Myths of Ancient Egypt: the deification of animals and the dead

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

A characteristic feature of Egyptian mythology is the deification of animals, evidence of this is the images of the gods that have survived to this day, most of them are drawn as a man with the head of a beast, less often a bird. This is precisely the proof of the deep archaism of the mythology of the Egyptians.

The myths of Ancient Egypt take their roots from primitive totemism, which in its original form was not a religion. It was a complete, unquestionable belief in the identity of the members of the community with individuals of a certain species of animals. The myths and tales of Ancient Egypt also originally arose without any connection to religion. It was a completely independent line of evolution of one sphere of the spiritual life of primitive people, which already much later intersected with the line of religious ideas, which seriously affected it. The myths of Ancient Egypt changed not only over time, but also with the change of ruling dynasties. It was the supreme rulers who elevated the deities who patronized them to the first roles. So, the pharaohs of the 5th dynasty elevated the highest deity Ra - the God of the sun, to a row,because they were from Heliopolis - "the city of the Sun." And during the period of the Middle Kingdom, God Amon was held in high esteem, after which, from the III millennium BC. e. Osiris, the God of the dead, began to play a primary role.

Creation of the world according to Egyptian mythology

Studying the most ancient myths of Ancient Egypt, you can find out another curious version of the creation of the world. In the beginning, traditionally, the world was a bottomless gloomy watery abyss of Nun. After that, the Gods came out of the primordial chaos, who already created heaven and earth, plants and animals, people. This is a special merit of the god Khnum, who, according to legend, created the world from simple clay on a potter's wheel. He is depicted as a man, but with a ram's head. And from the unprecedented beauty of the lotus flower, the Sun God Ra appeared, who lit up the whole earth with his face. That is why a significant cycle of legends is dedicated to the relentless and incessant struggle between the forces of Darkness and the Sun. One myth tells of the battle between the sun god Ra and the treacherous serpent Apep, who reigned in the underworld until Ra defeated him in mortal combat.

Pantheon of the Gods of Ancient Egypt

Amon Ra - God of the Sun - was depicted in human form, wearing a crown and holding a scepter, and invariably with two feathers. Anubis - the patron of the dead - was portrayed as a man, but with the head of a jackal. Apis - the God of fertility - had the appearance of a bull with a solar disk, but Aton was considered the personification of the solar disk. Geb, the son of the god of air, was the god of the earth, and Horus wasmighty god of heaven and sun. Ming is the patron of crops, the god of fertility. God Nun is the lord of the water element, together with his wife Naunet were the original Gods who gave life to all others.

Osiris - the God of the underworld, the judge of the kingdom of the dead - at the same time was considered the patron of agriculture, grapes and wine, however, as well as absolutely all the life-giving forces and processes of nature. He was considered a "resurrecting and dying" God, thus personifying the change of seasons. The creator god Ptah was the patron of arts and crafts. Sebek was depicted as a man with the head of a crocodile, he was the god of water and the Nile. The personification of the evil inclination, the fratricide, the God of the desert - Set - was insidious and vile. The god of the moon Thoth was considered the patron of sciences, wisdom, he was considered the creator of the calendar. God Khonsu was revered as the patron of travelers. A complete list of the gods can be compiled by spending more than a dozen years studying various sources containing the myths of Ancient Egypt, however, an abstract can be written after reading the text of this article.