Egyptian mythology holds great appeal to both young and old, not only because of the fantastic imagery and colorful adventures of many of its main characters –– the gods and pharaohs –– and the supernatural, mysterious qualities that they possess, but also because embedded in these myths are profound religious insights into such universal themes as creation, death, and the after-life. By means of these fascinating stories, we can learn a great deal about the ancient Egyptian culture, in which religion and creative art played a crucial role. Versions of Egyptian myths available to us now were often pieced together from such varied and scattered references as pyramid texts (i. e., The Book of the Dead), temple inscriptions, tales and poems, hymns and prayers, and magic spells. We also have versions recorded by Greek writers such as Plutarch, but it is unclear how faithfully these relatively late (but often very charming) compositions represent the original Egyptian narratives.
Religion played a dominant role in every aspect of the lives of the ancient Egyptians and so their myths were primarily about the gods and other religious elements. According to T. G. H. James in his Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt, “practically all daily activities were permeated by men’s desire to remain on the good side of gods” (p. 6).
The ancient Egyptians knew over two-thousand gods and goddesses, some worshipped by the whole country and others honored locally at shrines or temples. Some deities symbolized forces of nature (i.e., water, air, the sun) while others represented aspects of daily life (i.e., farming, weaving). In fact, there were designated gods and goddesses for almost every branch of human activity and knowledge. Interestingly, the great majority of these supernatural beings were shown, in both pictures and statues, with the heads of animals. In the myths told about them, these deities often switched between having human and animal heads or actually ‘shape-shifted’ themselves completely into animals.
Below are listed some of the principal deities of ancient Egypt introduced in my unit along with the animal name or symbol often associated with them.
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Ra (Atum-Ra - a name given him as the great national god): god of the sun, father of all other gods - sun disk, falcon
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Osiris
: god of the afterlife - mummified pharaoh with crook, whip, scepter
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Isis:
goddess of the home, motherhood, crafts, mourners - cow-throne, wings
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Horus:
god of light and life, first king of Egypt - ankh, falcon
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Thoth:
god of wisdom, inventor of hieroglyphics - ibis
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Seth:
god incarnate of evil, drought, darkness and destruction - pig, wild boar, serpent, hippo and crocodile
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Nephthys:
goddess of mourning - wings
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Anubis:
god of death and embalming - jackal
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Khonsu:
moon-god and healer - moon
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Maat:
goddess of truth and justice - feather
In order for my students to better keep track of and distinguish between these many deities, I plan to use Leonard Everett Fisher’s beautifully illustrated book designed especially for children, entitled The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Before each myth is introduced to the class, I will read the simplified description of the particular deity offered in this book. In addition, for easy reference, I will display pictures of each god and goddess in the classroom.