𓂀 Ancient Egyptian Mythology

Ancient Egyptian Mythology & The Book of the Dead

Egyptian mythology spans over 3,000 years of continuous civilization along the Nile (~3100 BCE - 30 BCE). The gods, creation myths, and elaborate afterlife beliefs shaped one of history's most enduring cultures. From the solar barque of Ra to the judgment hall of Osiris, explore the sacred wisdom of Kemet.

☀️ Solar Worship ⚖️ Ma'at (Order) 🏺 Mummification 📜 Book of Dead

The Egyptian Ennead & Major Deities

The Great Ennead of Heliopolis represents the nine primary gods of creation. → Explore Full Pantheon

The Heliopolitan Ennead

𓁨

☀️ Ra (Re)

The Sun God, Creator

Supreme solar deity who travels across sky in barque. Merges with Amun as Amun-Ra. Creates world through speech.

Symbol: Sun disk, falcon, scarab

Center: Heliopolis

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𓁩

👑 Osiris

God of Afterlife & Resurrection

Judge of the dead, murdered by Set, resurrected by Isis. Rules Duat (underworld). Green-skinned mummy-wrapped figure.

Symbol: Crook, flail, atef crown

Festival: Osiris Mysteries

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𓁐

✨ Isis (Aset)

Goddess of Magic & Motherhood

Wife of Osiris, mother of Horus. Greatest magician. Resurrected Osiris. Protective mother goddess and throne of pharaoh.

Symbol: Throne headdress, sistrum, wings

Cult: Widespread, lasted into Roman era

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𓃻

🐺 Set (Seth)

God of Chaos & Desert

Murdered Osiris, battles Horus. God of storms, desert, foreigners. Both destroyer and protector of Ra's barque.

Symbol: Set animal, was scepter

Duality: Necessary chaos within order

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𓅃

🦅 Horus

Sky God, Divine Pharaoh

Son of Osiris and Isis. Avenged father, defeated Set. Living pharaoh = Horus incarnate. Sky as his wings, sun and moon as eyes.

Symbol: Falcon, Eye of Horus (wadjet)

Forms: Horus the Elder, Horus the Younger

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𓏏

🪶 Ma'at

Goddess of Truth & Cosmic Order

Personification of truth, justice, cosmic balance. Heart weighed against her feather. Upholds creation from chaos.

Symbol: Ostrich feather, scales

Concept: Universal order, ethics

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𓃾

🐊 Sobek

Crocodile God

Nile fertility, military prowess, protection. Dual nature: dangerous and protective. Patron of pharaohs.

Symbol: Crocodile

Center: Faiyum, Kom Ombo

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𓃰

⚰️ Anubis (Inpu)

God of Mummification

Guide of souls to Duat. Performs mummification. Protects tombs. Weighs heart against feather of Ma'at.

Symbol: Black jackal, canopic jars

Role: Psychopomp, embalmer

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𓏴

📚 Thoth (Djehuty)

God of Wisdom & Writing

Inventor of writing, magic, science. Scribe of the gods. Records judgment of dead. Keeper of cosmic knowledge.

Symbol: Ibis, baboon, writing palette

Center: Hermopolis

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𓏤

🎭 Hathor

Goddess of Love & Joy

Cow goddess, music, dance, foreign lands, motherhood. Also wrathful as Sekhmet. Protector of women.

Symbol: Cow horns with sun disk, sistrum

Duality: Gentle Hathor / Fierce Sekhmet

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𓌗

🦁 Sekhmet

Lioness Goddess of War

Fierce protector, plague bringer, healer. Eye of Ra unleashed. Breathes fire. Calmed by beer dyed red.

Symbol: Lioness, sun disk

Duality: Destroyer and healer

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𓊪

🌀 Ptah

Creator God & Craftsman

Created world through thought and word. Patron of craftsmen, artists, architects. Memphis theology.

Symbol: Was scepter, djed pillar

Center: Memphis

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𓆙

🐍 Apep (Apophis)

Serpent of Chaos

Primordial chaos serpent who attacks Ra's solar barque nightly. Embodiment of isfet (chaos, disorder). Eternal enemy of Ma'at and creation itself.

Symbol: Serpent, darkness

Nature: Chaos incarnate, un-creation

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𓏏

🏹 Neith

Goddess of War & Weaving

Ancient warrior goddess and creator deity. Patroness of weaving and hunting. Mother figure who created the world by weaving it into existence. Associated with Lower Egypt.

Symbol: Crossed arrows, weaving shuttle, shield

Center: Sais (Lower Egypt)

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𓏏𓅱

☀️ Amun-Ra

King of the Gods

Syncretic fusion of Amun (hidden one) and Ra (sun god). Supreme deity of New Kingdom. Combined transcendent mystery with manifest solar power.

Symbol: Sun disk, ram horns, double plumes

Center: Karnak, Thebes

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𓁟

🌅 Atum

Creator God, The Complete One

Self-created primordial deity who emerged from Nun. Evening form of Ra. Father of Shu and Tefnut. Represents completion and the setting sun.

Symbol: Double crown, benben stone

Center: Heliopolis

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𓅬

🌍 Geb

God of the Earth

Earth personified. Son of Shu and Tefnut. Husband/brother of Nut (sky). Father of Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys. Laughter causes earthquakes.

Symbol: Goose, earth, green skin

Ennead: Third generation

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𓇼

🌌 Nut

Goddess of the Sky

Sky personified. Sister/wife of Geb. Mother of Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys. Swallows sun at dusk, births it at dawn. Body arches over earth.

Symbol: Star-covered body, water pot

Ennead: Third generation

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𓆃

🦁 Anhur

God of War & Hunting

Warrior god, protector of armies. Associated with the hunt and military prowess. Merged with Shu in some traditions.

Symbol: Spear, four feathers

Center: Thinis, Abydos

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𓅓

🦅 Montu

Falcon God of War

War deity associated with military might and the pharaoh's victory. Falcon-headed with sun disk. Patron of Theban warriors.

Symbol: Falcon, curved sword, sun disk

Center: Thebes, Armant

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𓊵

🏛️ Imhotep

Deified Architect & Healer

Historical figure (c. 2650 BCE) deified centuries after death. Architect of Step Pyramid. God of medicine, wisdom, and architecture.

Symbol: Papyrus scroll, staff

Cult: Later Period, Greco-Roman era

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Egyptian Cosmology & The Journey Through Duat

→ Full Cosmology Overview | → Creation Myths | → Afterlife Journey | → The Duat (12 Hours)

Creation Myths

Heliopolitan Creation:

Memphite Theology:

The Afterlife Journey (From Book of the Dead)

1. Death & Preservation

Body mummified (70 days). Ka (life force) and Ba (personality) preserved. Book of the Dead placed in tomb.

2. Journey Through Duat

Soul navigates twelve hours of night. Faces gates, demons, trials. Guided by funerary spells.

3. Weighing of the Heart

Heart weighed against feather of Ma'at. Anubis performs weighing. Thoth records result.

4. Judgment

If heart lighter than feather: proceed to Field of Reeds. If heavier: devoured by Ammit (soul death).

5. Field of Reeds (Aaru)

Paradise. Perfect version of Egypt. Soul reunites with loved ones. Works blessed fields. Lives eternally.

6. Union with Osiris

Justified soul becomes "Osiris [Name]". Participates in solar barque journey. Achieves immortality.

Components of the Soul

🌿 Egyptian Herbalism & Sacred Plants

Egyptian medicine and magic were inseparable. Plants were sacred gifts of the gods used in healing, ritual, and mummification.

🌸 Blue Lotus (Nymphaea caerulea)

Sacred to Ra

Opens at sunrise, closes at sunset. Symbol of rebirth. Mild psychoactive - spiritual opening, relaxation, euphoria. Offered to gods.

Uses: Temple offerings, ritual intoxication, perfume, meditation

Preparation: Wine infusion, tea, oil extraction

🌲 Frankincense & Myrrh

Temple Incense of Punt

Imported from Land of Punt (Somalia/Yemen). Burned in all temples. Used in mummification. Gift to gods.

Uses: Temple incense, embalming, perfume, medicine

Significance: So valuable entire expeditions sent to obtain

🧄 Garlic (Allium sativum)

Worker's Strength

Given to pyramid builders for strength and health. Protection against evil spirits. Medicinal powerhouse.

Uses: Food, medicine, protection amulets, strength

Ritual: Hung in homes, worn by workers

🧅 Onion (Allium cepa)

Symbol of Eternal Life

Layers = layers of universe. Sprouting = resurrection. Placed in tombs. Food offering to dead.

Uses: Mummification (placed in body), food offerings, medicine

Symbolism: Eternal life, cosmos structure

🌴 Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera)

Tree of Life

Sustenance, fertility, abundance. Fronds used in ceremonies. Dates = food of immortals. Wood for sacred objects.

Uses: Food, wine, building, ceremony

Symbol: Eternal life, fertility

🌿 Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus)

Life from the Nile

Writing material, boats, sandals. Symbol of Lower Egypt. Habitat of Hathor. Represents primordial marsh of creation.

Uses: Writing, boats, mats, symbol of life

Sacred: Primordial plant of first land

🌿 Henna (Lawsonia inermis)

Beauty & Protection

Body art for living and dead. Cools body, scents, beautifies. Used on mummies. Associated with Hathor.

Uses: Body decoration, hair dye, cooling, perfume

Ritual: Applied before festivals, on mummies

🌿 Moringa (Moringa oleifera)

The Miracle Tree

Medicinal tree of incredible potency. Every part usable. Oil for perfumes and anointing. Called "shagara al rauwaq" (drumstick tree).

Uses: Oil (ben oil), medicine, food, water purification

Properties: Nutritive, healing, preservative

🌾 Wheat & Barley

Gifts of Osiris

Osiris taught agriculture. Grain = resurrection (seeds die, sprout). Beer and bread - staples of life and afterlife.

Uses: Bread, beer, offerings, resurrection symbolism

Osiris: God of grain = god of rebirth

🌿 Castor Oil Plant (Ricinus communis)

Medicine & Lamps

Oil for lamps in temples. Medicine for many ailments. Seeds HIGHLY TOXIC (ricin) but oil safe when processed.

Uses: Lamp fuel, laxative, skin treatment

Warning: Seeds deadly poisonous

🌿 Coriander & Cumin

Embalming Spices

Used in mummification process. Preservative and aromatic. Culinary and medicinal uses. Found in tombs.

Uses: Embalming, cooking, medicine, offerings

Found: In Tutankhamun's tomb

🌿 Aloe Vera

Plant of Immortality

Planted near tombs. Used in embalming. Healing burns and skin. Symbol of eternal life and protection.

Uses: Mummification, medicine, skin care, burial gifts

Cleopatra: Used for beauty

Mummification Substances

⚱️ Egyptian Rituals & Practices

The Opening of the Mouth Ceremony

Most important funerary ritual - restores senses to the deceased.

Daily Temple Service

Priests cared for god statues as if they were living beings.

Festivals & Processions

Magic & Heka

Heka (ḥkꜣ): Magic as natural force, neither good nor evil. Used by gods and humans.

Personal Piety Practices

The 42 Negative Confessions

Recited in Hall of Ma'at to prove innocence before judgment:

𓂀 The Egyptian Path: Initiate to Master

Spiritual progression through the Egyptian priesthood and mysteries.

Stage 1: Wab Priest (Purifier) - Years 1-2

Focus: Purification, temple service, learning hieroglyphics

  • Study hieroglyphic writing and sacred texts
  • Perform ritual purifications (bathing in sacred lake)
  • Shave all body hair, wear white linen only
  • Abstain from forbidden foods (fish, pork in some temples)
  • Memorize basic hymns and prayers
  • Serve senior priests in temple duties
  • Learn ritual calendar and seasonal festivals

Milestone: First time assisting in Opening of the Mouth ceremony

Stage 2: Web Priest (Pure One) - Years 3-5

Focus: Daily temple rituals, offerings, hymns

  • Perform daily temple service to god statue
  • Learn to prepare ritual offerings correctly
  • Master temple hymns and liturgies
  • Study Book of the Dead chapters
  • Assist in monthly and annual festivals
  • Learn basic heka (magic) formulas
  • Understand ma'at principles deeply

Milestone: Entrusted with opening shrine and waking the god

Stage 3: Hem-Netjer (Servant of God) - Years 6-10

Focus: Specialization, advanced rituals, teaching novices

  • Choose specialization (funerary, stellar, medical, etc.)
  • Master advanced heka and protective spells
  • Study astronomical texts and star lore
  • Perform divination and dream interpretation
  • Craft amulets and magical objects
  • Train wab priests in proper procedures
  • Lead minor festivals and ceremonies

Milestone: Successfully lead a major festival

Stage 4: Hery-Heb (Lector Priest) - Years 11-20

Focus: Ritual mastery, sacred texts, magical authority

  • Memorize extensive corpus of sacred texts
  • Read from papyri during complex ceremonies
  • Master all forms of heka including protective and destructive
  • Perform funerary rites including Opening of the Mouth
  • Advise pharaoh and nobility on religious matters
  • Copy sacred texts and transmit knowledge
  • Understand mysteries of Duat and afterlife journey

Milestone: Perform Opening of Mouth for high noble

Stage 5: Sem Priest (Master of Mysteries) - Years 20-30

Focus: Funerary expertise, resurrection mysteries, initiation

  • Wear leopard skin cloak (sem priest vestment)
  • Master complete mummification process
  • Understand Osirian mysteries of death and rebirth
  • Initiate candidates into priestly ranks
  • Perform most sacred funerary rites
  • Channel Horus during Opening of Mouth
  • Access innermost temple sanctuaries

Milestone: Perform funerary rites for pharaoh or family member

Stage 6: High Priest (First Prophet) - Years 30+

Focus: Temple leadership, direct divine communication, preserving tradition

  • Highest authority in temple complex
  • Enter Holy of Holies alone
  • Receive direct visions and oracles from god
  • Advise pharaoh on divine will
  • Oversee all priests and temple operations
  • Preserve and transmit deepest mysteries
  • Living embodiment of temple's god

Achievement: Recognized as living intermediary between gods and humanity

Specialized Priestly Roles

Key Texts & Sources