Ancient Egyptian
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.
Nile River Valley
3100 BCE - 640 CE
13 gods and goddesses
Egyptian mythology is one of the longest-enduring religious systems in history. It focused heavily on the afterlife, the sun's journey, and the maintenance of Ma'at (cosmic order).
The Egyptians believed the soul faced judgment in the Hall of Truth, where the heart was weighed against the feather of Ma'at. Only the righteous could enter the Field of Reeds.
The supreme solar deity and creator god. Ra travels across the sky each day in his solar barque and through the underworld each night, battling the serpent Apophis.
God of the afterlife, resurrection, and fertility. First pharaoh and lawgiver who taught agriculture to humanity. Murdered by his brother Set and resurrected by Isis.
The most powerful goddess in the Egyptian pantheon, wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. Goddess of magic, healing, and protection.
Sky god whose eyes are the sun and moon. Son of Osiris and Isis, he avenged his father by defeating Set in battle, becoming the rightful king.
God of chaos, storms, and the desert. Brother and murderer of Osiris, enemy of Horus. Despite being a villain in myth, he also protects Ra's solar barque from Apophis each night.
God of mummification and the afterlife. Guardian of tombs and guide of souls to judgment. He oversees the weighing of the heart ceremony.
God of wisdom, writing, and magic. Inventor of hieroglyphs and scribe of the gods. He records the results of the weighing of hearts ceremony.
Goddess of home, fertility, and protection. Originally a fierce lioness warrior goddess, she later became gentler as a cat goddess.
Goddess of love, beauty, music, and motherhood. The 'Golden One' who embodies the feminine ideal. Protector of women.
Goddess embodying truth, justice, and cosmic order. Her feather is weighed against the hearts of the dead in judgment.
Goddess of mourning and protector of the dead. Sister-wife of Set but loyal to Isis. She aided Isis in gathering Osiris's body and mourned him.
Fierce goddess of war, plagues, and healing. The destructive aspect of the sun. Ra sent her to punish humanity.
Crocodile god of the Nile and its fertility. Protector against the dangers of the Nile and symbol of pharaonic power and military prowess.
In the beginning was the primordial waters of Nun, dark and chaotic. From these waters arose the primeval mound, and upon it stood Atum (later identified with Ra), the self-created god.
Osiris ruled Egypt as its first pharaoh, teaching agriculture and civilization. His brother Set, consumed by jealousy, murdered him and scattered his body across Egypt.
Each day, Ra travels across the sky in his solar barque, bringing light and warmth to the world. As night falls, Ra enters the underworld (Duat), facing his greatest enemy: Apophis.
After Osiris's death, his son Horus challenged Set for the throne of Egypt, leading to an 80-year conflict with many contests and trials.
When a person dies, their heart is weighed on scales by Anubis against the feather of Ma'at (truth and justice). Thoth records the results.
The soul's perilous journey through the Egyptian underworld, facing demons and trials before reaching the Hall of Ma'at where the heart is weighed against the feather of truth.
Ra sends his Eye in the form of the lioness goddess Sekhmet to punish humanity for plotting against him, but her bloodlust grows beyond control, and only a trick with beer dyed red like blood can save mankind.