Egyptian mythology is a rich, vibrant and intriguing belief structure that the ancient Egyptians used to explain their world and to answer the big questions. Populated with characters such as Ra, Osiris, Sekhmet, Maat and Horus, Egyptian mythology was a part of the people’s daily life, and informed how they behaved and interacted, the decisions they made and the way they prepared for death.
With the opening up of the Silk Road in 130 BCE, Egyptian mythology began to spread to other cultures, including those of Greek and Rome. The concepts of an afterlife, of reincarnation and of gods and goddesses who protected and watched over people would influence these cultures and take root.
Egyptian mythology abounds in symbols, metaphors and unique stories. They’re complex and multi-layered, often with no equivalents in other cultures. One such example is the view that the soul was made up of many components – the ba, the ka, the akh, the shut and so on. It’s well worth getting to know this unique belief system.
In our series on Egyptian mythology, we’ve tried to simplify these big ideas, offering comprehensive guides that cover the myths, symbolism and modern relevance of this important ancient religion.
The ancient Egyptian civilization started its rapid development after the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. It was ruled by several dynasties and many different rulers left permanent traces on ...
Women achieved greater power in ancient Egypt than in any other ancient culture and were the equals of men in almost every area of life.While the best known of all the Egyptian queens is ...
There were many animal gods in ancient Egypt, and often, the only thing they had in common was their appearance. Some were protective, some were harmful, but most of them were both at the same ...
A legendary Egyptian object that contains cryptic inscriptions, the Emerald Tablet of Thoth is believed to contain the secrets of the world. It was a highly influential text during the medieval ...
Egyptian mythology is one of the most extravagant, colorful, and unique mythologies in the world. It’s also one of the most complex ones, however, as it’s formed by the combination of several ...
Neith was one of the oldest deities of the Egyptian pantheon, known as the goddess of creation. She’s also the goddess of domestic arts and war, but these are just some of her many roles. ...
Heqet, also known as the ‘Frog Goddess’ was the Ancient Egyptian goddess of fertility and childbirth. She was one of the most important goddess of the Egyptian pantheon and was often identified ...
In Egyptian mythology, Tefnut was the goddess of water and fertility. At times, she was also regarded as a lunar goddess since she influenced the power and cycles of the moon. She was one of the ...
In Egyptian mythology, Menhit (also written as Menchit, Menhet or Menkhet) was a war goddess from Nubia. Her name meant she who massacres or the slaughterer, which refers to her ...
In Egyptian mythology, Mut (also known as Maut or Mout) was a mother goddess and one of the most worshipped deities across Egypt. She was a versatile goddess who absorbed many attributes and ...
In Egyptian mythology, Wadjet was the patron goddess and guardian of Lower Egypt, who protected and guided the pharaohs and queens of Egypt. She’s among the oldest deities of ancient Egypt, ...
The sun played a central role in Egyptian mythology, with several important symbols associated with it. One such symbol was the Winged Sun, a powerful symbol of royalty, power, divinity and the ...
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