Egyptian pantheon
The Egyptian Pantheon is difficult to define, as it is thousands of years old and has undergone many revisions and changes, different gods rising to prominence and then receding again, with the mythology being rewritten each time. Additionally they often mutate, marry, split into several beings and have several different names and pictures.
Major Gods
- Geb is the god of the earth in Egyptian Mythology, being associated primarily with crop fertility. He is the husband and brother of Nut, the goddess of the sky. From their union, the gods Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nepythys were born.
- Horus, son of Osiris and Isis, and avenger of his father against Set, is the name given to an ancient Egyptian god, who over the time was depicted in many different forms. Most versions of this god are depicted as hawks or hawk-headed men.
- Isis is the goddess of motherhood and fertility in ancient Egypt. She is a life-death-rebirth deity, as well as one of the Ennead. Later, she acquired the goddess Sopdet.
- Ma'at (or Maat) was the personification of the fundamental order of the universe, without which all of creation would perish. The primary duty of the pharaoh was to uphold this order by maintaining the law and administering justice. To reflect this, many pharaohs took the title "Beloved of Maat," emphasizing their focus on justice and truth. She was married to Thoth.
- Nut is the goddess of the sky in Egyptian Mythology. She is the wife and sister of Geb, the god of the Earth. From their union, the gods Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nepythys were born. She is often depicted as either arched above the world or as spreading her wings above the earth.
- Osiris, the Greek rendering of the Egyptian Ousir, was originally a nature god, and embodied the spirit of perennial vegetation. Later, he became worshipped as the god of the dead, and was soon given dominion as the highest ranking of the pantheon.
- Ra (or Re or Phra), signifying 'creator', is the sun, lord of the sky. His principle court being at Heliopolis. The sun god was birthed under the name of Atum, in the breast of Nun. He is the father of Shu and Tefnut.
- Set is the god of darkness, chaos, storms, and the desert. He is depicted with the head of an unknown animal, often referred to as the "Set Animal," and is best known as being the slayer of Osiris.
- Thoth is the god of knowledge, writing, and magic in Egyptian Mythology. He is often depicted with the head of an ibis or of a baboon. His major role in the mythology was that of a mediator between the gods, and as such is often placed together with Ma'at as a balancing force. He was originally a moon god.