Why did the ancient Egyptians consider scarabs sacred? Scarabs are a genus of beetles in the dung beetle subfamily. The most famous is the sacred scarab (Scarabaeus sacer), common in southern Europe, North Africa, Western and Central Asia, feeding on animal droppings, from which it

Since ancient times, the Egyptians have been exceptionally religious. If, as is believed, they were at first monotheists, it is unlikely that their monotheism was consistent enough. Earnest reverence did not prevent them from admitting other gods into their hearts and onto their altars. With the creation (of the united state of Upper and Lower Egypt), the deities of the largest cities acquired the status of national ones. The Memphis god Ptah, the sun god Ra, the Heliopolis god Min, the cow-goddess Hathor from Dendera, the Abydosian Osiris, the Saisian Neith, the cosmic god Amon from Hermopolis were eventually transferred to Thebes. All these deities were once associated with a particular place, but gradually their cult spread up and down the Nile Valley. Similarly, Horus of Behdet and Seth of Ombos were originally local gods, and with the transformation of the cities revered by Horus and Seth into the capitals of Lower and Upper Egypt, they became respectively the gods of these two states.

The god of the northern lands Horus, according to the created legend, defeated Set and became the national deity of Upper Egypt. Subsequently, the pharaoh of the unified Egyptian state, being the main person in the country, and therefore himself considered a deity, was considered as the earthly incarnation of Horus.

Sometimes the gods, whose cult was introduced from other places, supplanted the local gods. So, the Theban Montu was eclipsed by Amon from Hermopolis

later it was he who became the supreme god. Osiris was not at first a deity of Abydos, but it was in this city that he was revered the most, and over time turned into the most beloved of all the gods of Egypt.

Some gods were united in families: Atum - the father of Shu and Tefnut, who in turn were the parents of Geb and Nut, their children were Osiris, Isis, Set and Nephthys. In Karnak, a simpler family of three gods was revered - Amon, Mut and their son Khonsu. Similar divine families were worshiped in many temples throughout the country.

Distinguishing local gods from gods of a different nature - for example, cosmic ones - is quite difficult. Ra was revered as the god of the Sun, Geb - as the god of the Earth, and his sister-wife - as the goddess of Heaven. The concept of the field of these deities depended on the grammatical gender of the word denoting the element of the universe personified by each of them. The cosmic gods were usually anthropomorphic, i.e. having a human appearance, in contrast to the numerous local deities who were originally revered in the form of animals and were always depicted in the form of animals or as human beings with animal heads.

Such were Anubis, Horus, Khnum, Thoth, Sobek, Amon and many others. Bastet had the head of a cat (cats were deeply revered in Egypt

after death, their bodies were sometimes embalmed and buried in special cemeteries). Amon was usually depicted with the head of a ram, but he was also represented in human form. The sky goddess Nut was considered either a woman or a cow, and in both cases she was depicted prostrated in the sky. Her body was covered with stars, between which the Sun travels every day on its boat from east to west. Finally, until the establishment of Christianity in the country, there were also pure cults of animals, for example, the Apis bull.

Although the Egyptian gods, unlike the Greek ones, did not communicate with people, such human feelings as love, hatred, envy and revenge were available to them. Nevertheless, the Egyptians considered their gods to be highly moral and sought to imitate them. Closest to the heart of an Egyptian was probably the god of the city in which he lived. The connection of man with such gods was closer than with the majestic god of Heaven.

The most native to all the Egyptians was, apparently, Osiris. According to legend, he was once earthly king. Osiris was killed by his jealous brother Set, who dismembered his corpse and threw it into the Nile. But Isis, the devoted wife of Osiris, collected the scattered parts of her husband's body

Osiris was resurrected and has ruled the realm of the dead ever since. The ruthless Seth turned his evil plans against the young son of Isis and Osiris - Horus, because of which the mother of the baby was forced to hide in the inaccessible swamps of the Delta for the sake of his salvation. When the child grew up, he defeated his uncle, and the gods declared him the legitimate heir of Osiris and elevated him to his father's throne.

The suffering gods were unusually close to the Egyptians. The cult of Osiris, his persecuted wife, the long-suffering Isis, and the innocent infant Horus was the most popular. Every Egyptian considered himself to some extent Osiris, who defended his rights in the struggle and defeated even death. In their gravestone inscriptions, they called themselves and expected to share the fate of this god in the afterlife.

Spiritual life was not limited to religion, the Egyptian also believed in the effectiveness of magic, turned to the ancient Texts of the Pyramids and the Texts of the sarcophagi and used many of the spells contained in them.

The further development of magical texts, designed to provide the soul of the deceased with the ability to leave the grave and enjoy all that is available to the living, was reflected in the Book of the Dead. The very presence in the burial of a copy of spells of this kind guaranteed him the receipt of all the requested benefits, as well as protection from all the evils that, according to his ideas, the deceased could meet. Other unusual texts were created to help the deceased make a long and dangerous journey to the afterlife.

During the 19th dynasty in Egypt, especially among the lower classes, a new religious trend arose: for the first time in history, the statement was formulated that, although man is disposed to evil, God has a tendency to forgive his transgressions.

Since the pharaoh himself was considered a god, he could naturally communicate with other gods. The pharaoh was also high priest and performed rituals in the temple and at religious festivals. He often transferred his priestly functions personally to the high priests of the main temples appointed by him.

Mythology and religion ancient egypt very interesting and mysterious. The inhabitants of the country of the pyramids believed in the gods, gave them names and drew their images. From this article you will learn the names of the gods of Egypt, why they were feared and respected, loved and revered, organized holidays and celebrations.

A specific god was responsible for each situation or activity. But in general, the detailed Egyptian religion and mythology to this day attracts the attention of both Egyptologists and lovers of antiquity.

Here are the deities who had a great influence on Egypt. The mystery of the five gods - Ra, Amon, Anubis, Horus and Osiris - is one of the main secrets of Ancient Egypt.

Gods of Egypt: pantheon of the Nile state

The pharaohs, according to the ancient Egyptians, were also gods. And after death, their bodies were placed in pyramids. The Egyptians believed that with the help of the pyramids, the pharaohs became immortal and went to heaven to the rest of the gods.

The secrets of the gods of Egypt have not been revealed to this day. Egyptologists literally piece by piece collect information about ancient culture and religions of the country of the Great Nile. Thanks to this, we have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in ancient world pyramids and pharaohs and learn a little about the Egyptian gods.

Below are the names of the gods of Egypt, which were of great importance in the history of the country, as well as their descriptions. The magazine "Secrets of the Gods of Egypt" will give you a more complete picture of the Egyptian pantheon of gods.

Ra

The inhabitants of a sunny country cannot imagine their life without the sun, in this regard, the sun god in Egypt is the most revered deity. The god of the sun in Egypt is Ra. But he did not immediately become dominant.

The cult of his worship originated in the city of Iunu, which was the most important city in the country, and its location was not far from the modern capital of Egypt. The origin of the cult of the god Ra goes back very far into the past, thousands and thousands of years ago, the influence of this deity was very strong.

The sun played an important role for the Egyptians, so each period of solar stay in the sky during the day had a specific name. For example, the morning sun was called Khepri, the daytime and bright one, which towered majestically over the country in the middle of the day, was called Ra, and the evening one, preparing for sleep, was called Atum.

There are a lot of versions of the origin of the god Ra: for example, there is a version that the sun god in Ancient Egypt is a golden calf that was born by the Cosmic cow Nut; according to another version, the god Ra appeared from the sacred lotus, which breathed life into him.

Creator of the world

Then Ra created humidity and air - Tefnut and Shu, who were the creators of heaven and earth - Nut and Geb. These gods became the parents of such gods as Set, Isis, Nephthys and Osiris. It was this moment that began the birth of the entire universe and Egypt.

According to the ancient Egyptians, Ra flew through the sky on wings, and therefore the image of the solar disk with wings was the main symbol of Egypt.

It was also believed that the god of the sun in Ancient Egypt traveled through the heavens in his solar boat, with a retinue of other gods. And with the onset of night, the sun god changed into another boat - a night one and continued his journey.

The night journey of the god Ra was fraught with many dangers, one of which was a meeting with a giant serpent, the main enemy of Ra. But the sun god overcame all obstacles and dangers every night, and in the morning the sun rose again and illuminated majestic Egypt.

God Ra greatly influenced the pharaohs. They believed that they ruled according to his laws. If they deviated from the laws of the sun god, then the ruler was expected to lose power. But this could only happen after death. Numerous temples were erected in honor of the sun god.

Most often, Ra was depicted as a man, with the head of a solol or a ram. But these are far from all the animals symbolizing Ra, the deity has many different guises.

Amon and the secrets of the gods of Egypt

The majestic and most important deity of Ancient Egypt is the king of the gods and the god of the sun. Initially, he was the patron of the city of Thebes, but with the development and increase in the influence of Thebes, Amon became an increasingly important and revered deity.

In the 16-14 centuries. BC e. Amun merged with the sun god Ra and became the most powerful deity of all divine pantheon. Since then, the god of the sun in Egypt was called Amon-Ra.

Amon-Ra was considered the king of all gods, patron, intercessor and creator. The pharaohs believed that it was Amon-Ra who helped them to fairly and wisely manage the state and win over enemies and enemies.

The pharaohs themselves were also deified, because they were considered the sons of Amon-Ra. Therefore, often the pharaohs bore names that included the name of the deity.

In honor of the king of the gods, the most beautiful temples were erected, the most famous of them were built in Karnak and Luxor. The most majestic temple was erected in Karnak, its area is 260,000 square meters. meters. During the festival of the valley, a statue of Amun-Ra was taken out of it, and the god communicated with the people with the help of priests. Many difficult issues were resolved that day, the decision of Amon-Ra was not questioned.

The animals of Amon-Ra were the goose and the ram, they personified wisdom and tranquility. The god himself was depicted as a man, wearing a crown and holding sceptres. Sometimes the image of God had the appearance of a man with a ram's head. Often the body of Amun-Ra was covered with blue paint, since the value of this paint allowed it to be used only for the most revered gods.

History of Anubis

This god was considered the patron of the dead and was depicted as a jackal or dog, as well as a man with a dog or jackal head. During the Old Kingdom, Anubis (originally) is the god of death in Egypt, but over time he became just one of the gods surrounded by Osiris, who took his place.

Anubis was called the god of embalming, and his duties included embalming the body and turning it into a mummy. It was Anubis who made the first mummy; he wrapped the body of his father, Osiris, in a special cloth soaked in a special solution. All the gods of Egypt had a sacred animal, for Anubis it was a dog.

By laying his hands on the mummy, Anubis turned the deceased into an enlightened one, who was now ready for further life in the afterlife. He escorted the deceased to a special hall, where they judged him and weighed his heart on special scales.

The main city where Anubis was worshiped was the city of Casa. Subsequently, the influence of Anubis spread throughout Egypt.

Origin of Osiris

One of the greatest and most revered gods of Ancient Egypt is the god of the kingdom of the dead. Osiris was depicted as a man, whose body was bandaged like mummies. The god holds scepters in his hands, and his head is crowned with a crown, with feathers on the sides.

There are many hypotheses about the origin of this important ancient Egyptian deity, Egyptologists cannot come to a common opinion.

According to ancient records, the god of death in Egypt - Osiris - is the eldest son of the god Geb and the goddess Nut. The ancient Egyptians considered the birthplace of Osiris the desert located west of Memphis, according to the Egyptians, the underworld originated there. Sometimes Osiris was prescribed a birth in the vicinity of the city of Thebes.

A very beautiful myth exists in ancient Egyptian mythology. According to him, Osiris was an earthly god, that is, a pharaoh, and ruled jointly with his sister and wife Isis. Osiris was revered and respected, and he, in turn, helped and suggested to people how to run a household, grow different cultures and taught to honor the gods.

Death and resurrection of Osiris

Everything would be fine, but brother Seth was jealous of Osiris and decided to get rid of him. Together with the conspirators, he imprisoned Osiris in a sarcophagus and threw him into the water of the sacred Nile. But contrary to expectations, the sarcophagus did not sink, but floated with the flow.

Later, Isis found her husband and brother and wanted to bring him back to life, but the insidious Set prevented this from happening and cut the body of Osiris into pieces and scattered them throughout Egypt. But Isis managed to find all the parts of the body of her husband and brother, connect them and bury Osiris according to customs.

The main city of the cult of Osiris was Abydos, where celebrations were regularly held in honor of the god. Many people gathered at these festivals to honor Osiris. Subsequently, the influence of this god spread throughout the country and beyond.

Gore

He was considered the god of the sky and the sun from the most ancient times, and was depicted in the form of a falcon. Horus means "height" in translation.

Horus was revered and respected in many areas throughout Egypt, and his fame began in pre-dynastic times. God in the form of a falcon was certainly associated with the sun, his journey through the sky took place in a divine boat, or according to another version, the Egyptian god Horus fluttered in the sky on his wings.

The Egyptians always associated Horus with the pharaoh, they believed that the ruler was none other than Horus in human form. So, on the example of the statue of the great pharaoh Khafre, you can see that the falcon covers the head of the ruler with its wings. The influence and importance of Horus was never in doubt, unlike many other Egyptian deities.

The Egyptians combined many different deities in one name of Horus. So, for example, there was Gor Bekhdetsky, who was the son of Ra - the god of the Sun. According to ancient writings, Horus of Bekhdetsky accompanied his father on his journey through the sky on his boat, while Horus struck down the enemies of Ra.

There was also Horus, who is the son of Osiris and Isis. He was at enmity with Set - the brother of Isis, who killed Osiris. There is a myth about the Eye of Horus. Seth tore out the eye of Horus, with which he wanted to resurrect his father, Osiris. But Horus got his eye back and fulfilled his intention. Since then, the "eye of Horus" has been a famous Egyptian symbol, which is very often found in texts, drawings, and amulets. The "Eye of Horus" was worn as an amulet, the Egyptians believed that it had a protective magical power.

Horus was mainly depicted in the form of a great bird - a falcon. Either the image of Horus had the appearance of a man with the head of a falcon. One way or another, the head of Horus was always crowned with a crown - red and white, which was a symbol of the Upper and Lower Nile.

sacred bull

Apis is the god of fertility in Egypt. Apis was presented in the form of a bull, in turn, the Egyptians worshiped not a mythical animal, but a living one. But in order for a bull to receive such a title, it had to be endowed with certain characteristics, such as black spots on the body or a white triangular spot on the forehead. There were 29 characteristics in total, this number is associated with the days of the lunar cycle.

The bull, which met all the characteristics, truly lived like a god - he had servants and priests who carefully watched every movement of the bull and made their predictions. The bull was well fed and even dressed in elegant clothes. Also, the animal had its own harem, in which there were sacred cows. The sacred bull lived at the temple in Memphis.

After the onset of a certain age, namely 25 years, the bull was killed, as it was considered old and could not properly perform the functions of a deity. The bull was drowned in a sacred well, and then buried like a person, and of the highest rank. His body was mummified and placed in a special sarcophagus.

Geb

One of the most important gods of the Egyptian pantheon is Geb. He was the son of the wind god Shu and the goddess of water and humidity Tefnut. Also known as god of fertility in Egypt

Geb decided the fate of the dead in the courtroom of Osiris. He watched how the heart of the deceased was weighed on the scales, and if the heart was not pious, then the soul of the deceased fell into the power of Geb.

But still, this deity is not distinguished by ferocity and anger; Geb was a symbol of fertility among the ancient Egyptians. In this regard, often in the images one could see the body of Geb in green - the color of the earth and plants.

There is a very beautiful myth about this deity. According to him, Geb and his sister and wife Nut loved each other very much and constantly merged in their arms. Ra did not like this very much, and he told the god Shu, his son, about this.

Shu separated Geb and Nut and lifted them high above him. Thus, Geb became the sky, and Nut his goddess, and between them there was always air - the god Shu. Geb was very homesick for his beloved, and tears flowed from his eyes, which turned into seas and oceans.

mother goddess

Isis is one of the greatest and most revered goddesses of the ancient Egyptian pantheon. Isis was considered the patroness of motherhood and family, fertility, water, wind, family fidelity, and also the keeper of the dead.

The etymology of the cult of Isis is not yet known, there is a version that she was originally a goddess in the Delta, and later her influence spread throughout Egypt. Isis, moreover, is one of the most ancient deities.

According to the myth of Isis and Osiris, the goddess is looking for the body parts of her beloved husband, whom Set killed. When Isis finds all the parts of the body, she, not without the help of Anubis and Thoth, mummifies the body of Osiris and resurrects him. But the rebirth occurs only for a while, in which Isis manages to conceive a child from Osiris.

Isis gives birth to a son, Horus, whom she hides. When Horus grew up, he fought Set and won, and Osiris was resurrected.

Isis was associated with the throne of the ruler and was symbolically considered the mother of the pharaoh. There is an assumption that her name means "throne", but this is an unproven fact.

Most often, Isis was depicted as a woman, whose head is crowned with a crown, symbolizing the throne. There are also images of Isis with horns and a disk of the sun between them. Another image is a woman with wings that are pressed to her hands.

In the last period of the history of Ancient Egypt, Isis was depicted as a woman feeding a baby, which meant her son, Horus. The baby was sitting in his mother's arms.

From humans to celestials

Imhotep was a scientist and physician who was deified after his death. Few receive such an honor. And Imhotep was the first who received the status of a deity, while not having family ties with the royal family.

Images of Imhotep and information about his family have not survived to this day, and it is also unknown where the brilliant scientist is buried. It is only known that Imhotep had many important titles during his lifetime.

The god of wisdom - Imhotep - was originally revered in the territory of Memphis, but over time his popularity gained momentum and covered the entire territory of Egypt. By the way, the magazine "Gods of Egypt" devotes an entire issue to this character.

Main female deity

Bastet was the goddess of beauty, love and holidays. She was a symbol of feminine grace and beauty. The image of the goddess Bastet was depicted as a cat or a woman with a cat's head. An indispensable attribute of Bastet was a sistrum - a musical instrument.

Cats were considered sacred in ancient Egypt. In the fact that they protected houses from rodents, the Egyptians saw the care of the gods. Even the moisture from a cat's nose was considered sacred.

In Bubastis, the first large temple was erected in honor of Bast, it was then that the cult of the goddess began to flourish, and she took a place of honor in the Egyptian pantheon of gods.

In honor of the goddess Bastet in Egypt, very magnificent celebrations and holidays were held. People walked, had fun, sang songs and praised Bastet. She became an international deity.

In every house in Egypt, cats were treated with great honor and respect, and in the event of a fire, for example, cats and other animals were rescued first.

When the death of a cat occurred, the owner had to bury the body with all honors. And he himself was in sorrow and shaved off his eyebrows in honor of mourning. Thousands of mummified cat bodies have been discovered at Bubastis.

Mother of being - Nut

In ancient Egypt, Nut was considered the goddess of the sky. The Egyptians represented her in the form of a naked woman who towered above the ground, leaning on her only with her hands and feet.

Nut's head was turned to the west, and the ancient Egyptians believed that Nut swallowed the setting sun, and gave birth in the morning, and it again illuminated the earth. The same thing happened with the moon and stars.

The Egyptians believed that a person could also be reborn after death in the form of stars in the sky, so the images of the goddess Nut adorned the ceilings of the tombs.

During the period of the Old Kingdom, the ceilings of the graves were decorated with the image of stars, which were a symbol of the sky and Nut. Later, images of the goddess herself were applied to the covers of the sarcophagi from the inside so that she would lift the deceased to heaven.

Nut was portrayed as a woman. Sometimes certain hieroglyphs were written on her head. Also, Nut was often represented as a woman, whose arms and legs rest on all four cardinal points. Her body was covered with stars or wings were added to her appearance, which meant the protection of the goddess and the coolness that she gives to people.

Seth as a synonym for devastation

The god of chaos and destruction, Set, is considered one of the main gods of ancient Egyptian history. He was also considered the master of storms and hurricanes.

Seth was the brother of Isis, Osiris and Nephthys, and he was also the husband of Nephthys. The ancient Egyptians did not consider this something abnormal and vicious. But the marriage of Set and Nephthys was unhappy.

The worship of Set dates back to ancient times, as evidenced by various historical finds - statues, amulets, images, etc. At the same time, his power and influence spread throughout Egypt.

Set became the murderer of Osiris, his brother, as a result of which the son of Osiris, Horus, was at enmity with Set for very long years. They fought for the royal throne.

According to the records, Set and Horus fought in various battles, which ended either in the victory of Set, or in the triumph of Horus. The rest of the gods were tired of this, and they decided to convene a tribunal at which each of the opponents spoke out about his desire to get the throne.

The decision rendered Horus the winner, and he became the ruler of Egypt. Set was supposed to return the eye of Horus, which he pulled out in one of the battles.

As time passed and history changed, Set became more and more cruel and ferocious, and, in the end, began to personify all evil on earth. Set committed many blasphemous crimes, which added even more negative qualities to his person.

The image of Seth is a man with the head of an unusual animal, with long ears and an elongated nose. Set was also depicted as a crocodile, a pig, a dog or a donkey.

The listed gods of Egypt make up the most famous part of them, but there were many more of them. At the same time, new objects for worship were introduced into the pantheon at the request of the pharaoh.

Even the hierarchy in this sacred matter for the Egyptians also depended on the supreme ruler of the state in the Nile Delta. It's enough to remember enough known fact religious reform of Amenhotep IV, who later became Akhenaten, and who replaced Amon-Ra with Aton. The gods of Egypt, the names of these creatures are immediately transferred to fairy world in which you want to stay longer. This will help the science of Egyptology, which will allow you to find out all the nuances of the divine world of the ancient state of the pharaohs.

And the new idea of ​​the publishing house "Ashet" - the magazine "Secrets of the Gods of Egypt" - will allow you to collect figures of the most famous celestials of this African country.

The mythology of Ancient Egypt is interesting and it is connected to a greater extent with numerous gods. People for each important event or natural phenomenon came up with their patron, and they differed in external signs and.

Major gods of ancient Egypt

The religion of the country is distinguished by the presence of numerous beliefs, which directly affected appearance gods, which in most cases are presented as a hybrid of man and animal. The Egyptian gods and their meaning were of great importance to people, which is confirmed by numerous temples, statues and images. Among them, one can single out the main deities who were responsible for important aspects of the life of the Egyptians.

Egyptian god Amon Ra

In ancient times, this deity was depicted as a man with a ram's head, or completely in the form of an animal. In his hands he holds a cross with a noose, which symbolizes life and immortality. It united the gods of Ancient Egypt Amon and Ra, so it has the power and influence of both. He was supportive of people, helping them in difficult situations, and therefore was presented as a caring and fair creator of all things.

And Amon illuminated the earth, moving across the sky along the river, and at night changing to the underground Nile in order to return to their home. People believed that every day at exactly midnight he fights with a huge snake. Amon Ra was considered the main patron of the pharaohs. In mythology, you can see that the cult of this god is constantly changing its significance, then falling, then rising.

Egyptian god Osiris

In ancient Egypt, the deity was represented in the form of a man wrapped in a shroud, which added to the resemblance to a mummy. Osiris was the ruler of the underworld, so a crown always crowned his head. According to the mythology of Ancient Egypt, this was the first king of this country, therefore, in the hands are symbols of power - a whip and a scepter. His skin is black and this color symbolizes rebirth and new life. Osiris is always accompanied by a plant, such as a lotus, a vine and a tree.

egyptian god fertility is multifaceted, that is, Osiris performed many duties. He was revered as the patron of vegetation and the productive forces of nature. Osiris was considered the main patron and protector of people, and also the lord of the underworld, who judged dead people. Osiris taught people to cultivate the land, grow grapes, treat various diseases and perform other important work.

Egyptian God Anubis

The main feature of this deity is the body of a man with the head of a black dog or jackal. This animal was not chosen at all by chance, the thing is that the Egyptians often saw it in cemeteries, which is why they were associated with afterlife. In some images, Anubis is represented entirely in the form of a wolf or a jackal, which lies on a chest. In ancient Egypt, the jackal-headed god of the dead had several important responsibilities.

1. He protected the graves, so people often carved prayers to Anubis on the tombs.
2. He took part in the embalming of gods and pharaohs. Many depictions of the mummification process featured a priest wearing a dog mask.
3. Guide of dead souls to the afterlife. In ancient Egypt, it was believed that Anubis escorted people to the court of Osiris.

He weighed the heart of a dead person to determine whether the soul was worthy to go to the afterlife. A heart is placed on the scales on one side, and the goddess Maat in the form of an ostrich feather on the other.

egyptian god set

They represented a deity with a human body and the head of a mythical animal, which combines a dog and a tapir. Another distinguishing feature is the heavy wig. Seth is the brother of Osiris and, in the understanding of the ancient Egyptians, is the god of evil. He was often depicted with the head of a sacred animal - a donkey. Seth was considered the personification of war, drought and death. All troubles and misfortunes were attributed to this god of Ancient Egypt. He was not renounced only because he was considered the main protector of Ra during the night fight with the serpent.

Egyptian God Horus

This deity has several incarnations, but the most famous is a man with a falcon's head, on which there is certainly a crown. Its symbol is the sun with outstretched wings. The Egyptian god of the sun during the fight lost his eye, which became an important sign in mythology. It is a symbol of wisdom, clairvoyance and eternal life. In ancient Egypt, the Eye of Horus was worn as an amulet.

According to ancient beliefs, Horus was revered as a predatory deity who dug into his victim with falcon claws. There is another myth where he moves across the sky in a boat. The sun god Horus helped resurrect Osiris, for which he received the throne in gratitude and became the ruler. He was patronized by many gods, teaching magic and various wisdom.

Egyptian God Geb

Several original images found by archaeologists have survived to this day. Geb is the patron of the earth, which the Egyptians sought to convey in an external image: the body is elongated, like a plain, arms raised up - the personification of the slopes. In ancient Egypt, he was represented with his wife Nut, the patroness of heaven. Although there are many drawings, there is not much information about the powers and purposes of Geb. The god of the earth in Egypt was the father of Osiris and Isis. There was a whole cult, which included people who worked in the fields to protect themselves from hunger and ensure a good harvest.

Egyptian God Thoth

The deity was represented in two guises and in ancient times, it was an ibis bird with a long curved beak. He was considered a symbol of dawn and a harbinger of abundance. In the late period, Thoth was represented as a baboon. There are gods of Ancient Egypt who live among people and include the One who was the patron of wisdom and helped everyone to learn science. It was believed that he taught the Egyptians how to write, count, and also created a calendar.

Thoth is the god of the moon and through its phases he was associated with various astronomical and astrological observations. This was the reason for the transformation into a deity of wisdom and magic. Thoth was considered the founder of numerous rites of religious content. In some sources, he is ranked among the deities of time. In the pantheon of the gods of ancient Egypt, Thoth took the place of the scribe, the vizier of Ra and the secretary of judicial affairs.

Egyptian god Aten

The deity of the solar disk, which was represented with rays in the form of palms, stretching to the earth and people. This is what distinguished him from other humanoid gods. The most famous image is presented on the back of the throne of Tutankhamun. There is an opinion that the cult of this deity influenced the formation and development of Jewish monotheism. This sun god in Egypt combines male and female features at the same time. In ancient times, another term was used - "silver of the Aten", which denoted the moon.

Egyptian god Ptah

The deity was represented as a man who, unlike others, did not wear a crown, and his head was covered with a headdress that looked like a helmet. Like other gods of ancient Egypt associated with the earth (Osiris and Sokar), Ptah is clothed in a shroud, which bared only his hands and head. External similarity led to the fact that there was a merger into one common deity Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. The Egyptians considered him a beautiful god, but many archaeological finds refute this opinion, since portraits have been found where he is represented in the form of a dwarf trampling animals underfoot.

Ptah is the patron of the city of Memphis, where there was a myth that he created everything on earth with the power of thought and the word, so he was considered the creator. He had a connection with the earth, the burial place of the dead and sources of fertility. Another purpose of Ptah is the Egyptian god of art, which is why he was considered a blacksmith and sculptor of mankind, and also the patron of artisans.

Egyptian God Apis

The Egyptians had many sacred animals, but the most revered was the bull - Apis. He had a real incarnation and he was credited with 29 signs that were known only to the priests. According to them, the birth of a new god in the form of a black bull was determined, and this was a famous holiday of Ancient Egypt. The bull was settled in the temple and was surrounded by divine honors throughout his life. Once a year, before the start of agricultural work, Apis was harnessed, and the pharaoh plowed a furrow. This provided a good harvest in the future. After the death of the bull, they solemnly buried it.

Apis, the god of Egypt, patronizing fertility, was depicted with a snow-white skin with several black spots, and their number was strictly determined. He is presented with different necklaces, which corresponded to different festive rites. Between the horns is the solar disk of the god Ra. Apis could also take on a human form with the head of a bull, but such a representation was common in the Late Period.

pantheon of egyptian gods

Since the dawn of ancient civilization, belief in Higher power. The pantheon was inhabited by gods who had different abilities. They did not always treat people favorably, so the Egyptians built temples in their honor, brought gifts and prayed. The pantheon of the gods of Egypt has more than two thousand names, but less than a hundred of them can be attributed to the main group. Some deities were worshiped only in certain regions or tribes. Another important point is that the hierarchy could change depending on the dominant political force.