Ancient Egyptian Gods

Ancient Egyptian gods played important roles in the life and activities of the ancient Egyptians. There were many Egyptian gods and goddesses, each with a specific role or duty.

Amun

Amun, also frequently spelled Amon, was one of the gods of creation, and the father to all of the other gods.

Amun was also one of the ancient Egyptian gods responsible for providing protection to those who were poor or weak. He also represented the essential and hidden forces.

Amun was the only god that at one point, almost everyone worshipped.

Ra

Ra, also spelled Re, was one of the ancient Egyptian gods who represented the sun. Ra was known as the sun god, and was the creator god and the first divine ruler of Egypt.

While the sun was present Ra was considered a live god, but during the dark hours he was looked at as dead.

Tawaret

The goddess Tarawet was also commonly named Taurt or Thoeris, and in Egyptian her name meant Great One. She was the goddess who gave protection during pregnancy and the labor of childbirth.

Bastet

Bastet was one of the important ancient Egyptian goddess associated with the sun. She was the daughter of the sun god Ra, and was also an avenging goddess for the Egyptian people. She protected children and cats, and was also known for help with fertility.

Bastet was portrayed with a feline head, and after the Greek influences became widespread she was also thought to represent the moon as well as the sun.

Shu

Shu was one of the four element gods. He was the second divine ruler of Egypt. He was the god of air. The Egyptians believed without him, there would be no life.

Tefnut

Nut

Nut, also spelled Nuit, was a sky goddess, and was one of the most influential and important among the goddesses. She was also referred to as earth mother in ancient Egypt. The belief was that she was responsible for the continuous birth and death of Ra and the creation of the earth covering.

Nut was believed to be the wife of the god Geb, as well as his sister.

Geb

Geb was one of the Egyptian gods who ruled over the earth. He was the third divine ruler of Egypt. This god was the husband of Nut. Some of the historical records of kings in ancient Egypt list this god as an actual king.

Seth

Seth was another of the well known and worshiped ancient Egyptian gods. He was the ruler of the deserts, and the god responsible for chaos and unrest in Egypt.

Nephthys

Nephthys was a goddess who protected the dead. She was the wife and sister of the god Seth. Nephthys was also the sister to Isis, Osiris, and the aunt to Horus.

Isis

Isis was a goddess in ancient Egypt who was worshiped in ancient Roman and Greek cultures. The goddess represented the perfect mother, nature, magic and fertility.

She was also known as the protector. Isis was the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus.

She was known as the queen of heaven. She played a prominent role in ancient Egyptian civilization.

Osiris

Osiris, also known as the Lord of the dead among the ancient Egyptian gods, was responsible for overseeing the underworld. He was the husband of Isis and the father of Horus, and according to the myth he was murdered by his own brother, the god Seth.

Horus

Horus was one of the ancient Egyptian gods who went by many names. These included Harkpokrates, and Haroeris, among others.

Horus was the son of the goddess Isis and the god Osiris, and he avenged his father's murder.

For a period of time Horus also merged with Ra becoming Re-Horakhty - Ra. Which means Who is Horus of the Two Horizons.

Horus was thought to be able to command the sky, the earth, and underworld. He was also represented by the falcon.

Ptah

One of the ancient Egyptian gods that may not be as well known was, Ptah.

Ptah was considered a patron god and a creator god by ancient Egyptians. He held special significance for artists, builders, sculptors, architects, and other craftsman.

Maat

Maat, also spelled Ma'at, was important among the ancient Egyptian goddesses, because she represented harmony, the truth, and justice in all things.

She was the daughter of the sun god Ra, and the sister goddess to Bastet.

Anubis

Anubis was another of the ancient Egyptian gods responsible for the necropolis or underworld. This god was portrayed with a jackal head, and was thought to help heal the living and to help with the preparation of the dead.

Anubis was the patron god when mummification was being done, as well as the god prayed to by doctors and surgeons of the time.

To continue your journey about the gods of Egypt, a great book to read is, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. This book is full of history regarding the rise and full of the ancient Egyptian gods.