In Egyptian mythology, there are many gods, and the inhabitants believe that everything in the universe is governed by these deities. Thus, temples dedicated to the gods are found everywhere, with the hope of receiving blessings for favorable weather and abundant harvests.
Famous Egyptian Gods
- 1. Amun – The Supreme God
- 2. Mut – The Mother Goddess
- 3. Osiris – The King of Life
- 4. Anubis – The God of Mummification
- 5. Ra – The God of the Sun and Light
- 6. Horus – The Avenger God
- 7. Thoth – The God of Knowledge and Wisdom
- 8. Hathor – The Goddess of Motherhood
- 9. Sekhmet – The Goddess of War
- 10. Geb – The God of Earth
1. Amun – The Supreme God
Amun is an important deity throughout Egyptian history.
Like Zeus, the supreme god of ancient Greek mythology, Amun-Ra, also known as Amon, is considered the king of the gods and is one of the most revered among the ten ancient Egyptian gods. Amun, along with the goddess Mut and his son Khonsu (the Moon God), are the three most worshipped deities in ancient Egypt. Amun is depicted as a powerful man wearing a crown with long feathers. He is celebrated as the “King of the Gods,” bringing luck, justice, and protection to his people. Thus, Amun became a protective deity worshipped by the people in the Nile River basin.
Amun is one of the most powerful gods in ancient Egyptian civilization, often depicted as a man wielding a scepter and wearing a long crown. During the peak of the Nile civilization, Amun was exalted as the “King of the Gods,” providing fortune, justice, and safeguarding travelers. When combined with the sun god Ra to form Amun-Ra, this deity became even more powerful. In Thebes, the famous Karnak temple complex houses a significant temple dedicated to Amun.
2. Mut – The Mother Goddess
She is one of the eight supreme Ogdoad deities and the wife of Amun.
“Mut” in Egyptian means “Mother,” representing a primordial goddess of ancient Egypt, known as the mother of various goddesses and embodying many aspects of culture that evolved over thousands of years. She is depicted wearing two crowns symbolizing Upper and Lower Egypt. In hieroglyphics, Mut is represented by a vulture or animals like cats and snakes. She is one of the eight supreme Ogdoad deities and the spouse of Amun.
The goddess Mut replaced the image of Amaunet, a wife of Amun during the Middle Kingdom. After Amun became the chief deity, she was honored as the Queen of the Gods during the New Kingdom. When Amun merged with the sun god Ra, Mut received the title “The Eye of Ra” (other goddesses like Sekhmet, Hathor, Tefnut, Bastet, and Wadjet also held this title). She is associated with the powers of several other goddesses such as Mut-Isis-Nekhbet, Mut-Wadjet (sometimes Sekhmet)-Bastet, or Mut-Sekhmet-Bastet-Menhit.
3. Osiris – The King of Life
This is the god who governs the afterlife.
According to legend, Osiris is the firstborn son of the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut. He governs the afterlife because the ancient Egyptians believed in an existence after death. Osiris is depicted with green skin, symbolizing vegetation and life. He is also the protector of plants and all living beings, as well as the one who brings water to the Nile River. Osiris is often portrayed as a mummified human with white skin, representing the mummified body. In another depiction, he has black skin, reflecting the color associated with the deities of the afterlife. Osiris is sometimes illustrated wearing various crowns, but the white crown of Upper Egypt or the Atef crown (a white crown with ostrich feathers on each side and a disk on top) is the most recognized.
Osiris married his sister Isis. After being murdered by his evil brother Seth, Isis used magic to revive Osiris, helping her conceive and give birth to a son. This son, Horus, avenged his father’s death by killing his wicked uncle. Subsequently, Osiris became the king of the dead while Horus became the living ruler of Egypt. Every Egyptian pharaoh would embody Osiris after death, and during their lives, they represented Horus. Osiris is also a deity of vegetation, often painted green to symbolize growth and renewal.
4. Anubis – The God of Mummification
The symbolic image of Anubis likely derives from wandering jackals.
All ancient civilizations revered a god of the dead. In ancient Egypt, that god was Anubis, the overseer of mummification and the judge of a person’s worthiness in the afterlife. Symbolized as a black jackal or a muscular man with a jackal’s head, Anubis is believed to supervise all aspects of death. He facilitated mummification, protected the dead’s tombs, and determined whether a soul deserved eternal life.
The symbolic image of Anubis likely originated from wandering jackals that tended to dig up and scavenge fresh graves. The god’s head is often black, reflecting the ancient Egyptians’ association of that color with decay or the fertile soil of the Nile Delta. Today, while we know quite a bit about Anubis, some aspects remain a mystery. However, one thing is certain: Anubis, the jackal god of Egypt, played a central role in alleviating the ancient Egyptians’ concerns and natural fascination with what happens after we take our last breath.
5. Ra – The God of the Sun and Light
Ra is an essential component of the Egyptian pantheon.
Ra is a vital part of the Egyptian pantheon. It is said that he began to emerge from the primordial mound that rose above the waters of Nun and initiated the process of creation. Sometimes he is depicted as a child emerging from a lotus flower. The Egyptians believed that every day the sun god was reborn. In the morning, after bathing and having breakfast, he began his journey across the sky on his boat, spending an hour each day inspecting one of his twelve realms. As the sun set, it was believed that Ra entered the underworld until the next morning when he would be reborn. Throughout the night, this supreme deity battled his enemy Apep, the fearsome cosmic serpent in the underworld.
Ra has two children: Shu, the god of wind, and Tefnut, the goddess of moisture. According to one myth, these two deities went missing on a cosmic journey. When Ra finally found them, he was so overjoyed that he wept. The first humans were said to have been created from these tears. Another story recounts how, as Ra aged, the goddess Isis decided to discover his secret name. She mixed soil with his saliva to form a serpent and placed it along Ra’s usual path. When the god passed by, the serpent bit him, injecting venom that caused him to writhe in agony. Isis agreed to heal him only if he revealed his name. In great pain, Ra ultimately consented to disclose his secret. Isis promised not to share what she learned with anyone except Horus and healed Ra after discovering his name.
6. Horus – The Avenger God
Horus represents health, life, and rebirth.
Horus is the god of the sky, depicted as a man with the head of a hawk, and he is the son of Osiris and Isis. Thus, he sees everything through the sharp eyes of a hawk. Horus represents health, life, and resurrection. His right eye is white, symbolizing the sun, while his left eye is black, representing the moon. Consequently, the people of Egypt associated Horus’s right eye with the sun god, Ra, and his left eye with the moon god, Thoth.
The Eye of Ra symbolizes victory and the defeat of enemies. This eye has also been used to represent a range of Egyptian goddesses such as Mut, Bastet, Hathor, Wadjet, and Sekhmet. Although considered a symbol of violence and destruction (like the heat of the sun), the Eye of Ra is also seen as a symbol of protection. As such, it frequently appears on amulets and on house walls. In ancient times, this eye often served as a symbol of royal power.
7. Thoth – The God of Wisdom and Knowledge
This is the most revered god in the “land of pyramids.”
Thoth is the god representing wisdom and knowledge, the patron of Egypt. He is the most revered deity in the “land of pyramids.” In ancient Egyptian belief, Thoth is the god of the Moon, time, and is responsible for writings and knowledge, known as the “God of Sacred Writings”, embodying infinite wisdom. Thoth served as the chief advisor to Osiris, the god of vegetation and the dead. Due to his mystical knowledge, Thoth played a crucial role in the burial of Osiris. He recorded events and acted as an objective mediator between good and evil in the underworld, documenting judgments at the gates of Maat.
In Egyptian mythology, Thoth is a benevolent god who sides with Osiris, always protecting him from Seth’s attacks. Thoth also assisted Isis in resurrecting Osiris, leading him to become the lord of the underworld. The boundless power of Thoth’s wisdom enables humanity to break free from all shackles, including those imposed by the evil god Seth. It was Thoth who concealed Horus from Seth’s pursuit and helped Horus reclaim the Egyptian throne. Magicians worshipped Thoth as a supreme deity of magic, who would guide them to powerful spells rivaling those of the gods.
8. Hathor – The Goddess of Motherhood
Hathor symbolizes motherhood and the love of a daughter.
Hathor is the goddess of sacred and profound motherhood. She guides the deceased to their next reincarnation. Hathor is known as the most beautiful goddess of Egypt. She is the biological daughter of Ra. Hathor embodies motherhood and the love of a daughter. The ancient Egyptians also revered her as the goddess of dance and music. They believed that Hathor would bless women during pregnancy and after childbirth. She always brings joy, music, and dance to everyone. Her responsibilities include caring for mothers and children, nurturing the living, and guiding the dead to the afterlife.
The goddess of motherhood, Hathor, possesses a gentle demeanor and kind nature. She treats all living beings well, earning the love and admiration of the people of Egypt. Each god born has a noble and sacred mission to fulfill. The names of Egyptian deities are deeply cherished, revered, and worshipped by the people. It is hoped that these insights will provide you with valuable information about the culture of ancient Egypt.
9. Sekhmet – The Goddess of War
Sekhmet is obsessed with the color red and always appears in red attire.
“Sekhmet” originates from the Egyptian language and means “power” or “will.” The Egyptian goddess Sekhmet has the head of a lion, representing the dark forces of the sun, and is a symbol of war and vengeance. However, her primary role is to protect the solar disk. This is one of the peculiar contradictions in Sekhmet’s story, as she is also known as the first vampire.
Sekhmet is obsessed with the color red and always appears in red garments. Therefore, Sekhmet is often referred to as “The Red Lady.” In battles, she serves as a goddess of war, helping to protect the Pharaohs. It is believed that Sekhmet saved humanity by drinking all the blood from the Nile River. Ra realized there was no way to stop Sekhmet from her bloodlust. He ordered the people to dye 7,000 jars of wine red and place them on the ground. Sekhmet believed this was blood and drank until she was intoxicated. At that point, Ra was able to transform the goddess back into the goddess of love, Hathor (in the form of a cow).
10. Geb – The God of Earth
Geb is often seen as a benevolent deity.
Geb is the god of the Earth. He is the son of the air god Shu and the moisture goddess Tefnut, and the grandson of Atum-Ra. He is the brother and husband of the sky goddess Nut. Together, they have four children: Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys. His grandchildren are Horus and Anubis. He is depicted in paintings as a man wearing the Atef crown or with a goose on his head—the sacred animal of the god. This deity is often illustrated with a scruffy beard, lying beneath the feet of Shu. He is sometimes painted green, symbolizing the vegetation growing from his body. Occasionally, he is seen accompanied by a goose or in the form of a ram.
As a god of the earth, he is associated with aquifers and the lush vegetation that grows on his body. He is responsible for safeguarding tombs and also participates in the trials held in the “Hall of Maat.” Souls found guilty will be imprisoned by him forever beneath the earth. Geb is often regarded as a kind god, providing people with bountiful harvests and healing their ailments. Geb is the third pharaoh of Egypt, following Atum/Ra and Shu. After Osiris—the fourth pharaoh—was killed by Set, he supported the ascension of his grandson, Horus. Pharaohs claimed to be the “Heirs of Geb.” To mark the coronation of a pharaoh, four geese were released at the four corners of the earth to symbolize good fortune for the new king.
