Egyptian mythology

Winged Isis at the foot of the sarcophagus of Ramesses III, twelfth century BCE

Isis

Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom (c. 2686 – c. 2181 BCE) as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her slain brother and husband, the divine king Osiris, and produces and protects his heir, Horus. She was believed...

The sun rises over the circular mound of creation as goddesses pour out the primeval waters around it

Egyptian Mythology

Egyptian Mythology Egyptian mythology is the collection of myths from ancient Egypt, which describe the actions of the Egyptian gods as a means of understanding the world around them. The beliefs that these myths express are an important part of ancient Egyptian religion. Myths appear frequently in Egyptian writings and art, particularly in short stories and in religious material such...

Akhenaten, Nefertiti and three daughters beneath the Aten, Berlin

Atenism

Atenism Atenism, or the “Amarna heresy“, refers to the religious changes associated with the eighteenth dynasty Pharaoh Amenhotep IV, better known under his adopted name, Akhenaten. In the 14th century BC, Atenism was Egypt’s state religion for around 20 years, before subsequent rulers returned to the traditional gods and the...

The air god Shu, assisted by other gods, holds up Nut, the sky, as Geb, the earth, lies beneath.

Ancient Egyptian Religion

Ancient Egyptian Religion Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals that formed an integral part of ancient Egyptian society. It centered on the Egyptians’ interaction with many deities believed to be present in, and in control of, the world. Rituals such as prayer and offerings...

Set and Horus adore Ramesses in the small temple at Abu Simbel.

Set (Deity)

Set (Deity) Set or Seth (Setesh, Sutekh, Setekh, or Suty) is a god of chaos, the desert, storms, disorder, violence, and foreigners in ancient Egyptian religion. In Ancient Greek, the god’s name is given as Sēth (Σήθ). Set had a positive role where he accompanies Ra on his solar boat to repel Apep, the serpent...

Weighing of the heart, Egyptian Book of the Dead. Scene from the funerary papyrus for Nany, a Singer of Amun, showing the weighing of the heart that is used to judge the dead in the afterlife. Nany is at left, with Isis at far left. The god Osiris is at right. The jackal-headed Anubis is at centre. The baboon on the scales represents Thoth, the god of wisdom. Nany's heart (on left-hand scale) has been successfully weighed against Mat (goddess of justice and truth), who is the small figure on the right-hand scale. Across top, Nany meets falcon god Horus, and stands by her own tomb. This papyrus dates from the Third Intermediate Period (Dynasty 21), from around 1050 BC, during the reign of Psusennes I and Psusennes II. The papyrus was excavated in 1928-29 from the Tomb of Meritamun (MMA 65 at Deir el-Bahri, Thebes, Upper Egypt.

Ancient Egyptian Wisdom

Ancient Egyptian Wisdom The ancient Egyptians believed that when they died they would be judged on their behaviour during their lifetime before they could be granted a place in the Afterlife. In this judgement the heart of the deceased was weighed against a feather which represented Ma’at, goddess of truth,...