Egyptian Pantheon summary research November 2009 prepared by Thomas Kummert www.ancient-cultures.info List of Deities (♀ god, ♂ goddess, Δ anthropomorphic, ■ zoomorphic) Creator Gods Name Purpose & Symbol Links Area & Temple Comments Nun ♀ Δ personification of arch hill arising out of arch consort goddess Naunet 4 holy couples after creation of earth representing abyss on the other side of universe ocean, more an area then a god, depicted worshipped in therefore no temples, rituals or priests with frog head Hermopolis Tatenen♀Δ linked to the raise of benben hill, also seen as linked to Ptah since Ramses period Memphis known from Middle Kingdom, possibly identical with earlier god Chenti-Tjenenet responsible for the fertile Nile mud brought by to become Ptah-Tatenen, also with known in Old Kingdom, name representing raised land, initially bisexual creator the annual inundations, shown with ram horns Geb characteristics and mentioned as mother of all gods, also seen as personification of & sun disc & 2 feathers, shown with green the phallus of the deceased pharaoh skin color Atum ♀ Δ representing chaos or arch ocean nun from father of Schu & Tefnut Heliopolis first god in universe, creator of god couple Schu & Tefnet via self fertilization Atum-Re which he created space, time, gods & daughter Bastet part of initial group of nine prime gods, father of gods & kings, master of all humans, also could destroy them again as creator linked with sun god Re Old Kingdom equal to arch hill benben, seen as scarabaeus Atum-Re sun creator & earth god combined through link with Re he represented evening sun main god of Lower Egypt gaus: Wa-em-Huu- his sign was the benben stone, the arch hill coming out of arch ocean nun ges-iabtet, Heqa-andju shown with double crown in evening sun role & with serpent in arch god role Schu ♀ Δ god of air separating earth from sky, later also born by creator Atum together with Leontopolis, part of initial group of nine prime gods seen as renewing cosmos with fresh air, his sister Tefnut, who also became Heliopolis also dark side as mentioned as operator of the dead block shown in human form with feather on his his wife, parents of Geb & Nut, also helped protecting the sun god from dangerous snake god Apophis head, some times as lion linked to falcon god Horus as well main god of Lower Egypt gau Hesbu as moon god Thot & Chons, also Bes Tefnut ♂ lion goddess or humidity goddess born by creator Atum together with Heliopolis, part of initial group of nine prime gods Δ & ■ main goddess of Lower Egypt gau Hesbu her brother Schu, husband Schu, Leontopolis highly cosmic character but uncertain role Tefnet wearing sun disc & cobra on her head parents of Geb & Nut, linked with possibly representing the atmosphere of the underworld some times shown as lion headed snake Schu in Heliopolis linked lion headed Bastet Geb ♀ Δ earth & fertility god with strong link to king parents Schu & Tefnut Heliopolis deceased mentioned going to Geb, created sun with heaven goddess Nut, part of wife Nut, children Osiris, Isis, initial group of nine prime gods Seth, Nephthys depicted with plants growing on his back & water coming out of his body, shown with linked to Re & underworld gods green skin, shown as goose or with goose on his head caused earthquakes when laughing, also draughts when withholding his good deeds Nut ♂ Δ goddess of sky & stars, important role to parents Schu & Tefnut, husband part of 9 main depicted in human form naked bowing over earth touching east & west horizon divide chaos from earth, her laughs were Geb, children Osiris, Isis, Seth, gods of she swallows sun or Re at dusk and rebirth him at dawn, myth shows that at night thunder, her tears were rain, part of initial Nephthys, mother of sun god Re Heliopolis, no sun traveled through her body, this myth was based on astrological observation group of nine prime gods, shown with raised often interchanged with Hathor own temple like which shows milky way during winter solstice at early morning as band with 2 hands water bowl on her head, symbolized as other cosmic & feet touching both ends of horizon and sun rise happened between upper legs and heavens cow in many tombs gods nine months earlier sun set happened between arms at head position also played important part in believe of resurrection Amaunet creator goddess, shown with red crown & husband Amun, linked with Neith Hermopolis in Hermopolis creator god with Amun, colossal Amaunet statue in Karnak with own ♂ Δ stick with papyrus top priests servicing her, later Mut as second wife of Amun became more prevelent Chnum♀ ■ most important ram god, creator god formed in Elephantine trinity with wife Satet Elephantine & belonged to the oldest gods in Egypt, seen as god of Nile source & creator of Nile Chnum-Re humans on potter wheel, with their soul ka, in & daughter Anuket Esna, Herwer, floods, strong sexual fertility aspect, when creating bodies on his potter wheel shown Esna arch god, shown first as ram with in Esna with goddesses Mehit & Shas-hotep with frog headed birth helping goddess Heqat, also seen as ba of Re, Osiris & Geb horizontal horns, later in human form with ram Neith similar to Herischef, in Elephantine mummified rams is stone sarcophagi found head & curved horns & three parted wig, 2 wifes Heqat & Satet sometimes with 2 pairs of horns plus 2 feathered atef crown main god of Upper Egypt gau: Ta-Seti, Nechen, Ma-hedj, Naret-pehtit Heka ♀ Δ creator god, god of powerful magic master of all ka, other gods feared him because of his power accompanied sun god on barge trips www.ancient-cultures.info Main Egyptian Deities November 2009 List of Deities (♀ god, ♂ goddess, Δ anthropomorphic, ■ zoomorphic) Main Gods Name Purpose & Symbol Links Area & Temple Comments Amun ♀ Δ main deity, main cult Amun meaning “the wife Amaunet & Mut city god of first mentioned in pyramid texts, first local Thebes god, over time replaced Month Amun-Re, hidden”, from 2nd century BC king of gods, son Chons Karnak since 11th dynasty state god together with Ptah & Re Amun-Re- multiple identities: creator god, sun god, trinity with Mut & Chons in Karnak creator god in 4 kings used his name Amenhotep “Amun is pleased” Kamutef, fertility god, war god, hidden spirit, wind during 19th & 20th dynasty empire Hermopolis since New Kingdom Amun & Mut became the “eye of Re” & parents of the king Amun-Min- god, universal god trinity with Amun & Re as Amun-Re highest god, capacity to renew & resurrect, linked to the ba Kamutef animal representation: ram & goose with Amaunet creator god in as Amun-Re-Kamutef arch god, shown in frozen mummy pose with errected phallus main god of Upper Egypt gau Waset Hermopolis as Amun showns antropomorph with high feather crown or ram head & sun disk or linked with Min to become as ram or goose Amun-Min-Kamutef as Amun-Re shown in walking pose Hathor ♂ main goddess shown always wearing cow father Re, mother of Horus, later Dendera temple, various roles: mother of Horus, daughter of Re (eye of Re), cow goddess, goddess Δ & ■ horns & sun disc on her head, also with Isis took that role Thebes status of fertility & motherhood, mother & wife of king, solar sky goddess, goddess of falcon seated on stick on her head, often also linked with cow goddess death goddess, foreign regions & trading goods, goddess of life after death, goddess of happiness, turqoise or ret dress Mehet-weret, Bastet, Isis, temples in Atfih, music & luck main goddess of Upper Egypt gaus: Iqer, Astarte, Imentet, Thoeris Kusae, Deir el- as Horus mother & king being Horus on earth Hathor was therefore king’s mother Nedijfit pehtit, Medenit & Lower Egypt gau Medina, at Dendera trinity with Horus and music god Ihi, like Horus her eyes symbolized sun Imentet Gebelein & moon, protecting mothers at birth & regeneration most important 14 day long festival at Horus temple in Edfu, Hathor statue traveled from Dendera temple for holy marriage in 3rd summer month Horus ♀ god of heaven & kings, god of the living & son of Hathor / Isis & Orisis, country wide, various roles: god of heaven, sun god, son of Isis, god of kings, Δ & ■ fertile land, depicted as falcon with spread wife Hathor, son Harsomptus main temple in one of the earliest gods since Pre-Dynastic Period, complex mythology, his eyes Horus-Shed wings, symbol of winged sun disc, shown brother Seth Edfu, Kom symbolized sun & moon, as god of the 2 horizons he represented the sun rise & sun with double crown linked to moon god Chons Ombo, also set, each pharaoh represented Horus on earth, therefore called Horus throne, main god of Upper Egypt gaus: Wejset-Hor, also seen as Har-siese & temples in represented the order on earth, always fighting Seth the powerful god of wild nature, Nechen & Lower Egypt gaus: Chepesch, Harpokrates (successor of father Hierakonpolis, after rivalries with his brother Seth, Horus became god of Lower Egypt & Seth god Kem-wer, Behedet Osiris & guardian of underworld) Letopolis, Buto, of Upper Egypt, together with Seth presented king at crowing ceremony with double Horus the Elder main god at Upper Egypt in Hierakonpolis his sun god role Behedet crown symbolizing unification of Lower & Upper Egypt, also shown together on relief gau Ta-Seti was merged with Re-Harachte binding with knots both Upper & Lower Egypt together (Ramses statue at Luxor), priests breeding falcons at Horus temple in Edfu, annual symbolized falcon crowning Horus was represented by various other subgods: Horus on his papyrus plant, Horus of the horizon, Horus with the strong arm (Month link), Horus in horizon