Aahmes-nefertari
Queen, circa 1540 B.C.E., who was elevated to goddess stature as a
protector/punisher of humans.
Aasith
Semitic goddess of war. Originally Syrian.
Ahat
A cow goddess.
Ahemait
An Egyptian underworld goddess who is part lion, part hippopotamus, and part
crocodile, and who eats the souls of the unworthy dead.
Ahti
A malevolent goddess, depicted with the head of a wasp and the body of a
hippotamus.
Akert-khentet-auset-s
One of the seven deities listed in the Egyptian Book of the Dead who
provided food for the deceased in the underworld. They are pictured as
having a solar disk between their horns. The other six are:
Henemet-em-anh-annuit
Het-kau-nebt-er-tcher
Meh-khebitet-seh-neter
Sekhemet-ren-s-em-abet-s
Shenat-pet-uthset-neter
Ur-mertu-s-teshert-sheni
Akhet
Goddess of the seasons and sunset, sometimes called Goddess of the Nile.
Akusaa
Goddess of the setting sun. Wife of Atum.
Amaunet
A female counterpart to Amon and one of the primordial gods.
Amemet
Goddess of the underworld. Listed in the Book of the Dead.
Ament
Goddess who lived in a tree at the edge of the desert where she watched the
gates of the afterworld, welcoming the newly dead with bread and water.
Amenti
The abode of the dead.
Amit
Fire goddess of Tuat (the underworld).
Ammit
Part crocodile, part lion, and part hippopotamus, she is a goddess of the
underworld.
Amn
Another goddess of the underworld.
Amon
Also called Amun, Ra or Re (the Sun), or Amun-Ra or Amen-Ra (the Great Sun),
or Khepri. The king of the gods during the Theban dynasties, and the god of
fertility. He was part of the Theban Triad, along with Mut and Khonsu.
Usually associated with the wind, or things hidden.
Amset
One of the four lesser gods of the dead who supervised the mummification
process. His name means "carpenter", and he is pictured with a man's head.
See also Hepi, Smotef, and Snouf.
Anatha
Goddess of love and war. Also known as a mountain goddess.
Anatis
A goddess of the moon.
Anka
A creator goddess, wife of Khnum.
Ankhtith
Goddess depicted as a serpent with the head of a woman.
Ankt
A spear-carrying Egyptian war goddess.
Antaios
He was originally a falcon god, later believed to have merged into Horus.
Anthat
Syrian war goddess adopted by Egypt. She is pictured holding a spear, shield
and battle-axe and wearing the Crown of the South.
Anubis
The offspring of Nephthys affair with Osiris. He prepared the dead and led
them into the underworld.
Anuket
An early Egyptian water goddess; she was later merged with Nephthys.
Apep
The great snake of darkness, who sometimes rose up, mouth agape, to try to
swallow Ra's solar barque in its travel across the heavens; Ra always
managed to escape, but each of Apep's failed attempts resulted in fierce
storms or solar eclipses.
Apis
It means "sacred bull". Depicted as a bull with a solar disk between its
horns, Apis was another form of Ptah.
Ashtoreth
Moon goddess and goddess of war. She is depicted with the head of a lion.
Probably devolved from the Syrian Astarte.
At-Em
Goddess of time.
Aten (Aton)
The Pharaoh Akhenaton decreed him to be the one and only god in his attempt
to establish a monotheistic religion.
Athor
The goddess of Love and Beauty. She is usually shown with cow horns, and
sometimes with a cow's head. Wife of Amun-Ra.
Atum
A primordial god that was represented in the form of a human and a serpent.
The version of the Egyptian god Amon (see above) who creates Shu and his
sister Tefnut via masturbation (or expectoration).
(Sumeria) A creator god in Mesopotamia, later called Ea.
Bahet
Goddess of wealth and abundance.
Bakha
The sacred bull that was an incarnation of Menthu, a personification of the
heat of the sun. He changed color every hour of the day.
Bast or Bastet
Bastet (originally a lion goddess symbolizing the fertilizing force of the
sun's rays), became the cat goddess, the patroness of the domestic cat and
the home. She is often seen in human form with the head of a cat and holding
the sacred rattle known as the sistrim. Bastet is also associated with the
eye of Ra, the sun god, and acts as an instrument of his vengeance. She
ruled over pleasure, sex, dancing, music, and joy.
Bat
Mother goddess, later merged with Hathor.
Berenice
Wife of Ptolemy Soter, who promised the gods that she would cut off her
beautiful hair if her husband returned safely from war. He did, she did, and
hung her hair in the temple of Arsinoe. It disappeared from the temple, and
appeared in the heavens as the constellation Coma Berenices.
Bes (Bisu)
Bes means "dancing". The patron god of pregnant women. The Egyptian dwarf
god who guards against evil spirits, snakes, and misfortune. He is a god of
human pleasures, music, and dance. Bes was usually pictured full face (often
nude, with prominent genitals). He was shown to be ugly and grotesque in
appearance, with a large head, protruding tongue, bow legs and the ears,
mane and tail of a lion or cat. He bore a plumed crown and wore the skin of
a lion or panther. Despite his appearance, he was a beneficent deity and his
appearance was meant to scare off evil spirits. He bore swords and knives to
ward off the evil spirits, as well as musical instruments which he used to
create a din which would frighten them off. Bes was the protector of
children and of women in labor, and aided the hippopotamus goddess Taweret
in childbirth.
Bubastis
Goddess of childbirth.
Busiris
A king of Egypt, who to avert famine for his people, ordered all strangers
that landed on his shores be sacrificed to the gods. He made the mistake of
capturing Hercules, who escaped his chains and slew the king.
Buto
Serpent goddess of lower Egypt. Mother of the sun and moon. She spits poison
on the enemies of the pharaoh, and burns them with her fiery gaze.
Candace
Title of the hereditary queens of the desert empire of Meroe. One of them
led an army of 10,000 rebels against the Roman occupation of Egypt.
Chem
Also called Ham. He was the god of "increase", considered as the father of
their race. He is usually pictured wearing a women's garment.
Chensit
Another serpent goddess of lower Egypt. She is pictured with the crown of
Hathor or with Maât's feather.
Chonso
Son of Amun-Ra and his wife Athor. Usually pictured with the new moon atop
his head.
Ecircpet
Goddess protector of children. She is pictured as being a hippopotamus with
woman's breasts and lion's feet, usually carrying a crocodile on her back.
Ermutu
Another goddess of childbirth.
Ernutet
Goddess with the head of a cobra, wearing a headdress with a solar disk
between two horns.
Gate-Keepers, The
Guardian goddesses of the gate to the underworld. The dead must say their
names before they are allowed to pass through. Aakhabit and Clother are
mentioned in the Book of the Dead. The others are called by titles like
Lady of the Light", etc.
Geb and Nut
They were the children of Shu and Tefnut. Geb was the god of earth. Nut was
the sky goddess.
Hagar
A desert goddess of lower Egypt. Occult lore links her to the moon.
Hak
A frog-headed goddess of resurrection.
Hapimou
Means the Nile. "He" was depicted with the beard of a man and the breasts of
a child-bearing woman.
Harpocrates
God of silence.
Hast
Another goddess of the underworld mentioned in the Book of the Dead.
Hathor
The goddess of joy and love, she was a protector of women. Also worshipped
as a sky goddess, Hathor is depicted wearing a sun disk held between the
horns of a cow as a crown. Hathor was the patroness of all women, artists,
music, dance, and happiness. She is often traditionally present in all
ancient Egyptian tombs to ensure safe passage into the after world.
Hedetet
A scorpion goddess mentioned in the Book of the Dead.
Heket
Frog-headed goddess of childbirth. Her husband fashioned the bodies from
clay and she gave them life.
Hepi
One of the four lesser gods of the dead. His name means digger, and he has
an ape's head.
Heptet
A serpent-headed goddess of resurrection who is associated with the
resurrection of Osiris.
Heqet
Goddess of fertility and regeneration. She assisted Osiris to rise from the
dead. Another frog-headed goddess.
Herit
Goddess of the North.
Her-sha-s
Goddess of the mid-day desert.
Her-tept
Another serpent-headed goddess of the underworld. She takes care of the
mummified Osiris.
Het
Het is the Egyptian serpent goddess who rules fire.
Horus
The falcon-eyed son of Osiris and Isis, who was conceived miraculously by
Isis and the dead Osiris. He swore to avenge his father's murder. He did.
Imhotep
Also Imothph, the god of science or medicine. Son of Ptah and Sekhet.
Counselor-physician to Zoser (Tosorthros), who founded Egypt's 3rd Dynasty.
His name means "peace".
Isis
Sometimes Isitis, which means Earth or corn-bearing Land. She is the "mother
of all creation". A daughter of Geb and Nut, she was the faithful wife of
her brother Osiris. She became universally worshipped, is associated with
love, motherhood, marital devotion, healing, eternal life, and the casting
of magical spells and charms. Isis is the goddess of day, while her twin
sister, Nephthys, is the goddess of night. Her sacred symbol is an amulet
called the tyet. She is the mother of Horus.
Khem
God of fertility.
Khepri
The scarab beetle god who rolled the sun through the sky.
Khnemu
The Egyptian god, who fashioned men and women on a potter's wheel, and was
worshipped in the form of a ram.
Khonsu
The son of Amon and Mut, and one of the main gods of Egypt when the Theban
dynasties ruled.
Kneph
The god of animal and spiritual life. He has the head and horns of a ram.
Ma'at
Ma'at is the Egyptian goddess of truth, justice and the underworld. She
passed judgement over the souls of the dead in the Judgement Hall of Osiris.
The "Law of Ma'at" was the basis of civil laws in ancient Egypt.
Mehturt
Goddess of the sky.
Menthu
A god of war.
Meshkent
A goddess of childbirth.
Meskhenet
Goddess of fate.
Min
A god of fertility, virility, rain, thunder, and travelers.
Mo
Sometimes the god, sometimes the goddess, of Truth and Justice. Is depicted
with ostrich feathers on the head.
Mut
Mut is seen as the mother, the nurturing force behind all things while her
husband Amon is the great energy or creative force. In ancient Egyptian,
mut' means mother. The mother of Khonsu. Mut is another name of Isis.
Neb-Ti
The ruling goddesses of the north (Uadgit) and south (Nekhebet, the
protector of childbirth).
Nefertem
God of lotus flowers.
Neith (Neit)
Means the Heavens. She is goddess of the sky, crafts, and wisdom.
Nephthys
The twin sister of Isis, Nephthys is the goddess of night and the
protectoress of the dead. She is also Set's sister and wife, although,
through her subterfuge, she bore a child (the jackal-headed Anubis) by
Osiris.
Nut
Goddess of the sky.
Osiris (Serapis)
He was the first child of Geb and Nut. He was the judge of the dead in the
underworld. Osiris was killed by his jealous brother Set.
Pasht
The goddess of Virtue. She is pictured with a cat's head.
Ptah
Also spelled as Pthah. He was the god of fire and the creator. His figure is
bandaged like a mummy, and his head is shaven like a priest.
Qetesh
Goddess of beauty and love.
Ra
(see Amon above) The sun god, and leader of the gods, he was pictured as a
child in the early morning, a man in his prime at noon, and an old man in
the evening. He traveled through the underworld at night to be reborn at
dawn.
Ranno
God of gardens.
Renenet (Renenutet)
Goddess of children and nursing mothers.
Sati
Also known as Satis and Satet, is an Egyptian archer goddess who personified
the waterfalls of the river Nile.
Sebek (Sobek)
-means "crocodile".
Also called Seb. Was depicted as having a crocodile face. During the Middle
Kingdom he was merged with Re (Sobek-Re) and was worshipped as primordial
deity and creator-god.
Seker
A god of death.
Sekhet
The ennead of Memphis was headed by a triad composed of the father Ptah, the
mother Sekhet, and the son Imhotep, main gods of Egypt during the Memphite
dynasties.
Sekhmet
A sun-goddess, Sekhmet is also the lion goddess and her worship was centered
in Memphis. Her name means 'powerful'; she was portrayed as either a lion or
a woman with the head of a lion, often holding an ankh or sistrum. When Ra
grew angry at the whinings and complaints of humankind, he ripped out one of
his eyes and hurled it at the earth; this eye changed in flight to an
avenging goddess, Sekhmet, who ravaged the earth, sucking blood from the
peoples, and almost totally wiping out humankind before a remoseful Ra could
stop her.
Selket
The beautiful scorpion goddess Selket, has her scorpion strike death to the
wicked. She also saves the lives of the innocent stung by a scorpion.
Serapis
-means "underworld". An ancient Egyptian god of the lower world, also
worshiped in ancient Greece and Rome. He is shown as having a bull's head.
Also an alternate name for Osiris.
Seshat
Goddess of books and writing.
Seth (Set)
The son of Geb and Nut. This powerful god was regarded as god of the desert.
He was Osiris' evil brother and was considered the incarnation of wickedness
He tricked Osiris at a feast in Osiris' honor, and killed him, and took his
place on the throne. In some myths he is called Typhon, and is associated
with the "abominable" animals: the pig, donkey, and the hippopotamus. He was
depicted as a strange being with a stiff, forked tail, a long gaunt body, a
tapering snout, huge erect ears and protruding eyes.
Setekh
means "hound".
Shai
God of fate.
vShu and Tefnut
They were Ra's children. Shu was the god of air and held up the sky. Tefnut,
his sister and wife, was the goddess of dew and rain. They were the parents
of Geb and Nut.
Smotef
Another of the four lesser gods of the dead. His name means shaper, and he
has a jackal's head.
Snouf
Another of the four lesser gods of the dead. His name means bleeder, and he
has a hawk's head.
Sottef
He sometimes replaces Smotef as one of the four lesser gods of the dead. His
name means cutter or purifier.
Tauret
means "hippopotamus".
This was the animal form of the great mother goddess Mut. As a nurturing
force Tauret was depicted as a pregnant hippopotamus with long teats,
standing on her hind legs and carrying the scrolls of protection. As a
fierce animal force protecting the children Tauret was pictured as a
lion-headed hippo carrying a dagger.
Tefnut
Tefnut is the goddess of daybreak (the goddess of dew and rain) and is
associated with the mountains from which the sun rises.
Theban Pantheon
Anit, Atumu, Hathor, Horus, Isis, Montu, Nephthys, Nut, Osiris, Shu, Sibu,
Sit, Tafnuit, and Tanu. Sometimes the group includes Khonsu, Maut, Mont, and
Mut.
Thoth
The god of learning, he was the lunar god usually depicted with the head of
an ibis, though he was worshipped as a baboon in Hermopolis. He acted as
secretary to the gods, and was the master over writing, languages, laws,
annals, and calculations.
Ua
Goddess of the underworld (as mentioned in the Book of the Dead).
Uadjet
A goddess of the underworld who endows justice and truth. She is pictured as
a cobra (sometimes winged and crowned) or as a snake with the face of a
woman. She is the sister of Nekhebet, and together they are known as the
Nebti.
Uat
Goddess of water.
Udjat
There are two versions of the "Udjat eye":
1. It is the Eye of Ra (or of Heru). It refers to the eye of the
falcon-headed god Horus after it had been torn out by Seth during one of
their never-ending battles over the throne of Egypt. The eye was then healed
by Thoth, hence it was considered a symbol of healing or revitalization.
2. According to some other texts, Atum (the creator) gave birth to his son
by spitting him out. His daughter he vomited out. Shu (the son) represented
the air and Tefnut (the daughter) was a goddess of moisture. After some time
Shu and Tefnut became separated from their father and lost in the watery
chaos of Nu. Atum, who had only one eye (the Udjat eye), which was removable
removed it and sent it in search of his children. In time they returned
with the eye. At this reunion Atum wept tears of joy. Where these tears hit
the ground, men grew (the beginning of the human race).
Umm s-Subyan
A death goddess who causes infants to die.
Unen-em-hetep
Goddess protector of the dead.
Urt-hekau
The lion goddess (sometimes the lion god) who is the protective power in the
Eye of Horus.