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Learn about some of the Ancient Egyptian Gods !

There were over 2,000 names of gods in Ancient Egypt.

Some images of Ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses show them with a human body and the head of a bird or an animal.

Animals were chosen to represent the powers of the god.

*Click on the links to find out more information*

 

 Amun

‘King of the Gods.’

Amun was one of the most powerful gods in ancient Egypt.

At the height of Egyptian civilisation he was called the ‘King of the Gods’.

Amun was important throughout the history of ancient Egypt. However, when Amun was combined with the sun god Ra he was even more powerful. He was then called Amun-Ra.

A large and important temple was built at Thebes to honour Amun.

Anubis

‘The jackal god of death and Egyptian mummies’.

Anubis was the god of embalming and the dead.

Since jackals were often seen in cemeteries, the ancient Egyptians believed that Anubis watched over the dead.

Anubis was the god who helped to embalm Osiris after he was killed by Seth. Thus, Anubis was the god who watched over the process of mummifying people when they died.

Priests often wore a mask of Anubis during mummification ceremonies.

Aten

‘God of the sun-disc’.

Aten was a form of the sun god Ra.

During the reign of Akhenaten, the Aten was made the ‘King’ of the gods.

Bast or Bastet

‘Cat goddess of fertility’.

Bastet was a protective goddess.

Bastet was usually seen as a gentle protective goddess. However, she sometimes appeared with the head of a lioness to protect the King in battle. 

The cat was a symbol of Bastet. The ancient Egyptians made many statues of cats like this one to honour Bastet. 

Bastet was one of the daughters of the sun god, Ra. A great temple was built in her honour at Bubastis in the Delta.

Bes 

‘Lion-like domestic god’.

Bes was the protector of pregnant women, newborn babies and the family.

The ancient Egyptians also believed that Bes protected against snake and scorpion bites.

Hathor

 ’Cow-headed goddess of happiness’.

Hathor was a protective goddess. She was also the goddess of love and joy.

Hathor was the wife of Horus and was sometimes thought of as the mother of the Pharaoh.

Hathor sistrum was connected with foreign places and materials. For instance, Hathor was the goddess of the desert and the turquoise mines in the Sinai.

A large temple was built to honour Hathor at Dendera.

Horus 

‘Falcon-headed sky god’.

Horus was a god of the sky.

He is probably most well-known as the protector of the ruler of Egypt.

The Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh was the ‘living Horus’.

The ancient Egyptians had many different beliefs about the god Horus. One of the most common beliefs was that Horus was the son of Isis and Osiris.

After Osiris was murdered by his brother Seth, Horus fought with Seth for the throne of Egypt.

In this battle, Horus lost one of his eyes. The eye was restored to him and it became a symbol of protection for the ancient Egyptians. After this battle, Horus was chosen to be the ruler of the world of the living.

‘Eye of Horus’, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt today was dedicated to Horus. It is located in Upper Egypt at a town called Edfu.

Isis

‘Wife of Osiris, mother of Horus, goddess of motherhood and royalty’.

Isis was a protective goddess. She used powerful magic spells to help people in need.

Since each Pharaoh was considered the ‘living Horus’, Isis was very important.

A temple was built to honour Isis at Philae. It is still standing today.

Osiris

‘God of the underworld and agriculture’.

Osiris was the god of the dead and ruler of the underworld.

Osiris was the brother/husband of Isis and the brother of Nepthys and Seth. He was also the father of Horus.

As well as being a god of the dead, Osiris was a god of resurrection and fertility. In fact, the ancient Egyptians believed that Osiris gave them the gift of barley, one of their most important crops.

A large temple was built to honour Osiris at Abydos.

Ptah

‘Creator god and patron of craftsmen’.

In one creation myth Ptah was a creator god. He spoke the words and the world came into being.

Ra

‘Sun-god, Ancient Egypt’s most important god’.

The ancient Egyptians believed that Ra was swallowed every night by the sky goddess Nut and was reborn every morning.

The ancient Egyptians also believed that he travelled through the underworld at night. In the underworld, Ra appeared as a man with the head of a ram.

Sekhmet or Sakhmet

‘Lion-headed goddess of war and destruction.’

Sekhmet was also the goddess of healing for Upper Egypt.

It was said that her breath created the desert. She was seen as the protector of the Pharaohs and led them in warfare.

Seth

‘God of storms and violence’.

Seth was also the god of chaos.

Seth represented everything that threatened harmony in Egypt.

He was the brother of Osiris and Isis, as well as the brother/husband of Nepthys. He murdered his brother Osiris, then battled with his nephew Horus to be the ruler of the living.

At certain times in the history of ancient Egypt, Seth was associated with royalty.

Thoth

‘Ibis-headed god of the Moon, arts and science’.

Thoth was also the god of writing and knowledge.

The ancient Egyptians believed that Thoth gave them the gift of hieroglyphic writing.

Find out more facts on the Ancient Egyptian Gods here.

The video above tells you a little of Ancient Egypt.

 Click here to view some AMAZING Egyptian animated pictures to download!

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