Egyptian myths played an important role in the life of the population of the country of the pyramids. The population of the country sincerely believed that their fate depended on the heroes of legends. Egyptian mythology originates long before the advent of a developed civilization. The first mentions of legends and gods date from a period of 5 thousand years BC.
Egyptian myths have features that distinguish them from myths of other nations. First of all, this is the cult of the dead and the other world, as well as the deification of animals. Over time, the mythology of Egypt changed depending on the desires of the ruling dynasty. Pharaoh raised a cult to the deity, which was the patron saint of his family.
Egyptian mythology research
The study of Egyptian mythology is complicated by the fact that sources that can help in covering this issue are distinguished by incomplete data and unsystematic presentation. New documents and artifacts are periodically discovered, and texts of legends are reconstructed based on them. Basically, ancient Egyptian myths are studied according to the records on the walls of tombs and temples, according to hymns and prayers.
The most significant monuments reflecting the views of the ancient Egyptians:
- “Pyramid Texts” - letters carved on the walls inside the pyramids. They contain funeral royal rituals. The letters date back to the XXVI-XXIII centuries BC and belong to the V and VI dynasties of the pharaohs.
- “Texts of sarcophagi” - letters on sarcophagi. They date from the 21st-18th centuries BC.
- The Book of the Dead is a collection of prayers and religious texts placed in the tomb of every Egyptian. It dates from the period from the XVI century BC to the end of the history of Egypt.
Egypt, mythology, gods are mysterious concepts, which are studied by many scientists.
Gods of ancient egypt
Amon is a god especially revered in the city of Thebes. In ancient images, he is represented in the image of a man. Two long feathers crown his head. You can meet his image with the head of a ram, a sacred animal. In the XVIII century, he became the supreme god. Amon patronized imperial power and helped to win victories in wars.
Anubis - the god of the underworld in the III millennium BC. e. Then they began to venerate him as the lord of the dead. He was portrayed as a man with the head of a black jackal. Anubis was especially worshiped in the city of Kinopol.
Apis is a sacred animal, a bull. It was believed that he is the earthly personification of the god of fertility. The bull was kept all his life at the temple in the city of Memphis, and after death he was buried there.
Aton is a god whose cult appeared during the reign of Akhenaten. He imagined himself in the image of the sun. It was believed that he personifies the spirit of the deceased pharaoh, the father of Akhenaten.
Atum is a god especially revered in the city of Heliopolis. He personified the eternal unity of all things. It was believed that he is the creator of the world. During the reign of the V dynasty, he began to symbolize the god of the sun.
Ba is a deity personifying human feelings and emotions. It had a volatile nature. The man in mythology the dough is associated with this deity. The nature of Ba could change depending on the state of the physical body of a person. After his death, it remained near the heart of the deceased, and then fell into a lethargic dream. This deity can be compared with the modern concept of "soul."
Geb is the patron god of the earth. It was also believed that he protects the dead. Myths about the Egyptian gods say that he is the father of Seth, Osiris, Nephthys and Isis. In the drawings he was depicted as an old man with a beard.
Ka symbolizes the image of man. This is a certain spirit that accompanies him during life and death. It was believed that he penetrates into everything connected with man, into all objects and creatures. Mythology depicted him as arms raised up, bent at the elbows.
Min is a god especially revered in the city of Koptos. He patronized cattle breeding and provided a rich harvest. Ming also helped caravans along the way.
Montu is a god portrayed with the head of a falcon. He was especially revered in the cities of Thebes and Hermont. Montu contributed to the victories of the pharaoh in wars.
Osiris is the god and ruler of the afterlife. The center of his cult was in the city of Abydos.
Ptah is a god who gave names to everything and created the rest of the gods. Particularly revered in the city of Memphis.
Ra is the supreme god of the sun. It was believed that he is the father of all the pharaohs. His cult was in the city of Heliopolis.
Sebek is the god-master of waters and a source of fertility. He was portrayed with the head of a crocodile. He was especially revered in the Fayum oasis.
Seth is the patron god of the storm and desert, the protector of the god Ra. It was also believed that he is the personification of evil.
He is the god of the moon and wisdom. In the drawings he was depicted with the head of an ibis. It was believed that he invented writing and the calendar. He was especially revered in the city of Germopol.
Hapi is a god portrayed as a complete man with a vessel in his hands, from which water pours. He personified the spill of the Nile.
Khnum is the guardian god of the Nile. It was also believed that he created humanity from clay. He was depicted with the head of a ram. Especially revered in the city of Esna.
Khonsu is a god portrayed with the head of a falcon or in the form of a man with a moon sickle on his head. He was revered as a healer.
The choir is the god of royalty. It was believed that the ruling pharaoh is his earthly incarnation.
Shu is the god of air. He was also revered as the patron saint of the midday sun. He was the brother and husband of the goddess Tefnut.
Yah is the patron god of the moon. He was especially revered in the city of Germopol.
Goddess of ancient egypt
Isis is the goddess and wife of Osiris. She was the ideal of femininity. Isis patronized motherhood and children. Her cult was widespread outside of Egypt.
The goddess of Ancient Egypt is Bastet - the patroness of fun and love. She was portrayed with the head of a cat. Bastet was especially revered in the city of Bubastis.
Maat is a goddess symbolizing truth and justice. She was portrayed with a feather stuck in her long hair.
Mut is the goddess and queen of heaven. She was depicted with two crowns and a neck on her head. Mut, like some other goddesses of Ancient Egypt, patronized motherhood. She was worshiped by the pharaohs, because it was believed that she gives the right to rule Egypt.
Nate is the goddess who created the world. In the city of Sans, it was also believed that it helps in war and hunting.
Nephthys, or Nebeth, is the goddess of death. It was believed that she was the author of many mournful hymns and prayers. Despite this, she was also revered as the goddess of sexuality. In the drawings, she is depicted as a woman with an unusual design on her head, consisting of a house, which is crowned with a construction basket. This symbol is included in the hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt.
Nehbet is a goddess who helps during childbirth. She was portrayed as a woman with a white crown and a kite on her head. You can find drawings in which it is presented in the form of a kite. Nehbet was especially revered in the city of Nehen, the capital of Upper Egypt.
Nut or Well - the goddess of heaven. She gave birth to Isis, Nephthys, Osiris and Seth. In the drawings you can find two of her images: a heavenly cow and a woman touching the earth with the tips of her hands and feet.
Sohmet is the goddess and wife of Ptah. She was considered an assistant in the wars and personified the heat of the sun. Her cult was in the city of Memphis.
Taurt is a goddess who helps during childbirth and personifies female fertility. In the drawings, she was depicted as a female hippo standing on her hind legs. Her images could be found on amulets, because she helped drive away evil spirits.
Tefnut is the patron goddess of heat and moisture. She was painted with the head of a lioness. Her cult was in the city of Tefnut.
Wajjit is a goddess portrayed as a cobra. She was revered in the city of Pe-Dep. Wajjit was the personification of the power of the pharaoh.
Hathor is the goddess of music and love. In the drawings, she appears with the horns of a cow on her head. Her cult was in the city of Dendera.
Myths of Ancient Egypt
The mythology of Egypt began to take shape in the VI-IV millennium BC. e. In different areas of the country, a pantheon of gods was formed and a cult of his deity was created. The earthly stay of the gods was embodied in animals, plants, celestial bodies, natural phenomena.
Egyptian myths say that the world was a bottomless expanse of water that bore the name of Nun. Deities emerged from chaos and created heaven and earth, plants and animals, people. The sun became the god Ra, who appeared from a lotus flower. If he was angry, then heat and drought would come on the earth. People believed that the first gods became pharaohs.
But the Egyptian creation myth is not a single story. The same events can be described in different ways, and the deities are represented in different guises.
The Creation Myth
In Egypt, there were three main religious centers - Memphis, Heliopolis and Hermopolis. Each of them had its own version of the origin of the world.
In Heliopolis , the sun god was especially revered . The Egyptian creation myth for local priests was built on its cult. They believed that the god Atum appeared from the body of water and by the power of his will made the sacred stone, whose name is Benben, grow out of the water. Having ascended to its summit, the god Atum gave birth to the god of air Shu and the goddess of moisture Tefnut, who then gave birth to the god of the earth Hebe and the goddess of heaven Nut. These deities are the foundation of creation. Then Osiris, Seth, Isis and Nephthys were born from the union of Nut and Hebe. Four gods became the personification of the barren desert and fertile Nile valley.
In Hermopolis, it was believed that the founders of the world were the eight gods - ogload. It included four female and four male deities. Naunet and Nun symbolized water, Haunet and Hu - space, Kaunet and Cook - darkness, Amaunet and Amon - air. Eight deities became parents of the sun god, who gave the world light.
The legend of Memphis is similar to Hermopolis, but with one difference - the god Ptah appeared before the god of the sun. The latter was created by the heart and tongue of Ptah.
Osiris in the mythology of ancient Egypt
The heroes of Egyptian myths were mostly gods, the most famous of them is Osiris. He patronized agriculture and winemaking.
According to legend, he was the ruler of Egypt. During his reign, the country flourished. Osiris had a younger brother, Seth, who wanted to gain power. He planned to do this through murder.
Isis, the sister and wife of Osiris, has been looking for her husband's body for a long time. Then she gives birth to a son, whom she calls Horus. Having matured, he triumphs over Set and revives Osiris. But the latter does not want to live among people, he becomes the lord of the afterlife.
It was believed that if the funeral ritual for a deceased person is followed by all the rules, then he will be able to gain eternal life, like Osiris.
Nile in the mythology of ancient Egypt
Egyptian mythology cannot exist without legends about the Nile River, which played a large role in the emergence of an ancient civilization.
It was believed that this sacred reservoir connected the world of people, Heaven and the underworld. A river flowing through the earth personified the god Hapi. When the latter was in a good mood, he led the river out of the banks and saturated the soil with moisture, which made it possible to grow vegetables.
Various spirits lived in the Nile, which appeared to people in the form of animals: frogs, scorpions, crocodiles, snakes.
Myths about the god Ra
Many Egyptian myths tell of the god Ra. Some of them say that people arose from the tears of this god. His eyes were a powerful symbol in the art of Egypt. You can find their images on sarcophagi, clothes, amulets. The eyes of the god Ra lived separately from his body. The right eye was able to scatter opponents, and the left eye was able to heal from diseases.
Myths about Egyptian gods tell incredible stories in which the eye of Osiris acts as a separate hero or object.
For example, in one legend, Ra created a universe that was not like our world, and settled gods and people there. After some time, the inhabitants of the universe decided to plot about him. But Ra found out about this and decided to punish the culprits. Gathering all the gods, he said to them: “Oh gods! I created people from my eye, and they are plotting evil against me! ”After these words, Ra threw his eye to people, which took the form of the goddess Hator-Sekhmet. She dealt with people, but not this moment is interesting, but how Ra could throw his eye.
In another myth, Ra gives her eye to the goddess Basti to help her in the fight against the evil snake. There is a legend in which the eye of Ra is identified with the goddess Tefnut. She was offended by God and went into the desert alone. There are hundreds of similar myths in which the eye of Ra is a separate subject, which seems wonderful to modern man.
Legends and myths about the Egyptian pyramids
The question of how the pyramids of Ancient Egypt were built torments researchers and historians to this day. Various versions have been put forward, but no one knows how things really were.
There are many myths about the appearance of the pyramids and their purpose. One legend says that the pyramids were built to store treasures. But if this is so, then modern man will no longer be able to confirm its truth. After all, treasures could be stolen in ancient times.
It is difficult to erect such structures even with the help of modern technology. How did the ancient Egyptians succeed? Pyramids are built from machined blocks laid neatly on top of each other. Their sides are oriented by the stars. Therefore, even versions are being put forward about the alien origin of the pyramids.
There are also myths that the Atlanteans built the pyramids before the Great Flood in order to preserve knowledge about their civilization. But no one has been able to prove this yet.
It is clear that in those days people could not create such structures. They will try to solve this mystery for a long time. It is not known whether this will succeed.
Hieroglyphs and mythology
The hieroglyphics of Ancient Egypt are tightly connected with religion and mythology. People turned to deities in a special language. Which is reflected in the first hieroglyphs. They had the appearance of creatures and objects.
According to legend, the god Thoth in the form of hieroglyphs depicted the foundations of the universe and knowledge. This is considered the occurrence of Egyptian writing.
Priests for the depiction of divine truths painted figures of animals and plants. In their understanding, the knowledge that God gave should be expressed in a simple form. For example, the concept of time can be described as something hasty, uniting the beginning with the end. It teaches prudence, creates events, and ultimately destroys them. The hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt depicted this concept in the form of a winged snake holding its tail in its mouth - one image for depicting complex knowledge.