EM - Egyptian Mythology Background Lesson
Egyptian Mythology and Background
Egyptian Background
Egypt has a rich history in mythology, religion, and tradition. Pharaohs and kings were the ruling bodies of the time period. Pharaohs were considered descendants of the gods. Read more about the Egyptian culture below.
Reading Assignment: Egyptian Culture
Click here to read Egyptian Culture Links to an external site.
Egyptian gods and goddesses
The Egyptians had a belief system that was complex. The gods and goddesses varied by each region. Below is a list of some of the major Egyptian deities.
|
god or goddess |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Re/Ra |
Known as the sun god and often the creator god |
|
Hathor/Hut-hor |
Known as the goddess of love, music, motherhood, and beauty |
|
Set/Sutekh |
Known as the god of chaos, storms, and the desert |
|
Bast/Bastet |
Known as the cat goddess, and associated with the sun and fertility. |
|
Sekhmet/Sakhmet |
Known as the lioness goddess, and associated with war, poisons, and plagues |
|
Nephthys/Nebet-hut |
Known for her connection to death and the afterlife--In some stories, she is the wife of Set and mother of Anubis. |
|
Anubis/Inepu |
Known as the god of mummification and judger of souls |
|
Osiris/Wesir |
Known as the god of the afterlife, resurrection, rebirth, and fertile vegetation--is a sibling of Isis, Nephthys, and Set |
|
Isis/Aset |
Known as the goddess of magic, healing, and motherhood--She was the wife of Osiris. |
|
Bes |
Known as the dwarf god who protected children from harm |
|
Thoth/Djehuty |
Known as the god of the moon, wisdom, medicine, magic, and writing |
|
Sobek |
Known as the god of the Nile, water and fertility--pictured as a crocodile-god, and often as a creator god |
|
Apophis/Apep |
Known as the figment of chaos and the god of darkness and storms |
Egyptian Creation Story
Like other cultures, Egyptian mythology has its own creation story. In this story, Nu was the primary being before time began. From the emptiness, Atum created himself, and other beings and creations followed. Keep in mind that the creation story of Egyptian mythology may have varied slightly from region to region. Read one account below.
Reading Assignment: Egyptian Creation Story
Click here to read the Egyptian Creation Story Links to an external site.
Egyptian Hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphs emerged from the preliterate artistic traditions of Egypt. For example, symbols on Gerzean pottery from ca. 4000 BCE resemble hieroglyphic writing. For many years the earliest known hieroglyphic inscription was the Narmer Palette, found during excavations at Hierakonpolis (modern Kawm al-Ahmar) in the 1890s, which has been dated to ca. 3200 BCE. However, in 1998, a German archaeological team under Günter Dreyer excavating at Abydos (modern Umm el-Qa'ab) uncovered tomb U-j of a Predynastic ruler, and recovered three hundred clay labels inscribed with proto-hieroglyphs, dating to the Naqada IIIA period of the 33rd century BCE.
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