Egyptian Mythology

Egyptian mythology is possibly one of the oldest known mythologies. Dating back several thousands of years, the early Egyptians worshiped a wide variety of gods. Their gods in many instances have been mirrored by later cultures including the Greeks and Romans, as these Mediterranean cultures had relatively broad impacts on each others cultures.

The Egyptians were perhaps a bit more fluid in their beliefs than the Greeks or Romans, with many gods being worshiped regionally instead of as a whole. The development of the Egyptian gods can also be seen as a more flexible system. Due to this flexibility among the Egyptians regarding the specifics of their being, it is hard to pin down the specifics of each god. Some could be regarded as multiple deities depending on the region. The Egyptians also regarded their Pharaohs as gods on earth.

: Image via Wikipedia

Here is a short description of each of the major deities in Egyptian mythology:

Re – Sometimes pronounced “Ra” was the Egyptian god of the Sun. Later associated with Amon as the same being.
Amon – Primarily the god of the wind or hidden things, later became Amon-Re, the god of gods.
Osiris – Osiris is the god of the afterlife. Father of Horus.
Isis – The goddess of magic. She was also the mother of Horus and sister/relation of Osiris.
Seth – Seth was the god of deserts, chaos, and foreign areas. Is said to have killed Osiris.
Hathor – Hathor was regarded as the goddess of love and wine and dance. She was also sometimes regarded as the goddess of the dead. She was generally represented as part cow.
Horus – Horus is generally depicted as a falcon and considered the god of the sky or the Sun.
Amaunet – Amaunet was the female equivalent of Re.
Anubis – Anubis was often represented by the Jackal and seen as the god of mummification.
Nut – Nut was seen as the goddess that mothered the Sun, moon, and stars.
Atum – One of the early gods, referred to as the god of creation, also seen as a merged being with Re.