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 * Ancient Egyptian Religion**

** This wiki focuses on three areas of ancient Egyptian mythology and thus is arranged into three sections: ** ** 1) Introduction: Gods and Deities ** ** 2) Creation **  ** 3) The Afterlife **

** __Introduction__ **

Ancient Egypt is surrounded in mystery and wonder. However most of what we know comes from Egyptians themselves. It is well understood that Egyptians identified greatly with their country, having a strong sense of nationalism and loyalty. This aspect of Egyptian life can create bias when uncovering information related to Ancient Egypt. Our knowledge of Ancient Egypt derives from artifacts and painted motifs found in tombs and burials. Analysis of these areas portray a scene of wealth and luxury for the majority of Egypt’s citizens whereas it is known that much of the population would have been poor or had little money (Barnett, 1996:29).

Although there are great differences between royalty and working Egyptian citizen, their unifying commonality was their identification with Egypt and their religious belief system. It was understood by all Egyptians that the mythology and stories told were metaphorical rather than historical truths (Tobin 1988, vol. 25:174). Egyptian mythology is very symbolic, with parallels that can be drawn between the myth and daily life. Because the Ancient Egyptian civilization spanned over such a long period, the religious beliefs changed and adapted over time. Because of this change as well as the large population of Egypt, the religion became increasingly complex to account for the concerns of the growing population. In order to fully explore the later topics an understanding of some of the relevant gods and goddesses is necessary.



**Ammut**, also known as the Devourer, is the female demon of the underworld. During judgment in the underworld if the dead were seen as not worthy of the afterlife, Ammut would eat their heart, their souls being cast into the underworld, forever gone. She was part lion, hippopotamus, and crocodile. The body of Ammut incorporated the three animals Egyptians feared most which parallels Egyptians fearing Ammut and the thought of not reaching the afterlife.

**Atum** 1] 2] was the first god, the creator. Atum rose from the primeval waters (Nun) and created all of the gods known to the Ancient Egyptians as well as the people of Ancient Egypt.

**Geb** was the god of the earth. Not only was he the brother and husband of Nut the sky goddess, but he was also the father of Osiris, Isis, Nepthys, and Seth. Although this is seen as incest in many cultures, to Ancient Egyptians is was normal for royalty to marry within the family to preserve royal blood. As pharaohs were gods on earth the normality of incest within royalty reflected the familiarity of incest among the gods.

**Ma’at** 2]was seen as a goddess who represented and upheld order and justice, and it was also the abstract idea and concept of universal stability (Tobin 1988, vol. 25:171). Ma’at governed every aspect of human existence and it was this belief that reassured Egyptians, gave them hope that all in the universe was balanced and ordered. This stability is reaffirmed by the Egyptian environment: the rise and fall of the sun, the regular flooding of the Nile, and the changing of the seasons. Ma’at as well as other aspects of Egyptian mythology, has the reoccurring theme of light powering over darkness.

**Nut** was the sky goddess, her body symbolizing the heavens. Every evening Nut swallowed the sun (Re) and gave birth to him the next morning.

**Osiris** 1] 2] was the god of the underworld, resurrection, and fertility. He was once king of Egypt until his brother Seth killed and dismembered him, scattering his body in the Nile. Isis his wife and sister gathered all the pieces and his body was sewn together by Anubis (god of mummification and the afterlife) performing the first mummification. Osiris can back to life but was forced to remain in the underworld as ruler of the kingdom of the dead.

**Shu** was the god of air. He was the father of Geb and Nut and held up Nut so that the earth and the sky (Geb and Nut) could be separate.

**Tefnut** was the goddess of moisture. She was the wife of Shu and mother of Geb and Nut.