The Egyptian gods were the deities worshiped in Ancient Egypt . They dominated religious practices by means of rituals and offerings that the town carried out worshiping them . At that time it was thought that the interactions between the people and the gods could change the destiny of people.
In many cases, they represented atmospheric phenomena or some element of nature . The pharaoh served as representative of the gods and usually led the rites in the temples.
Its representation could be human, animal, objects and even a combination of different elements . The Egyptian gods were represented with symbols , among the best known are the Ankh, the eye of Horus, the eye of Ra and the scarab, among others.
The 12 Egyptian gods
Among all the Egyptian deities, we present a list of the most relevant and their main characteristics.
| Ra | Osiris | Isis |
| Horus | Ammon | Nut |
| Thot | Anubis | Apis |
| Bastet | Hathor | Seth |
Ra
One of the main gods of Ancient Egypt, the sun god , was represented as a falcon with a crown, a scarab or a ram. It represented life and assured the resurrection . It was unified with the god Amun, giving rise to a new deity called Amun-Ra.
Osiris
Considered the god of religion and agriculture , he was invoked to improve crops. He was killed by his brother Seth and brought back to life by his sisters Isis and Nephthys. Thanks to this he was considered the sovereign and supreme judge . It is represented as a mummy with a green body and a whip.
Isis
Its most common image is that of a seated woman spreading her wings. She was considered one of the main Egyptian divinities and mother of the gods . She was the goddess of motherhood . Mother of Horus and wife of Osiris.
Horus
It is represented with the head of a falcon and the body of a man with a double crown. Mythology places him as the son of the gods Osiris and Isis. He is considered the creator of the Egyptian civilization . He was considered by the people the god of war .
Ammon
It is represented as a man with black skin and a crown. Considered the god of creation , his name means “the hidden one.” Throughout history it was represented together with the god Ra and gave rise to a new god Amun-Ra or protector of the city of Thebes.
Nut
It is commonly represented as a naked woman in the shape of a bow and a blue body. Goddess of the sky and the stars . It is considered the creator of the universe . She is the mother of the gods Isis, Osiris, Seth, Horus, and Nephthys.
Thot
He is the ibis-headed man, god of numbers, language, astronomy, spells, and writing. Considered the god of wisdom , he dominates dreams and time. He has authority over all the gods.
Anubis
It is represented with a black jackal or Egyptian dog head and a man’s body. He was the god of death and resurrection and is said to have directed mummification. He was considered the guardian of the tombs.
Apis
He is the god of fertility and a member of the court of the gods. It is represented with an ox’s head, a man’s body, and a solar disk between the horns. He is the son of Isis, who according to mythology was fertilized by a ray of sunlight. It is associated with death .
Bastet
It is represented with a woman’s body and a cat’s head. Protector of home and temples . It symbolized love and harmony . It also protected births and pregnant women.
Hathor
It is found as a woman with cow horns and a sun disk between the horns. Mother and wife of Horus and daughter of the god Ra. Goddess of dance, music and parties . She was related to royalty and was considered the mother of the pharaohs .
Seth
He is the god of the desert and can also be found as the protector and destroyer god . It is represented as a man with the head of a greyhound. He was the one who murdered his brother, the god Osiris, out of envy and who made him popular. He was both loved and hated.
