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.
Horus was one of the most important deities of ancient Egypt, and one of the most familiar to us today. His role in the myth of Osiris and his rule over Egypt influenced the Egyptian culture for ...
Both the afterlife and the mortuary rituals were essential aspects of the ancient Egyptian culture, and there were many deities and symbols associated with death. The Four Sons of Horus were four ...
The ancient Egyptians believed in a life after death, and this idea of immortality and a world after this greatly influenced their attitudes towards life and death. To them, death was simply an ...
The Egyptians were firm believers in the afterlife, and many aspects of their culture were centered around the concepts of immortality, death, and the afterlife. The Duat was the realm of the dead ...
In Egyptian mythology, Seshat (also known as Seshet and Sefkhet-Abwy) was known as the goddess of the written word. Seshat was also a patron of writing in all its forms including auditing, ...
The Benben stone was closely related to the myth of creation, and is often classified among the most prominent symbols of ancient Egypt. It had associations with the gods Atum, Ra, and with the ...
In Egyptian mythology, Ptah was both a creator deity and the god of architects and artisans. He was also a healer. In the Memphite Theology, he was credited with having created the entire world, ...
In Egyptian mythology, Ra, also known as Re, was the god of the sun and the creator of the universe. Due to his significant influence over the centuries, he merged with several other gods as part ...
In Egyptian mythology, Nephthys was a goddess of sunset, twilight, and death. Her name meant Lady of the Temple Enclosure. As a goddess of darkness, Nephthys had the power to reveal hidden objects ...
In Egyptian mythology, most gods had animal representations or were portrayed as animals themselves. That is the case of Babi, the baboon god of the Underworld and virility. He is not a major god, ...
In Egyptian mythology, Hathor was a goddess of the sky, of fertility, women and love. She was one of the most important Egyptian goddesses who was celebrated and worshipped in shrines and ...
In Egyptian mythology, Satet was a goddess associated with hunting, archery, war and fertility. She was worshipped as a guardian of her people and her country. Here’s a closer look at who Satet was, ...
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