Egyptian Mythology

Egyptian Mythology is the religion of ancient Egypt . The Egyptian faith was based on an unorganized collection of ancient myths, nature worship, and innumerable deities. The Egyptian gods were represented with human torsos and human or animal heads. The animal or bird expressed the characteristics of the god. The god who was important enough to be worshiped with consistency was Ra, chief of cosmic deities. People in Egypt thought that burying their dead was very important so they had elaborate funeral rituals and equipment . They believed in the afterlife. The gods were also represented by symbols, such as the sun disk and hawk wings that were worn on the headdress of the pharaoh.

The most powerful person in ancient Egypt was the pharaoh. The pharaoh was the political and religious leader of the Egyptian people, holding the titles:"Lord of the Two Lands " and "High Priest of Every Temple" .As "Lord of the Two Lands'"the pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt . He owned all of the land, made laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against foreigners. As 'High Priest of Every Temple', the pharaoh represented the gods on Earth. He performed rituals and built temples to honor the gods. Many pharaohs went to war when their land was threatened or when they wanted to control foreign lands. If the pharaoh won the battle, the conquered people had to recognize the Egyptian pharaoh as their ruler and offer him the finest and most valuable goods from their land.

There are approximately 110 pyramids currently known in the country of Egypt , many in a being of great desolation and almost unrecognizable. Some were constructed as burial places for kings and queens. A pyramid also may have represented a stairway for the king to climb to the heavens. Another likelihood is that it was a representation of the ancient mound on which the sun god (creator) was born. How the Egyptians managed the multipart organization of labor and the physical movement of hefty stone blocks is still a matter for some debate. Pyramid building may have included ramps being erected around the pyramid. Blocks of stone would have been pulled up on sledges and the ramps dismantled afterward. It is thought that most of the labor for the building of the pyramids would have come from farmers who were available during the inundation waters on when the Nile River overflowed and farmland was submerged. It would also have been an ideal time for the transportation by boat of large stone blocks from their quarries to the pyramid sites.

The earliest pyramid was the Step Pyramid of king Djoser of the Old Kingdom's 3rd Dynasty over 4,600 years ago. The pyramid (at right) was the largest structure ever erected at Saqqara, the necropolis that overlooked the ancient capital of Memphis . Its construction was initially in the form of a low mastaba tomb upon which extra levels were gradually added to give it a step-like appearance. Underneath Djoser's pyramid was a complex system of corridors with a burial chamber lined with Aswan pink granite about 28 metres underground. The entrance was sealed with a three-tone granite plug. The pyramid's outside would have been cased with fine limestone, but this was removed long ago. Nearby were the Mortuary Temple , a Great Court and various other structures.

The first true pyramid (at right) was developed for King Sneferu during the 4th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom . It is referred to as the Red Pyramid, because of its color, or the North Pyramid because of its position at Dashur south of Cairo . It was about 105 meters high with its sides measuring 220 meters.

The Kings of Egypt were not called Pharaohs by the ancient Egyptians. This word was used by the Greeks and Hebrews, and today is commonly used for the ancient kings of Egypt . We really do not know how many kings ruled in Egypt , for at times in its ancient past the country was split up, and there were at least several kings at the same time. There were also probably kings who ruled regions of Egypt before recorded history, and in fact, several ancient historians record legendary Pharaohs who became Egyptian gods.

Many of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs have now achieved "household name" status, such as Tutankhamun the "boy King", Hatshepsut the "female pharaoh", Akhenaten the "heretic" king, Ramesses II "the great", Queen Cleopatra VII who's affair with Mark Anthony and the fall of Egypt to the Roman Empire, has become a Hollywood legend. Although not often thought of as an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh, the Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great also took that title.

Here is a list of the more common Egyptian gods and goddesses.

*Amun

He had a ram shaped head; he was a ram, and a man wearing an ostrich plum. Amun was a part of the most powerful gods in ancient Egypt . He was called the “king of the gods” at the height of civilization. Amun was important through out the history of ancient Egypt . When Amun was combined with Ra, the sun god, he had even more power. The Egyptians made a temple in honor of him. They named the temple Thebes .

*Anubis

He was the man with the jackel head and carried a jackel. He was the god of embalming which is the process of preserving human remainsso they are suitable for the funeral and burial. He was also the god of the dead. He helped embalm Osiris after he was killed by Seth. The ancient Egyptians believed that Anubis watched over the dead. A mask was designed of Anubis for people, such as Priests, while in mummification ceremonies.

*Aten

Aten had a disk with rays which ended in the hands.Aten was a form of the sun god, Ra. Aten was made the `king` of the gods during the reign of Akhenaten.

*Atum

Atum was the ‘god of the perfection.’ People referred to him as the man with the double crown. Atum was the creator god. The Ancient Egyptians believed that Atum was the first god to exist on earth. They believed that Atum rose from the waters of chaos (Nun) and created all the gods.

*Basket

Basket’s head was shaped like a cat’s. Basket was a protective goddess. Basket was most of the time saw a gentle protective goddess. Some of the time though she appeared with the head of a lioness to protect the king in battle.

*Bes

Bes had lion and human features. He wore the skin of a lion. Bes protected expecting ladies, their babies, and the family. The ancient Egyptians believed that he protected against snakes and scorpion bites. Bes’ amulets were famous among all Egyptian levels of society.

*Geb

Geb was the man lying below the arch of the sky goddess Nut. He also had a goose on his head. Geb was the god of the earth. Geb’s wife and sister was the goddess Nut. His children were Osiris, Isis, Nepthys, and Seth. When Seth and Horus fought for the throne of Egypt , Geb made Horus the ruler of the living. The ancient Egyptians believed that earthquakes were Geb's laughter.

*Hapy

Hapy had a pot belly, shown with water plants. Hapy was the god of inundation. Hapy was especially important to the Egyptians because he caused it to flood every year. With his flood he rich silt on the banks of the Nile , allowing the Egyptians to grow crops.