Difference between revisions of "Egyptian mythology"
m (→Deities: Bit more accurate, I think. His role as sun god follows from his position as sky god.) |
(→Deities: Isis, meet Hathor. Hathor, Isis.) |
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'''Imhotep''' was originally an historic figure but was later deified by the Egyptians into the [[god]] of [[medicine]]. In his mortal history he was credited with the design of the step [[pyramid]]. | '''Imhotep''' was originally an historic figure but was later deified by the Egyptians into the [[god]] of [[medicine]]. In his mortal history he was credited with the design of the step [[pyramid]]. | ||
| − | '''Isis''' is a goddess who is supposed to be the wife of [[Osiris]] and the mother of [[Horus]]. | + | '''Isis''' is a goddess who is supposed to be the wife of [[Osiris]] and (in later times) the mother of [[Horus]]. |
'''[[Nekhbet]]''' is a vulture goddess, protectress of the [[Pharaoh]], along with Wadjet, and patron goddess of Upper Egypt. | '''[[Nekhbet]]''' is a vulture goddess, protectress of the [[Pharaoh]], along with Wadjet, and patron goddess of Upper Egypt. | ||
Revision as of 21:39, February 21, 2009
Egyptian mythology includes all the religious beliefs practiced by ancient Egyptians. These beliefs greatly influenced the development of their culture, but there was never a unified theological system. The Egyptian faith was based on a collection of ancient myths, nature worship, and a number of deities. [1]
Deities
Anubis was the god of embalming and was often represented by a jackal or other dog, his brother is Horus.
Horus is the Egyptian sky god who is often represented by the falcon, he said to have resurrected his dead father Osiris.
Iah is an Ancient Egyptian lunar god, whose role was linked to that of Thoth in the Old and Middle Kingdoms, and who came to be eclipsed to some degree by Khonsu from the New Kingdom onward. Some scholars regard the god as the personification of the lunar disc itself within Ancient Egyptian culture.
Imhotep was originally an historic figure but was later deified by the Egyptians into the god of medicine. In his mortal history he was credited with the design of the step pyramid.
Isis is a goddess who is supposed to be the wife of Osiris and (in later times) the mother of Horus.
Nekhbet is a vulture goddess, protectress of the Pharaoh, along with Wadjet, and patron goddess of Upper Egypt.
Osiris is a god who was said to have been killed by his brother the god Set, only to be resurrected by his son Horus.
Ra is the supreme manifestation of the Egyptian sun god of Heliopolis and one of the most important members of the Ancient Egyptian pantheon. The Egyptians believed that each day the sun was re-born. In the morning after a bath and breakfast he took a journey across the sky in his heavenly boat and would spend an hour of each day inspecting each of his 12 provinces. When the sun went down in the evening Ra was believed to enter the underworld until the next morning. All night long Ra had to fight his enemy Apep the terrible cosmic serpent who lived in the underworld. Ra is usually depicted as a falcon wearing a sun disc on his head. The rulers of Ancient Egypt called themselves Pharaohs - literally "Sons of Ra" - as a means of establishing their divinity.
Set is the brother of Osiris and uncle of Horus, he is said to have killed Osiris, who was later resurrected by Horus, Set was then killed by Horus.
Thoth was an Egyptian god represented with the head of an ibis, who was supposed to make sure neither good nor bad had too much power over the other.