Egyptian Gods

A Presentation for Mr. Kahn’s Class

AmunThe State God of the New KingdomSeen as a handsome man with two plumes

AmunScepter is called a Was, a symbol of domination and power.

In his left hand he carries an Ankh, the symbol of life or joy of living.

AnubisThe God of the DeadThe patron of EmblamersAided deceased in journey through underworldSeen as a man with a jackal head

AnubisHe was the son of Osiris and Nephthys, born of trickery.

Here, Anubis is carrying the Crook and Flail, symbols of a pharaoh’s power.

Also, the staff he holds is called the “Staff of creator Ptah.”

Atum

He was one of the earliest gods, and supreme among the sun gods.

He is seen as a human or as a serpent.

AtumNotice that he also carries the Was scepter and the Ankh.

He is also wearing the double crown of unified Egypt, the peshent.

BastetWar GoddessProtector of pregnant womenSeen as a woman with a cat’s head

Bastet was

sometimes also

seen as a cat by itself!

She was thought to be a

daughter of Ra.

BesGod of the familySeen as part dwarf and part lion

Bes protects the house against evil spirits, snakes, and other misfortune.

GebAncient Earth GodSeen as a man with a goose on his head

Notice the goose on his head!

Also, this is another god holding the Was and the Ankh.

Geb was the earth-god, stretched under the sky, his wife Nut. Nut is held over the earth by their son, Shu, the god of the air.

HapiGod of the NileSeen as a man holding symbols of abundance

Hapi is shown wearing a crown of aquatic plants.

He is also most often shown with a pot-belly!

HathorThe Goddess of the SkySeen as a woman with a sun disk and cow hornsPatron of pleasure and music

The goddess of love, dance and alcohol, she was often depicted as a cow or as a woman with a cow’s head.

HorusThe State God of EgyptThe Sky God and Living RulerSeen as a man with a falcon’s head

Horus was the son of Osiris and Isis, and chosen by Geb to be the ruler of the gods, instead of his uncle Seth.

See that Horus

wears the double

crown of the

pharaoh.

The Eye of Horus watches over all of Egypt.

IsisWife (and sister) of Osiris & Mother of HorusSeen as a woman with a throne headdressProtector of the living and the dead

Isis is shown holding an Ankh and the flower scepter, often held by goddesses.

Khepri

This unusual god had the body of a man and the head of a scarab beetle.

The scarab beetle is an ancient Egyptian symbol of renewal, rebirth or resurrection.

Khnum

Khnum made the bodies of both men and gods on his potters’ wheel.

He is seen as a man with a ram’s head.

Ma’atThe Goddess of TruthSeen as a woman with a feather on her headAlso seen as a winged woman holding a feather

NeithProtector of canopic jarsSeen as a woman wearing a shield crown and holding arrows & bowPatron of war and hunting

Neith is alsoholding an Ankh and the flower scepter.

NekhbetThe Vulture GoddessSeen as a vulturePatron of coronation rituals

Nephthys

Sister of Isis, Osiris & Seth

Wife of SethMother of Anubis

Nephthys’ crown is simple, and has her name in hieroglyphics.

Remember, she tricked Osiris ( both her brother and her brother-in-law) into being the father of Anubis.

Nun

Nun was here firstWater, from which all

else cameSymbolized by a boat

Nut

The sky goddessThe wife of Geb, the

earth godMother of Seth, Osiris,

Isis & Nephthys.

OsirisGod of the DeadLord of the UnderworldSeen as a man in mummy wrapping with a plumed crown

Osiris crown was called the Atef.

He carried the crook and flail to symbolize his power as Lord of the Underworld.

Ptah

Creator godHe is supposed to have

made the earth rise up from the waters

One of the earliest of the gods

Ra (or Re)

The sun godMerged with the other

sun-god, Amun, to become Amun-Re

The national god from Fifth Dynasty onward.

Ra looks like Horus, but with a Sun-Disk on his head.

Sekhmet

The goddess of War and Sickness

She is shown as a woman with a lioness’s head and a sun disk. She is sometimes shown with a scorpion on her head!

Seshat

The goddess of writing, math & building

She is shown as a woman wearing leopard skin with a star over her head.

Seshat was said to be the daughter of Thoth.

SethThe brother of Osiris, Isis & Nephthys.The husband of NephthysThe killer (multiple times) of Osiris

He is seen as a man with the head of the Seth-Animal, an otherwise unidentifiable animal!

ShuThe god of the air.The son of Geb and Nut.The brother of Tefnut, goddess of rain.

Shu held his mother, Nut, the sky goddess, over his father Geb, the earth god.

SobekSeen as a man with a crocodile headHe brings fertility to the Nile watersHe was the son of Neith

Sobek represented the power and might of the Egyptian gods.

TaweretProtector of women in childbirthSeen as a woman / hippopotamusHad the feet of a lion and the tail of a crocodile

ThothGod of wisdomSeen as a man with the head of an ibisPatron of writing and counting

Thoth saved Horus’ life twice.

He also recorded the results of the weighing of the heart against the feather of Ma’at. He presented the results to Osiris for judgement.

These were just a few of the Gods & Goddesses of

Ancient Egypt

There were many, many

more!

Information for this presentation was from:

The Spirits of Nature by Ottar Vendelwww.nemo.nu

Ancient Egypt Online

www.www.ancient-egypt-online.comEncyclopedia Mythica

www.pantheon.orgWorld Mythology , 2nd Edition by Donna Rosenberg

NTC Publishing, 1994

Images are from:

The British Museumwww.ancientegypt.co.uk