Info about the Egyptian Gods

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Amun Man with a ram-head. 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 Man with a jackal head. 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 A sun disk with rays which end in hands. Aten was a form of the sun god Ra. During the reign of Akhenaten, the Aten was made the 'king' of the gods.

Atum 'The All' or 'Perfection'. Man with the double crown. Atum was a creator god. The ancient Egyptians believed that Atum was the first god to exist on earth. The ancient Egyptians believed that Atum rose from the waters of chaos (Nun) and created all the gods.

Bastet Woman with the head of a cat. 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 Nile Delta.

Hathor 'House of Horus'. Woman with the ears of a cow. Hathor was a protector 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 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 'The One Far Above'. Man with the head of a hawk. 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 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. 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 Woman with headdress in the shape of a throne. Isis was a protector goddess. She used powerful magic spells to help people in need. Isis was the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. Since each pharaoh was considered the 'living Horus', Isis was very important. Isis is often shown holding Horus on her lap. She is associated with thrones because her lap was the first 'throne' that Horus sat upon. This amulet is called the 'Isis knot' and is a symbol of protection. A temple was built to honour Isis at Philae. It is still standing today.

Khepri 'He Who is Coming into Being'. Man with the head of a scarab. Khepri was a god of creation, the movement of the sun, and rebirth. The scarab beetle lays its eggs in a ball of dung. Then, it rolls the ball along the ground until the young beetles are ready to hatch. When the young beetles are ready, they crawl out of the ball. The ancient Egyptians believed that the beetles just appeared from nowhere- as they believed that their creator god had appeared from nowhere. Thus, they thought that the scarab beetle was special. In certain creation stories, Khepri is connected with the god Atum. He is also connected with the sun god Ra who pushed the sun through the sky every day.

Osiris A mummified man wearing a white cone-like headdress with feathers. 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.

Ra 'Sun'. Man with hawk head and headdress with a sun disk. Ra was the sun god. He was the most important god of the ancient Egyptians. 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 'The Powerful One'. Woman with the head of a lioness. Sekhmet was the goddess of war.

Seth Man with the head of a 'Seth animal' (unidentifiable). Seth was 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.

Tefnut Woman with the head of a lioness. Tefnut was the goddess of moisture. She was the wife of Shu and the mother of Nut (the sky) and Geb (the earth).

Thoth A man with the head of an ibis holding a writing palette. Thoth was the god of writing and knowledge. The ancient Egyptians believed that Thoth gave them the gift of hieroglyphic writing. Thoth was also connected with the moon.

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