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Egyptian Gods: Babi

Published: 06-12-2013 05:44pm
Posted In: Egypt
Animals were an important part of ancient Egyptian mythology, from the tiny scarab beetle to the massive hippo. Baboons - specifically hamadryas baboons - were considered sacred to Thoth, and due to their human characteristics, were thought to be the spirits of ancestors. Babi, or Baba, was an underworld baboon deity. Like living baboons, he was considered to be rather aggressive and bloodthirsty. One of his roles was to feed on the souls and entrails of the deceased, should they fail to pass the weighing of the heart on their journey through the underworld. Babi - the Bull of the Baboons - was also a fertility god, representing virility. Ancient ... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: Bes

Published: 06-05-2013 12:03pm
Posted In: Egypt
As with many cultures, the ancient Egyptians found comfort in protecting their homes with the images of helpful spirits. One of the most common characters in the Egyptian household was Bes, the dwarf god. Though he had no cult center and was worshipped primarily in family shrines, Bes was an important figure in daily life throughout Egypt’s long history.It is believed that Bes may have actually been the representation of many spirits of protection, and the squat figure with a fierce face had many roles. He was the protector of children and women in labor, and was responsible for warding off snakes, vermin, and evil spirits or bad luck. Bes was t... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: Atum

Published: 05-29-2013 11:13am
Posted In: Egypt
Atum was the Ancient Egyptian creator god, and the head of the Ennead (or pesedjet) - the group of nine chief deities. The creation legends of Egypt state that in the beginning, all was chaos. From the great primordial waters known as Nun, a mound of earth emerged and Atum appeared upon it, having brought himself into being. In his loneliness, Atum created the gods of air and moisture from himself - Shu and Tefnut. These children of Atum formed the first divine couple, who gave birth to the earth and sky - Geb and Nut. It was also said that the first humans were formed by the tears of Atum.Being the father of the first gods, Atum was closely assoc... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: The Aten

Published: 05-23-2013 12:03pm
Posted In: Egypt
Throughout thousands of years of evolving mythology, there was much conflict and controversy among the Ancient Egyptian gods. The story of Osiris and Set is one example, but rarely did these conflicts take place outside of legend. The amalgamating of two gods into one, such as Amun-Ra, was usually a political move rather than a religious one. It was not until the rise of Aten that the battle for divine supremacy was such a palpable part of Egyptian life.During the reign of Akhenaten, Aten was purely the sun disk - a part of the sun god Ra, who had many forms and transformations. Like Apis the Bull, Aten was not an abstract form, but was the embodi... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: Apis

Published: 05-16-2013 12:27pm
Posted In: Egypt
Apis, also known as Hapis or Hapi-ankh, was an important symbol of strength, virility, and power. Unlike the other omnipotent gods in the Egyptian pantheon, Apis was considered to be a physical presence in the world of the living. As the reincarnation of the god Ptah, the black bull of Memphis was worshipped in his own temple, directly across from the temple of Ptah. The priests that tended the Apis bull believed that they could divine the future from signs in its movements and behavior.A black bull with a white triangle marking on its forehead was identified as the host of Ptah - when combined with the sun disk of Hathor, this marking made the sa... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: Apep

Published: 04-27-2013 01:03pm
Posted In: Egypt
The people of Ancient Egypt didn‘t worship the serpent god Apep, but reviled him. He was the lord of chaos, and the enemy of the great sun god Ra. Appearing as a giant snake, Apep dwelled in the underworld, awaiting the passage of Ra through the sky. He would strike at different times of the day, and attempt to swallow the sun whole, plunging the world into eternal darkness. Apep was an important part of the sun’s daily journey across the sky and through the underworld to be reborn again. The repetition of the battle between Apep and Ra was a ritual that brought uncertainty to each night, and triumph with each dawn. It was said that the rednes... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: Anat

Published: 04-18-2013 12:09pm
Posted In: Egypt
There were many borrowed gods in the ancient Egyptian pantheon, including the warrior goddess Anat, who was also worshipped by the Canaanites and Phoenicians. She was a fierce goddess, considered to be a protector of the king during battle. She was depicted carrying a spear, axe, and shield.Worship of Anat began in Egypt during the 16th dynasty, along with other new deities during the Hyksos occupation. She had temples in Avaris and was worshiped in Memphis. In the Egyptian legends, Anat is nearly identical to another borrowed goddess, Astarte. Both were mother and warrior goddesses, and usually thought of as daughters or Ra, and consorts of Set. ... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: Aker

Published: 04-11-2013 12:29pm
Posted In: Egypt
Aker is not as commonly known among the many Egyptian gods, perhaps due to the lack of a temple dedicated to Aker. This deity was not worshipped as a divine humanoid, but as a spiritual entity. Aker may have been one of the first gods worshipped in ancient Egypt, and despite being overshadowed by the more infamous gods, continued to be an important part of mythology throughout Greece and Rome, long after the other gods were forgotten. A primitive earth god, Aker was the embodiment of the horizons, and the concept of passing time - yesterday and tomorrow. At first represented by two heads at the eastern and western ends of a plane of land, Aker was... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: Sobek

Published: 03-26-2013 10:51am
Posted In: Egypt
Sobek was a crocodile god, usually depicted in animal form, or as a man with the head of a crocodile. As one of the most feared animals in Ancient Egypt, this deity was given much reverence, including a temple pool where a sacred crocodile was worshipped and fed sacrifices of rich meats. His chief temple was in the Fayyum capital, Crocodilopolis, but worship of Sobek was also carried out in the Ptolemaic double temple of Kom Ombo. This unusual structure was created with a symmetrical design, with Sobek worshiped in the southern portion, and Horus in the north. Hundreds of mummified sacred crocodiles were discovered at Kom Ombo.In many myths, Sobek... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: Horus

Published: 03-18-2013 02:52pm
Posted In: Egypt
Horus, one of the most well known of Ancient Egypt’s male gods, took many forms. He was often a youthful god, depicted as a young boy - the son of Isis and Osiris. Born after the death of Osiris and his ascension to the throne of the underworld, Horus was raised in secret by Isis. He would later rise up to avenge his father, battling with the evil god Set. In most legends, Set gouged out Horus’ left eye. After it was healed and his sight restored, the left eye was scarred and weakened. This eye was associated with the moon, and the right eye with the sun. Horus’ wounded eye became the udjat or wedjat eye - a symbol of healing and protection ... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: Khepri

Published: 02-05-2013 08:52pm
Posted In: Egypt
The solar deity Khepri was the embodiment of creation and the rising sun. Appearing in the form of a scarab beetle, Khepri was responsible for moving the sun into the sky each morning from the underworld. As an aspect of the sun god Ra, Khepri did not have his own cult center, but did appear often in texts and adornments. The image of Khepri was particularly important during funerary rites, as he was thought to protect the spirits of the dead from confessing misdeeds during judgment. Scarab amulets inscribed with text from the Book of the Dead would be placed over the heart of the deceased, to protect them until, and during, the Weighing of the He... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: Isis

Published: 01-16-2013 11:54am
Posted In: Egypt
Easily the most recognized and celebrated Egyptian goddess, Isis was the wife of Osiris, and mother of Horus. Her cult center was the island of Philae, and worship of Isis spread from Egypt into other areas such as Syria and Greece, and eventually Rome. Isis was worshipped for over 3000 years, and came to absorb many other goddesses into her myth. Her beauty as well as longevity make her an important figure in mythology and spirituality even today.Like Hathor, Isis was often depicted as a beautiful woman with a crown of cow’s horns and a sun disc. She could also be seen with gorgeous protective wings, typically when in a seated position, represe... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: Hathor

Published: 01-08-2013 02:04pm
Posted In: Egypt
Goddess of the sky, and embodiment of motherhood, Hathor was for the most part the gentlest of the Egyptian deities. However in some legends, it was Hathor who transformed into the lioness Sekhmet, and devoured the Egyptians for their failure to honor the sun god Ra. After being subdued with great quantities of beer and blood-red pomegranate juice, the fierce goddess slept, and returned to her motherly form.As the mother goddess, Hathor appeared in the form of a cow, whose body stretched across the sky, marking the points of the compass with her legs.  In human form, Hathor appeared as a beautiful woman with a cow’s ears. Her crown was typicall... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: Geb

Published: 12-06-2012 04:41pm
Posted In: Egypt
Some of the most memorable gods in mythology come as a pair, like Zeus and Hera, Castor and Pollux, Osiris and Isis, just to name a few. In Ancient Egypt, two of the most important deities were linked in every possible way. The sibling couple Nut and Geb represented the earth and sky, and were most often depicted together as an embodiment of the natural world. Forever linked, but unable to be together, Nut and Geb represent the ultimate tragic love story. The children of their passion became the ruling gods of Egypt: Osiris, Isis, Nephthys, and Set. Geb represented the earth, vegetation, fertility, and healing. He was often depicted as a gr... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: Bast

Published: 10-25-2012 03:24pm
Posted In: Egypt
The Egyptian cat goddess Bast, or Bastet, is one of the many deities who changed, merged, and evolved throughout the dynasties, so that her persona is mingled with many other gods and avatars in Egyptian lore. Today she is most commonly known as the goddess of motherhood and fertility, appearing as a lithe jeweled cat, or a woman with a feline head. Early legends of Bast show her as a fierce lioness, the daughter of Ra, and the embodiment of the sun’s heat. Many of Bast’s traits are blended and merged with Sekhmet - the lion goddess of war. Both have been known as the wife or consort of Ptah, the creator god and patron of artists and craftsmen... » Read More

Egyptian Gods: Anubis

Published: 10-09-2012 02:00pm
Posted In: Egypt
As the embodiment of death and the afterlife, Anubis was one of the most important gods in the Ancient Egyptian pantheon. He began as the primary protector of the deceased before being replaced by Osiris, who ruled the underworld after his defeat at the hands of Set. Anubis continued to be a major part of the afterlife rituals, assisting in the judgment of spirits before they approached the throne of Osiris for the Weighing of the Heart. This important ceremony determined who would be granted eternity, or pass into oblivion. Only those with hearts that were not heavy with misdeeds could proceed into the afterlife. Anubis was the patron of embalme... » Read More
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