Egyptian DEITIES AND THEIR mythology

ANUBIS or ANPU

In Egyptian mythology, a God of the dead, portrayed as a man with the head of a jackal. Originally a Deity of UPPER EGYPT, his cult was subsumed into that of Osiris (whose origins were in the DELTA). During the Middle Kingdom he shared with Osiris the title of Prince of the West (i.e. the place where the dead were or Underworld).

BAST or BASTET

In Egyptian mythology, a CAT-headed Goddess, guardian of the DELTA area, with her centre of cult at BUBASTIS.

HATHOR

In Egyptian mythology, a major Goddess, the Lady of Heaven, Earth and the Underworld, worshipped throughout Egypt and indeed beyond as far as Syria. Portrayed as a cow or as a woman with the horned head of a cow, she was perceived as a helpful gentle Deity. With women especially under her protection in pregnancy and during births. She was a supreme Goddess, as her relationship with Horus indicates. She was his wet-nurse and later his wife. Her cult was centred at DENDREA IN UPPER EGYPT, although there were temples to her throughout the country. The Seven Hathors were the seven Egyptian Fates who presided at birth.

HERU / HERUPA or KAUT / KHUTI

In Egyptian mythology, a Mother Goddess who was represented as a woman with a fish on her head. She was displaced by ISIS.

HORUS

In Egyptian mythology, the Hawk-God, seen as the special protector of Kings. Horus was incorporated into many Kings names along with the hawk motive being widely used for the royal seal etc. Horus was the son and avenger of Osiris and was also known as 'The Son of RA' (a tile also used by Kings). As a child he was born to Isis and Osiris. The Eye of Horus was also identified with Kings, the classic symbol of Egyptology.

ISIS

In Egyptian mythology, the prime Goddess of the Egyptian pantheon, sister and wife of Osiris, mother of Horus and potent Deity in her own right. She is depicted in human form. Originally a protective Goddess of Perhebit, north of Busiris in the DELTA. The ruins of her temple, the Iseium, still exist. Isis was famed for her Magic skills, which enabled her to resurrect the reassembled body of Osiris and make it copulate with her to produce Horus. Motherhood became part of the Isian cult in the Late Period which lead her to being linked to the Mother Goddess of eastern religions. Her cult existed long after Christianity had stolen much of her identity in then Mary figure. Her cult was still around at PHILAE well after Christ appeared.

MATT

In Egyptian mythology, the Goddess of truth. She presided over the judgment of the dead, which controlled entry to the Underworld. Human faced, she is a later addition to the pantheon.

MEH-URT

In Egyptian mythology, another Sacred Cow figure.

MIN

In Egyptian mythology, a fertility God whose cult centre was KOPTOS, where he was also worshipped as God of the roads and desert travelers. Popular in MIDDLE EGYPT also in most chapels. He was portrayed as a rounded man with a large erect penis. In the New Kingdom he formed a TRIAD with RESHEP and KADESH (1). In Akhmin (Panopolis) he was identified with the Greek figure Pan and games were celebrated in his honour. Statues and charms featuring Min were very common. He is depicted standing with a flail in his right hand behind his head.

NEPHTHYS

In Egyptian mythology, an ancient but relatively unimportant Goddess, sister and wife of SETH but nevertheless devoted to both Osiris and Isis. She assisted Isis to find the body of Osiris.

NU or NUN

In Egyptian mythology, the pre-creation, a primordial shapeless ocean out of which the Sun God RA emerged.

NUIT or NUT

In Egyptian mythology, the Sky Goddess, paired in the original OGDODAD (original Eight Deities) with the Earth God GEB. Nut came later to be fused with HATHOR.

OSIRIS

In Egyptian mythology, the most popularly worshipped of all the Egyptian Gods There are four key elements in the Osiris legend, -His life, his death, his rebirth and his transfer of power to his son Horus. Seth his brother was the murder who wanted to seize the throne of Egypt for himself. But thanks to Isis and Hathor the plot was put down and with the help of Magic Horus was born to lead Egypt.

PTAH

In Egyptian mythology, the local God of MEMPHIS. When Memphis became a royal capital of the FIRST AND SECOND DYNASTIES, Ptah's status grew accordingly. The Priesthood developed a cult of Ptah, which claimed he was the oldest God and it was he who created RA-ATUM by pure thought. All other Gods and created things were similarly claimed to be the product of the mind of Ptah. Horus was claimed to be his heart and THOTH his tongue. His domination came to an end with the decline of Ra-Atum as the principle God.

RA or RE

In Egyptian mythology, the oldest and perhaps greatest of Gods, with a complex history of development. He is also known as ATUM, or RA-ATUM. A Sky God identified with the Sun, he arose out of Nun, the primeval water, and created the elements to sustain life on Earth. With SHU the Air God, Nut the Sky God, and Geb the Earth God. Tefnut, the Goddess of moisture, Nephthys, Osiris and Isis. The cults of RA was at HELIOPOLIS (Greek is city of the Sun) in the DELTA.

SEB or GEB

In Egyptian mythology, as the Earth God in the Heliopolitan COSMOLOGY, from whose union with the Sky Goddess, Nut, came the four children Isis, Osiris, Seth and Nephthys. It is Geb who presides at the court of the Gods that assigns the Kingship of Egypt to Horus rather than Seth.

SEKHET or SEKHMET

In Egyptian mythology, the lion headed Goddess of war and sickness, originally associated with MEMPHIS and a figure to be placated.

SERQET ?

SET or SETH

In Egyptian mythology, one of the principle Gods, murder of his brother Osiris. Seen as a bit of a devil figure, he took on a number of animal forms including the hawk and dog. The oldest cult centre of Seth is in Nubt on the Niles west bank opposite KOPTOS in Upper Egypt.

SHU

In Egyptian mythology, in the COSMOLOGY of HELIOPOLIS, Shu was the Air God (dry), a member of the original OGDODAD, whose partner was Tefnut, Goddess of moisture.

TEFNUT

In Egyptian mythology, the Goddess of moisture, created by RA. She was also a Sun Deity and was depicted as a lion-headed woman.

KHEPERA or KHEPRI

In Egyptian mythology, the beetle God identified with the SCARAB. At HELIOPOLIS he was a Sun God who was absorbed by ATUM. He formed a Sun Triad with RA and ATUM, with Khepera appearing as the sun at dawn. RA at high noon, and ATUM in the evening.

THOTH

In Egyptian mythology, an early rival to RA, the Sun God, as creator of Egypt (and hence the world). In the dark before the Sun, Thoth summoned the Gods who produced the egg from which the Sun was hatched. These were animal Gods known as the OGDODAD, Thoth, is depicted as a man with the head of an ibis, or a complete ibis, was the scribe to the Gods. His wife was Seshat also a scribe. There was animosity between the priesthood of Thoth and that of RA. The centre of Thoth's cult was at Hermopolis (Greek city of Hermes), one in the DELTA one in Middle Egypt.

URAEUS

In Egyptian mythology, an ornamental serpent worn on the brow, emblematic of the Snake Goddess WADJET or BUTO, and symbol of kingship from the early Lower Egypt Kingdom.