In the complex and diverse pantheon of ancient Egypt, Mut was one of the most important mother goddesses. Associated with Thebes, she rose to prominence with her city at the end of the Middle Kingdom and during the New Kingdom, forming part of the Theban Triad with Amun-Ra and Khonsu. Mother and Creator Statue of... Continue Reading →

Ancient Egypt’s unique culture developed along the Nile River and was shaped by the annual flood that deposited rich silt, creating a fertile tract in an otherwise barren region. Early Egyptian religion was animistic, with the important aspects of nature transformed into the divine and worshipped to ensure continued prosperity. The sun god Ra emerged... Continue Reading →

Horus was one of the most significant gods throughout Egyptian history. He was a sky god closely linked with kingship as well as healing and protection. As a sky god, Horus was considered to contain the sun and the moon, often represented by his eyes, with his right eye being the sun and his left... Continue Reading →

Seth is one of the more complex gods in the Egyptian pantheon because he represented the more dangerous elements active in the world. He was the god of the desert, the dangerous arid lands that surrounded the fertile Nile valley. As an extension of this, he was associated with storms, chaos, violence, and even foreigners.... Continue Reading →

Unlike most world religions, which envisioned the earth as a great mother with the sky father overhead, for the Egyptians, the earth was masculine. As part of the Ennead of Heliopolis, the earth god Geb was one of the primordial gods who formed the world and allowed for creation. He was married to his sister,... Continue Reading →

The ancient Egyptians envisioned the sky as the goddess Nut, arching over the earth below, her nude body covered in stars. She was one of the gods of the Enneas of Heliopolis and was the great mother in their creation myth. Nut is an enigma in mythology, in which the mother is usually the earth... Continue Reading →

Tefnut was one of the ancient Egyptian goddesses who formed part of the Ennead of Heliopolis, a group of nine deities believed to be responsible for creation that were principally worshipped at Iuna, known by the Greeks as Heliopolis. The popularity of this creation myth and its gods spread to other parts of Egypt as... Continue Reading →

The ancient Egyptian god Shu was one of the important primordial gods in the Ennead of Heliopolis, the group of nine gods principally worshipped at the city of Heliopolis, the Greek name for the Egyptian city of Iunu, at the 13th Nome of Lower Egypt. In ancient Egypt, different gods and different mythologies rose in... Continue Reading →

Several creation myths survive from ancient Egypt, as different myths that emerged in different regions that were then loosely brought together when the country was unified under the pharaohs. One of the most enduring creation stories from ancient Egyptian mythology involves the Ennead of Heliopolis. It features the Egyptian god Nun, or Nu, as the... Continue Reading →

Atum was one of the primordial gods who formed part of the Ennead of Heliopolis, a group of nine gods that formed part of one of Egypt’s creation myths. Heliopolis is the Greek name for the city that the Egyptians called Iunu, meaning pillars and referring to the mythical creation mound. He was also important... Continue Reading →