Ancient Egyptian religion was polytheistic and often zoomorphic. Egyptian hieroglyphs (ˈhaɪərəʊɡlɪf from Greek grc-Grek ἱερογλύφος " sacred carving " also hieroglyphic = grc-Grek Egyptian hieroglyphs (ˈhaɪərəʊɡlɪf from Greek grc-Grek ἱερογλύφος " sacred carving " also hieroglyphic = grc-Grek Ancient Egyptian religion encompasses the various religious beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Egypt from the predynastic period until the adoption of Christianity Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals The Egyptian term for goddess was neṯeret (nṯrt; netjeret, nečeret) and the term for god was neṯer (nṯr; also transliterated netjer, nečer). Egyptian is an Afro-Asiatic language most closely related to the Berber, Semitic, Somali and Beja languages A goddess is a Female Deity. Many Cultures have goddesses Often deities are part of a polytheistic system that includes several deities God, as a male Deity, contrasts with female deities or " goddesses " The hieroglyphs for these terms R8) are depicted as flags followed by an appropriate gender symbol.

The pharaoh was deified after death, and bore the title of nṯr nfr "the good god", if men. Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods An Imperial cult is a form of State religion in which an Emperor, or a Dynasty of emperors (or rulers of another title are Worshiped as The title, "servant of god" was used for the religious leaders in the temples of gods, ḥmt-nṯr was applied to priestesses and ḥm-nṯr was applied to priests, with parallel constructions for goddesses, the religious leaders of their temples, and for dead pharaohs who were women.

The term, hemt-nṯr-nt imen "servant of the god, wife of Amun" was a title held by priestesses in the tenth (2,160 BCE) and twelfth (1991-1802 BCE) dynasties (Shafer, p 14), which was adopted by the women members of the royal family in the New Kingdom (the hereditary, royal lineage of Egypt was a matrilineality, carried by its women). Matrilineality is a system in which lineage is traced through the mother and maternal ancestors The New Kingdom is dated from 1,570-1,070 BCE and includes the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth dynasties. The New Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in Ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and The term "god father" jt-nṯr was an epithet of Thoth when he became identified as a counterpart to the goddess, Ma'at. For other meanings of "Thoth" or of "Djehuti" and similar see Thoth (disambiguation. Maat or Mayet, thought to have been pronounced as *Muʔʕat (Muh-aht was the Ancient Egyptian concept of Truth, balance order— Law

Ancient Egyptian culture persisted. That dynasty was ruled by a Hellenistic royal family for nearly 300 years, from 305 BCE. to 30 BCE, when the Romans conquered Cleopatra VII, the last pharaoh. Cleopatra VII Philopator (in Greek, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ; January 69 BC &ndash 30 BC was a Hellenistic ruler of Egypt Roman rule lasted until the final invasion by Muslim Arabs in 646 CE that ended 975 years of Græco-Roman rule over Egypt. Events An edict of the Taika Reforms is promulgated in Japan Alexandria is recaptured by the Arabs after a Byzantine During that time religious concepts had blended few aspects from the invading cultures with the native, but retained most of the Egyptian cults and deities for continuity with the long history of a culture that served as the authority for the government, maintained the royal lineage, and interwove their deities with their rulers—along with the developing Christian beliefs among some of the Romans.

Regional pantheons during the Old Kingdom

Ancient Egyptian votiv statues of the gods

In the Old Kingdom, the third through sixth dynasties dated between 2,686 to 2,134 BCE, the pantheons of individual Egyptian cities varied by region. The Old Kingdom is the name commonly given to that period in the 3rd millennium BCE when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement Beliefs can be split into five distinct localized groups during that time and which arose later:

• the Ennead of Heliopolis, meaning the nine - consisted of Atum, Geb, Isis, Nut, Osiris, Nephthys, Seth, Shu, and Tefnut
• the Ogdoad of Hermopolis, a changing myth which began with eight deities who were worshipped in four female-male pairs; the females were associated with snakes and the males with frogs: Naunet and Nu, Amaunet and Amun, Kauket and Kuk, Hauhet and Huh; first being a cult having Hathor and her son, Ra (and later, Horus as the son of Isis, who was an aspect of Hathor); later changing to a cult where Hathor and Thoth were the main deities over a much larger number of deities; and even later, Ra was assimilated into Atum-Ra through a merger with Atum of the Ennead cosmogeny; in the final version of the creation myth a lotus, a symbol held by Hathor, was said to have arisen from the waters after an explosive interaction, the lotus was said to have opened and revealed Ra, who later became identified as Horus also
• the Khnum-Satis-Anuket triad of Elephantine, which was the dwelling place of Khnum, the ram-headed god of the cataracts, who guarded the origin of the waters of the Nile which was thought to issue from caves beneath the island; in Elephantine he was worshipped along with his counterpart, Satis, a more ancient gazelle-headed war, protector, and fertility deity who personified the flooding of the Nile, and Anuket, the fertility goddess who was the deification of the Nile, daughter to Satis, and became identified as their daughter in the triad. For the neo-Platonist work by Plotinus see Enneads. For the Latin epic see Aeneid. Heliopolis (or On) ( Greek: or) meaning sun-city was one of the most ancient cities of Egypt, and capital of the 13th Lower Egyptian nome Atum (alternatively spelled Tem, Temu, Tum, and Atem) is an important Deity in Egyptian mythology, whose cult centred Geb (pronunciation as such from the Greek period onwards formerly erroneously read as Seb) or Keb (in Egyptian originally Gebeb/Kebeb meaning probably Isis is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and is celebrated in their mythology as the ideal mother and wife patron of nature and magic friend of slaves sinners In the Ennead Mythology, Nut (alternatively spelled Nuit, Newet and Neuth was the goddess of the Sky. Osiris ( Greek language, also Usiris; the Egyptian language name is variously transliterated Asar, Aser, Ausar, Ausir In Egyptian mythology, Nephthys is the Greek form of an epithet (correctly spelled Nebet-het, and Nebt-het, in Transliteration from In Ancient Egyptian mythology, Set (also spelled Seth, Sutekh or Seteh) is an ancient god who was originally the god of the Desert In Egyptian mythology, Shu (meaning dryness and he who rises up) is one of the primordial gods a personification of air one of the Ennead of In Egyptian mythology, Tefnut (alternate spellings Tefenet Tefnet is a goddess of Water and fertility indeed her name means moist waters (i In Egyptian mythology, the Ogdoad (Greek "οκτάδα" the number eight were eight deities worshipped in Hermopolis during what is called the Old Hermopolis Magna or simply Hermopolis ( Ammian, ii 16 or Hermopolis Megale ( Greek:, Steph A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. This article is about the block cipher algorithm For the ultrafast laser pulse measurement technique see Frequency-resolved optical gating. For the Stargate character see Amonet (Stargate. In Egyptian mythology, Amunet (also spelled Amonet, Amun, reconstructed Egyptian Yamānu (also spelled Amon, Amoun, Amen, and rarely Imen, Greek Ἄμμων Kuk (also spelled as Keku) is the deification of the primordial concept of darkness in Egyptian mythology. Kuk (also spelled as Keku) is the deification of the primordial concept of darkness in Egyptian mythology. Not to be confused with Hu (mythology. In Egyptian mythology, Huh (also Heh, Hah, Hauh) was the huH was a popular Music magazine in the United States during the 1990s In Egyptian mythology, Hathor (Pronounced Hah-Thor ( Egyptian for house of Horus) was originally a personification of the Milky Way Ra (pronounced Rah and sometimes as Rê, is an Ancient Egyptian sun god. Isis is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and is celebrated in their mythology as the ideal mother and wife patron of nature and magic friend of slaves sinners In Egyptian mythology, Hathor (Pronounced Hah-Thor ( Egyptian for house of Horus) was originally a personification of the Milky Way For other meanings of "Thoth" or of "Djehuti" and similar see Thoth (disambiguation. Ra (pronounced Rah and sometimes as Rê, is an Ancient Egyptian sun god. Atum (alternatively spelled Tem, Temu, Tum, and Atem) is an important Deity in Egyptian mythology, whose cult centred Atum (alternatively spelled Tem, Temu, Tum, and Atem) is an important Deity in Egyptian mythology, whose cult centred In Egyptian mythology, Khnum (also spelled Chnum, Knum, or Khnemu) was one of the earliest Egyptian deities originally the god of the source In Egyptian mythology, Satis (also spelt Satjit, Sates, Satet, and Sati) was the deification of the Floods of the Nile In Egyptian mythology, Anuket (also spelled Anqet, and in Greek, Anukis) originally was the Personification and Goddess Elephantine (جزيرة الفنتين is an Island in the River Nile, located just downstream of the First Cataract at at the southern border of In Egyptian mythology, Khnum (also spelled Chnum, Knum, or Khnemu) was one of the earliest Egyptian deities originally the god of the source In Egyptian mythology, Satis (also spelt Satjit, Sates, Satet, and Sati) was the deification of the Floods of the Nile A GAZelle (ГАЗе́ль is a series of mid-sized Trucks Vans and Buses made by Russian car manufacturer GAZ. "War Gods" redirects here For the video game see War Gods (video game. The fertility goddesses are the Female Deities to watch over and promote Fertility, Pregnancy, and Birth in many polytheistic In Egyptian mythology, Anuket (also spelled Anqet, and in Greek, Anukis) originally was the Personification and Goddess Other versions of myths identify Khnum with the creation of bodies in association with Heket, the goddess who breathed life into the bodies. To the Egyptians the Frog was a symbol of life and fertility since millions of them were born after the annual Inundation of the Nile, which brought fertility In another variant Khnum is identified as the counterpart of Menhit and the father of Heka, a personification of law

Later regional pantheons

• the Amun-Mut-Chons triad of Thebes that arose during the Middle Kingdom in 2134-1991 B. In Egyptian mythology, Menhit (also spelt Menchit) was originally a foreign War goddess Amun, reconstructed Egyptian Yamānu (also spelled Amon, Amoun, Amen, and rarely Imen, Greek Ἄμμων Mut, which means mother, was an Ancient Egyptian Mother goddess with multiple aspects that changed over the thousands of years of the culture In Egyptian mythology, Khonsu (alternately Chonsu, Khensu, Khons, Chons or Khonshu) is an ancient Lunar deity The Theban Triad are the three Egyptian Gods that were the most powerful in the area of Thebes, in Egypt. Thebes ( Thēbai) was a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean on the east bank of the river Nile ( The Middle Kingdom is the period in the history of Ancient Egypt stretching from the establishment of the Eleventh Dynasty to the end of the Fourteenth Dynasty C.
• the Ptah-Sekhmet-Nefertem triad of Memphis, which is unusual because these deities were not associated with each other before this triad was formalized, when beliefs about the Ennead and Ogdoad were merged after Memphis rose to prominence

List of deities of Ancient Egypt

See also

• DINGIR
• Pantheon (gods)

External links

• List of Mythological Deities. Mut, which means mother, was an Ancient Egyptian Mother goddess with multiple aspects that changed over the thousands of years of the culture Mut, which means mother, was an Ancient Egyptian Mother goddess with multiple aspects that changed over the thousands of years of the culture In Egyptian mythology, Neith (also known as Nit, Net, and Neit) was an early goddess in the Egyptian pantheon. In Egyptian mythology, Nekhbet (also spelt Nechbet, and Nekhebit) was an early Predynastic, local Goddess who was the patron of the Vultures are scavenging Birds feeding mostly on the carcasses of dead Animals Vultures are found on every continent except Antarctica and In Egyptian mythology, Wadjet, which means the Green One ( Egyptian egy w3ḏyt; also spelt Wadjit or Wedjet In Egyptian mythology, Nephthys is the Greek form of an epithet (correctly spelled Nebet-het, and Nebt-het, in Transliteration from A sistrum (plural sistrums, sistra) is a Musical instrument of the percussion family chiefly associated with ancient Egypt. A falcon (fɔlkən or fælkən is any Species of raptor in the Genus Falco. In the Ennead Mythology, Nut (alternatively spelled Nuit, Newet and Neuth was the goddess of the Sky. Osiris ( Greek language, also Usiris; the Egyptian language name is variously transliterated Asar, Aser, Ausar, Ausir In Egyptian mythology, Hathor (Pronounced Hah-Thor ( Egyptian for house of Horus) was originally a personification of the Milky Way Anubis is the Greek name for a Jackal -headed god associated with Mummification and the afterlife in Egyptian mythology. In Egyptian mythology, Pakhet, Egyptian Pḫt, meaning she who tears (also spelt Pachet, Pehkhet, Phastet In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet (also spelled Sachmet, Sakhet, Sekmet, Sakhmet and Sekhet; and given the Greek name Beni Hasan (also written as Bani Hasan, or also Beni-Hassan) (بني حسن is a village in Middle Egypt about 25 km south of Al Minya The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. The Speos Artemidos ( Grotto of Artemis) is an archaeological site in Egypt. In Egyptian mythology, Ptah (also spelt Peteh) was the deification of the primordial mound in the Ennead Cosmogony, which was more literally Ra (pronounced Rah and sometimes as Rê, is an Ancient Egyptian sun god. Resheph or Reshef (Canaanite/Hebrew sem-Latn ršp he רשף was a Canaanite deity of plague and war. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية In Egyptian mythology, Satis (also spelt Satjit, Sates, Satet, and Sati) was the deification of the Floods of the Nile An arrow is a pointed Projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most Cultures. A GAZelle (ГАЗе́ль is a series of mid-sized Trucks Vans and Buses made by Russian car manufacturer GAZ. Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering or Plumage, on Birds They are considered the most complex integumentary structures In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet (also spelled Sachmet, Sakhet, Sekmet, Sakhmet and Sekhet; and given the Greek name The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. In Egyptian mythology, Hathor (Pronounced Hah-Thor ( Egyptian for house of Horus) was originally a personification of the Milky Way For the places in Azerbaijan see Şəkər. "Sokar" redirects here In Egyptian mythology, Serket (also spelt Selchis, Selket, Selkis, Selkhit, Selkit, Selqet, Serkhet Scorpions are eight-legged Carnivorous Arthropods They are members of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. A belief in magic as a means of influencing the world seems to have been common in all Cultures Some of these beliefs crossed over into nascent Religions influencing Sobek (also called Sebek, Sochet, Sobk, Sobki, Soknopais, and in Greek, Suchos) was the deification of crocodiles A crocodile is any Species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the Subfamily Crocodylinae) In Ancient Egyptian mythology, Set (also spelled Seth, Sutekh or Seteh) is an ancient god who was originally the god of the Desert In Egyptian mythology, Seshat (also spelled Safkhet, Sesat, Seshet, Sesheta, and Seshata) was the Ancient Egyptian A scribe (or scrivener) is a person who writes books or documents by hand as a profession In Egyptian mythology, Shu (meaning dryness and he who rises up) is one of the primordial gods a personification of air one of the Ennead of Aswan (formerly spelled Assuan (in standard أسوان Aswān) Egyptian: Swenet ( trade) Coptic: Swān; Greek In Egyptian mythology, Tefnut (alternate spellings Tefenet Tefnet is a goddess of Water and fertility indeed her name means moist waters (i WikipediaManual of Style (spelling, articles should conform to one overall spelling style of English typically the one most linked to the article topic (if it is geographic The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. For other meanings of "Thoth" or of "Djehuti" and similar see Thoth (disambiguation. The ibises (pronounced /ˈaɪbɪsɪz/ are a group of long-legged wading Birds in the family Threskiornithidae. Goose (plural geese) is the English name for a considerable number of Birds belonging to the family Anatidae. In Egyptian mythology, Wadjet, which means the Green One ( Egyptian egy w3ḏyt; also spelt Wadjit or Wedjet Cobras ( are venomous Snakes of the family Elapidae, of several genera, but particularly Naja. The Uraeus (plural Uraei or Uraeuses, from the Greek grc οὐραῖος from Egyptian egy jʿr In Egyptian mythology, Nekhbet (also spelt Nechbet, and Nekhebit) was an early Predynastic, local Goddess who was the patron of the The Eye of Horus ( Wedjat) (previously Wadjet and the Eye of the Moon; and afterwards as The Eye of Ra) or (" Udjat " Serpent is a word of Latin origin (from serpens serpentis "something that creeps snake" that is commonly used in a specifically mythic or Wadj-wer is an Egyptian fertility god whose name means the "Great Green" In late Egyptian mythology, Wepwawet ( Hieroglyphic WP-W3WT; also rendered Upuaut, Wep-wawet, Wepawet, and Ophois A jackal (from Turkish çakal, via Persian shaghal ultimately from Sanskrit sṛgālaḥ) is a member of any of three Wosret, Wasret, or Wosyet meaning the powerful was an Egyptian goddess with a cult centre at Thebes. Mut, which means mother, was an Ancient Egyptian Mother goddess with multiple aspects that changed over the thousands of years of the culture Dingir is the Sumerian for " Deity " It is written as an Ideogram in the Cuneiform script (Borger 2003 nr A pantheon (from Greek Πάνθειον - pantheion, literally "a temple of all gods " neut Deurer, 1997
• Gods and Goddesses. ancientegypt. co. uk.
• List of Gods and Goddesses from Ancient Egypt
• Egyptian Gods. gwydir. demon. co. uk.
• discussion of Totemic Zootypes in the Egyptian pantheon by Gerald Massey