to represent the sun. The disc would typically have a serpent wrapped around it. While this is the most typical image of Ra, he has also been portrayed as a ram, beetle, phoenix, heron, serpent, bull, cat, or lion.ย
Geb
The Egyptian god of the earth, vegetation, fertility, snakes, and earthquakes, named Geb, was one of the first gods to emerge out of the lifeless waters of chaos in the Egyptian creation myth. Ancient Egyptians believed that Geb was responsible for the health of the harvests, and it was believed that barley would grow out of his ribs. Thus, the ancient Egyptians believed that Geb lived underground below the fields.ย
While Geb was revered as the god of the fields, he was also feared as the father of all snakes. In fact, he was claimed to be the father of the mythical snake Nehebkau, a mythical snake that was considered an evil spirit at first but later developed into a benevolent spirit that provided deceased human beings with ka (the part of the soul that distinguishes the living from the dead).ย
Nut
Nut was the wife (and also the sister) of Geb in Egyptian mythology and the goddess of the sky. Like her brother-husband, sheโs also one of the oldest deities in the Egyptian pantheon. Nut is typically depicted in nude anthropomorphic form with starry skin that envelopes the Earth. However, in some sources, Nut is portrayed as a cow, a sycamore tree, or a pig suckling many piglets (which represent the many stars).
Ra, the sun god, had a prophecy that Nut would give birth to a child that would eventually overthrow him as king, and so he decreed that Nut could not give birth on any day of the year. However, at that time, there were only 360 days in the year. But, when five extra days were added to the calendar, Nut used this loophole to give birth to her five children, one on each day. Her oldest child, Osiris, would eventually overthrow Ra as prophesied.
Osiris
When Osiris defeated Ra and took over the world, he had already been a wise and good pharaoh for many years. He brought many good things to humankind, including the first cities in Egypt as well as better farming practices.
Once Osiris became the ruler of the world, though, his brother Set became very jealous of him. As an act of betrayal, Set tricked Osiris into lying down in a golden coffin and then cut the coffin into many pieces and scattered them all over Egypt.
Osiris was eventually resurrected when his wife, Isis, tracked down all of the different pieces and put Osiris back together using mummy wrap, which is why Osiris is typically considered the first-ever mummy.
After being resurrected, though somewhat unsuccessfully, Osiris became the god of the underworld and the judge of the dead. As such, heโs often depicted with green skin and with mummy bandages around his legs.
Isis
The wife of Osiris, Isis, was the goddess of magic and wisdom. She was also known for being exceptionally cunning. In one story, Isis poisons the sun god Ra with a magical snake, causing him to become extremely ill. Then, Isis offered to cure Ra if he told her his secret name. Ra complied, Isis cured him, and Isis gained knowledge of his secret name.ย
Having learned Raโs secret name, Isis basically had the power to make Ra do whatever she wanted. As a result, she forced Ra to step down from his throne, allowing Osiris to replace him as the ruler of the world. Isis is usually depicted as a woman wearing a sheath dress, holding a papyrus staff in one hand and an ankh (the Egyptian โkey of lifeโ) in the other.ย
Horus
The son of Isis and Osiris, Horus is most well known for avenging his fatherโs demise in the underworld. After Osiris was temporarily resurrected (and Isis used her magical powers to fashion him a new penis since his original penis was eaten by a catfish), he and Isis were able to conceive Horus, who then challenged Osirisโs brother Set (Horusโs uncle) for the position of pharaoh. The conflict between Set and Horus is often described as very violent, with Horus ultimately coming out on top.ย
After Horus defeated his uncle and became the new pharaoh of Egypt, all mortal pharaohs of Egypt claimed to be direct descendants of Horus. Horus is often depicted as a man with the head of a falcon or as a falcon wearing a crown to signify his position as pharaoh.
Anubis
Anubis was the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, the protector of graves and cemeteries, and one of the most important gods in the Egyptian pantheon. Depictions of Anubisโs head were meant to resemble an African golden wolf, the spirit animal of Anubis (although many believed that it was a jackal until recent archaeological discoveries). Ancient Egyptian priests would often wear golden wolf masks when mummifying a body, as the ceremony was meant to be an offering to Anubis.
Known for ushering the souls of the dead into the underworld, Anubis was involved in the mythical โWeighing of the Heartโ ceremony in which the heart of the deceased would be weighed to determine where their soul would end up. Anubis was also a master embalmer and was believed to have helped Isis in mummifying Osiris.ย