For all ancient people the world was filled with mystery. Much of what surrounded them was perceived as unknown and frightening. Ancient Egyptian deities represented natural and supernatural forces for people, helping to understand the structure of the universe.
Pantheon of ancient Egyptian gods
Beliefs in gods and the afterlife have been embedded in the ancient Egyptian civilization since its inception, and the rights of the pharaohs were based on their divine origin. The Egyptian pantheon was inhabited by deities with supernatural abilities, with the help of which they helped the believers and protected them. However, the gods were not always benevolent, so in order to earn their favor, not only prayer was required, but also various offerings.
Historians know more than two thousand deities of the ancient Egyptian pantheon. The main gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt, who were worshiped throughout the kingdom, have less than a hundred names. Many others were worshiped only in certain tribes and regions. With the development of ancient Egyptian civilization and culture, a national religion was created, which becamethe subject of many changes. The gods and goddesses of Egypt often changed their status and place in the hierarchical ladder depending on the dominant political power.
Afterlife beliefs
The Egyptians believed that every human being consists of physical and spiritual parts. In addition to sah (body), man had the essence of shu (shadow, or dark side of the soul), ba (soul), ka (life force). After death, the spiritual part was released from the body and continued to exist, but for this it needed physical remains or a substitute (for example, a statue) - as a permanent home.
The ultimate goal of the deceased was to combine his ka and ba to become one of the "blissful dead" living as an ah (spiritual form). In order for this to happen, the deceased had to be judged worthy in a court where his heart was weighed against the "feather of truth." If the gods considered the deceased worthy, he could continue his existence on earth in a spiritual form. Moreover, it was initially believed that only the gods, as well as the goddesses of Egypt, possessed the essence of the ba. For example, the supreme Ra had as many as seven ba, but later the priests determined that every person has this essence, thereby proving their closeness to the gods.
Equally interesting is that the heart, not the brain, was considered the seat of thoughts and emotions, so it could testify for or against the deceased in court.
The process of worship
The gods were worshiped in temples run by priests acting on behalf of the pharaoh. In the center of the templethere was a statue of that god or goddess of Egypt, to whom the cult was dedicated. Temples were not places of public worship or gatherings. Usually, access to the personification of the deity and the ritual of worship was isolated from the outside world and was available only to clergy. Only during some holidays and celebrations, the statue of God was taken out for general worship.
Ordinary citizens could worship deities, having their own statues and amulets at home, they provided protection from the forces of chaos. Since the role of the pharaoh as the main spiritual intermediary was abolished after the New Kingdom, religious customs were reoriented towards direct worship of the gods. As a result, the priests developed a system of oracles to communicate the will of the gods directly to the faithful.
Appearance
Most of the Egyptian gods in physical form were usually a combination of human and animal, many of them associated with one or more animal species.
It was believed that the mood in which the gods or goddesses of Egypt were, directly depended on the image of the animal accompanying their appearance. An angry deity was depicted as a ferocious lioness; in a good mood, a celestial could look like an affectionate cat.
To emphasize the character and strength of the gods, it was also customary to depict them with a human body and an animal head, or vice versa. Sometimes this approach was used to visually show the power of the pharaoh, he could be depicted with a human head and the body of a lion, as in the case of the Sphinx.
Many deities werepresented only in human form. Among them were such figures as very ancient cosmogonic gods, as well as the goddesses of Egypt: air - Shu, earth - Geb, sky - Nut, fertility - Ming, and the craftsman Ptah.
There are a number of minor gods who took on grotesque forms, including the devouring goddess Amat. Her image consists of a part of a crocodile, a lioness and a hippopotamus.
Gods of the Ennead
In ancient Egyptian mythology, there are nine major solar gods, collectively known as the Ennead. The birthplace of the great divine nine was the city of the sun Heliopolis, where there was a center of worship for the supreme god Atum (Amun, Amon, Ra, Pta) and other major deities associated with him. So, the main gods and goddesses of Egypt had names: Amun, Geb, Nut, Isis, Osiris, Shu, Tefnut, Nephthys, Seth.
The Supreme God of Ancient Egypt
Atum - the god of creation, who created himself from the primary chaos Nun somehow has family ties with all the main gods of Ancient Egypt. In Thebes, Amun, or Amon-Ra, was considered the creator god, who, like Zeus in Greek mythology, was the supreme god, the king of all gods and goddesses. He was also considered the father of the pharaohs.
The female form of Amon is Amaunet. The "Theban Triad" - Amon and Mut, along with their offspring Khonsu (Moon God) - were worshiped in Ancient Egypt and beyond. Amon was the chief deity of Thebes, whose power grew as the city of Thebes grew from an insignificant settlement in the Old Kingdom to a powerful metropolis of the Middle and New Kingdoms. Herose to become the patron of the Theban pharaohs, and eventually became the sun god Ra, the dominant deity of the ancient kingdom.
Amon means "hidden, mysterious form". He most often appeared as a man in clothes and a crown with double feathers, but sometimes the supreme god was depicted as a ram or goose. The implication was that the true nature of this god could not be revealed. The cult of Amun spread far beyond the borders of Egypt, he was worshiped in Ethiopia, Nubia, Libya and parts of Palestine. The Greeks believed that the Egyptian Amun is a manifestation of the god Zeus. Even Alexander the Great saw fit to refer to the oracle of Amon.
Functions and names of the main gods of Ancient Egypt
So, here's a short list of the main deities.
- Shu is the husband of Tefnut, the father of Nut and Geb. He and his wife were the first gods created by Atum. Shu was the god of air and sunlight. Usually depicted as a man wearing a headdress in the form of a train. Shu's function was to hold the body of the goddess Nut and separate heaven from earth. Shu was not a solar deity, but his role in providing sunlight connected him to the god Ra.
- Geb is the father of Osiris, Isis, Set and Nephthys. He was in eternal union with the goddess Nut until Shu separated them. As the god of the earth, he was associated with fertility, it was believed that earthquakes are the laughter of Hebe.
- Osiris is the son of Geb and Nut. Revered as the god of the underworld. Having green skin - a symbol of renewal and growth - Osiris was alsothe god of vegetation and the patron of the fertile banks of the Nile. Despite the fact that Osiris was killed by his own brother Set, he was brought back to life (to conceive a son of Horus) by his wife Isis.
- Set - the god of the desert and thunderstorms, later became associated with chaos and darkness. He was depicted as a man with the head of a dog with a long muzzle, but sometimes there are images of him in the form of a pig, crocodile, scorpion or hippopotamus. Set is one of the leading characters in the legend of Isis and Osiris. As a result of the growing popularity of the cult of Osiris, Set began to be demonized and his images were removed from the temples. Despite this, in some parts of ancient Egypt he was still worshiped as one of the main deities.
Mother Goddess
The female Egyptian pantheon is headed by the mother goddess, patroness of moisture and heat Tefnut. The wife of Shu and the first goddess created by Atum, is mentioned in myths as the daughter and eye of Ra. Later she became identified with Mut, the wife of Amon and the mother of Khonsu, she was one of the main Theban goddesses. Revered as a great Divine mother. Mut is usually depicted as a woman wearing a white and red crown. She is sometimes depicted with the head or body of a vulture, and also in the form of a cow, because in a later period she merged with Hathor, another great Divine mother, who was usually depicted as a woman with cow horns.
Functions and names of the goddesses of Ancient Egypt
And now let's present a list of female divine incarnations.
Nut - goddess of the sky, mother of Osiris, Isis,Seth and Nephthys, wife and sister of Gebe. Usually manifested in human form, her elongated body symbolizes the sky. Being part of the cult of the underworld and the keeper of souls, she was often depicted on the ceilings of temples, tombs and the inside of the lid of sarcophagi. To this day, on ancient artifacts, you can find the image of this goddess of Egypt. The photo of the ancient frescoes of Nut and Hebe clearly shows the idea of the ancient Egyptians about the structure of the universe
Isis - goddess of motherhood and fertility, patroness of children and the oppressed, mother of the god Horus, wife and sister of Osiris. When her beloved husband was killed by her brother Seth, she collected the dismembered parts of his body and connected them with bandages, reviving Osiris and thus laying the foundation for the ancient Egyptian practice of mummifying their dead. By bringing Osiris back to life, Isis also introduced the concept of resurrection, which had a profound effect on other religions, including Christianity. Isis is depicted as a woman holding ankh (the key of life) in her hand, sometimes with a female body and a cow's head or with a crown in the form of cow horns
Nefthys, or the Lady of the Underground Abode, is the second sister of Osiris, the youngest child of the divine family of Gebe and Nut, often referred to as the goddess of death or the keeper of the scrolls. Later, she was identified with the goddess Seshat, the patroness of the pharaohs, whose function was to protect the royal archives and determine the term of the pharaohs. Twilight was considered the time of this goddess, the Egyptians believed that Nephthysfloats in the sky in the night, and Isis - in the day boat. Both goddesses were revered as protectors of the dead, therefore they were often depicted as falcons or winged women in temples, tombs and on the covers of sarcophagi. Nephthys completes the list of "Main Goddesses of Egypt". The list can continue no less revered
Powerful Goddesses of Egypt
- Sekhmet - the goddess of war and healing, the patroness of the pharaohs and the arbitrator in the courtroom of Osiris. Depicted as a lioness.
- Bastet is a goddess worshiped by Egyptian mothers. Often depicted as a cat surrounded by kittens. For her ability to fiercely protect her children, she was considered one of the most ferocious and deadly goddesses.
- Maat was the personification of the goddess of truth, morality, justice and order. She symbolized the harmony of the universe and was the opposite of chaos. Therefore, she was the main participant in the ceremony of weighing the heart in the hall of the afterlife. Usually depicted as a woman with an ostrich feather on her head.
- Uto, or Buto, is the nurse of the god Horus. She was perceived and revered as the protector of the living and the patroness of the pharaohs. Butoh was always ready to strike at any potential opponent of the pharaoh, therefore she was depicted as a cobra wrapping herself around the solar disk (uraeus), and was often included in royal regalia as a symbol of Egyptian sovereignty.
- Hathor is the goddess of motherhood and fertility, the patroness of fine arts, also known as the mistress of heaven, earth and the underworld. highly revered goddessancient Egyptians. She was regarded as a wise, kind and affectionate protector of the living and the dead. Most often, Hathor was depicted as a woman with cow horns and a uraeus on her head.
These ancient female deities were highly revered by the people. Knowing the names of the goddesses in Egypt, their tough temper and speed of reprisals, the Egyptians with reverence and horror uttered their names in prayers.
