Myths and legends of Ancient Egypt. Egyptian myths: heroes and their description

Egyptian myths played an important role in the life of the population of the country of the pyramids. The population of the country sincerely believed that their fates depend on the heroes of the legends. Egyptian mythology originates long before the emergence of a developed civilization. The first mention of legends and gods dates back to a period of 5 thousand years before our era.

Egyptian myths have features that distinguish them from the myths of other peoples. First of all, it is the cult of the dead and the other world, as well as the deification of animals. Over time, the mythology of Egypt changed depending on the wishes of the ruling dynasty. Pharaoh cultivated a deity who was the patron of his family.

Study of Egyptian mythology

The study of Egyptian mythology is complicated by the fact that sources that can help in covering this issue differ in incomplete data and in the non-systematic nature of the exposition. Periodically, new documents and artifacts are discovered, and the texts of legends are reconstructed on their basis. Basically ancient Egyptian myths are studied by records on the walls of tombs and temples, by hymns and prayers.

The most significant monuments reflecting the views of the ancient Egyptians :

• "Texts of the pyramids" - the letters cut on the walls inside the pyramids. They contain the funeral rites of the king. The letters date back to the XXVI-XXIII centuries BC and belong to the V and VI dynasties of the pharaohs.
• "Texts of sarcophagi" - letters on sarcophagi. They date from the 21st-18th centuries BC.
• "Book of the Dead" - a collection of prayers and religious texts, placed in the coffin of every Egyptian. It dates from the 16th century BC at the end of the history of Egypt.

Egypt, mythology, gods are mysterious concepts, which are studied by many scientists.

Gods of Ancient Egypt

Amon is a god especially revered in the city of Thebes. On ancient images, it is represented in the image of a person. His head is crowned by two long feathers. You can meet his image with the head of a ram, a sacred animal. In the 18th century he became the supreme god. Amon patronized the tsarist government and helped win victories in wars.

Anubis - the god of the underworld in the III millennium BC. E. Then he began to be revered as the lord of the dead. He was portrayed in the image of a man with the head of a black jackal. Anubisu was especially worshiped in Kinopil.

Apis is a sacred animal, a bull. It was believed that he is the earth personification of the god of fertility. The bull was kept all his life at the temple in the city of Memphis, and after death was buried there.

Aton is a god whose cult appeared during the reign of Akhenaten. He appeared in the image of the sun. It was believed that he personified the spirit of the deceased Pharaoh, the father of Akhenaten.

Atum is a god especially honored in the city of Heliopolis. He personified the eternal unity of all things. It was believed that he was the creator of the world. During the reign of the V dynasty he began to symbolize the sun god.

Ba is a deity personifying human feelings and emotions. It had a volatile character. Man in mythology dough is associated with this deity. The character of Ba could vary depending on the state of the person's physical body. After his death, it remained near the heart of the deceased, and then fell into a lethargic sleep. This deity can be compared with the modern concept of "soul".

Geb is the patron god of the earth. It was also believed that he protects the deceased. Myths about the Egyptian gods say that he is the father of Seth, Osiris, Nephthys and Isis. In the drawings he was portrayed as an old man with a beard.

Ka symbolizes the image of man. It is a spirit accompanying him during life and death. It was believed that he penetrates into everything connected with man, in all things and beings. Mythology depicted him as arms raised, bent at the elbows.

Min is a god, especially honored in the city of Koptos. He patronized cattle breeding and provided a rich harvest. Also Min helped the caravans en route.

Monta is a god portrayed with the head of a falcon. He was particularly revered in the cities of Thebes and Germont. Monta contributed to the victories of the pharaoh in wars.

Osiris is a god and lord of the afterlife. The center of his cult was in the city of Abydos.

Ptah is a god who gave names to all things and created the rest of the gods. Particularly revered in the city of Memphis.

Ra is the supreme god of the sun. It was believed that he is the father of all the pharaohs. His cult was in the city of Heliopolis.

Sebek - the god-master of waters and a source of fertility. He was portrayed with the head of a crocodile. He was especially venerated in the Fayumsky oasis.

Seth - the god-patron of the storm and the desert, defender of the god Ra. It was also believed that he is the personification of evil.

He is the god of the moon and wisdom. In the drawings he was portrayed with the ibis head. It was believed that he invented the writing and calendar. He was especially honored in the city of Hermopol.

Hapi is a god, portrayed as a complete man with a vessel in his hands, from which water flows. He personified the flood of the Nile.

Khnum is the god-keeper of the Nile. It was also believed that he created mankind from clay. He was portrayed with the head of a ram. Especially revered in Esne.

Khonsu is a god portrayed with the head of a falcon or in the form of a man with a lunar sickle on his head. He was revered as a healer.

The choir is the god of royalty. It was believed that the ruling pharaoh is his earthly incarnation.

Shu is the god of air. He was also revered as the patron of the midday sun. He was the brother and husband of the goddess Tefnut.

Yah is the patron god of the moon. Particularly revered in the city of Hermopolis.

Goddess of Ancient Egypt

Isis is the goddess and consort of Osiris. She was the ideal of femininity. Isis patronized motherhood and children. Her cult was widely spread outside Egypt.

Goddess of Ancient Egypt represents Bastet - patroness of fun and love. She was portrayed with the head of a cat. Bastet was especially revered in the city of Bubastis.

Maat is a goddess, symbolizing truth and justice. She was portrayed with a feather stuck into her long hair.

Mut is the goddess and queen of the sky. She was depicted with two crowns and a neck on her head. Mut, like some other goddesses of Ancient Egypt, patronized motherhood. She was worshiped by the pharaohs, because it was believed that she gives the right to rule Egypt.

Nate is the goddess who created the world. In the city of Sans also believed that it helps in war and hunting.

Nephthys, or Nebethet, is the goddess of death. It was believed that she is the author of many mournful hymns and prayers. Despite this, she was also revered as the goddess of sexuality. In the drawings she is depicted as a woman with an unusual design on her head, consisting of a house, which is crowned by a construction basket. This symbol is included in the hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt.

Nehbet is a goddess who helps with childbirth. She was portrayed as a woman with a white crown and a kite on her head. You can find pictures on which it is presented in the guise of a kite. Nehbet was especially revered in the city of Nechen, the capital of Upper Egypt.

Nut or Well - the goddess of the sky. She gave birth to Isis, Nephthys, Osiris and Seth. In the drawings you can find two of her images: a celestial cow and a woman touching the ground with the tips of the hands and feet.

Sohmet is the goddess and wife of Ptah. She was considered an assistant in wars and personified the heat of the sun. Her cult was in the city of Memphis.

Taurt is a goddess who helps with childbirth and personifies feminine fertility. In the drawings it was depicted in the form of a female hippopotamus, standing on its hind legs. Her images could be found on amulets, because she helped ward off evil spirits.

Tefnut - the goddess-patroness of heat and moisture. She was painted with the head of a lioness. Her cult was in the city of Tefnut.

Wajit is a goddess, depicted in the form of a cobra. She was revered in the city of Pe-Dep. Wajit was the personification of the power of the pharaoh.

Hathor is the goddess of music and love. In the pictures she appears with the horns of a cow on her head. Her cult was in the city of Dendera.

Myths of Ancient Egypt

Mythology of Egypt began to form in the VI-IV millennium BC. E. In different parts of the country, a pantheon of gods was formed and a cult of its deity was created. The earthly existence of the gods was embodied in animals, plants, celestial bodies, natural phenomena.

Egyptian myths say that the world was a bottomless water space that bore the name of Nun. Out of chaos, deities appeared and created heaven and earth, plants and animals, people. The sun became the god Ra, who appeared from the lotus flower. If he was angry, then on the earth came heat and drought. People believed that the first gods were pharaohs.

But the Egyptian myth of the creation of the world is not a single story. The same events can be described in different ways, and deities appear in different guises.

The myth of the creation of the world

In Egypt there were three main religious centers - Memphis, Heliopolis and Hermopolis. Each of them had its own version of the origin of the world.

In Heliopolis , the sun god was especially revered . The Egyptian myth of the creation of the world for local priests was built on his cult. They believed that the god Atum emerged from the water and forced his will to grow out of the water a sacred stone named Benben. Having ascended to its summit, the god Atum generated the god of air Shu and the goddess of moisture Tefnut, who then produced the god of earth Hebe and goddess of heaven Nut. These deities are the foundation of creation. Then Osiris, Seth, Isis and Nephthys were born from the union of Nut and Hebe. Four gods became the embodiment of a barren desert and a fertile valley of the Nile.

In Germopolis it was believed that the founders of the world was the eight gods - ogload. It included four female and four male deities. Naunet and Nun symbolized water, Hounet and Hu - space, Kaunet and Cook - darkness, Amaunet and Amona - air. Eight deities became the parents of the sun god who gave light to the world.

The legend of Memphis is similar to the Hermopolis, but with one difference - the god Ptah appeared before the sun-god. The latter was created by the heart and language of Ptah.

Osiris in the mythology of Ancient Egypt

The heroes of the Egyptian myths were mostly gods, the most famous being Osiris. He patronized agriculture and winemaking.

According to the legends, he was the ruler of Egypt. During his reign, the country flourished. Osiris had a younger brother, Seth, who wanted power. He planned to do this through murder.

Isis, sister and wife of Osiris, for a long time looking for the body of the spouse. Then she has a son, whom she calls Gore. Having wrung, he triumphs over Seth and enlivens Osiris. But the latter does not want to live among people, he becomes the ruler of the afterlife.

It was believed that if the funeral ritual for the deceased person is met by all the rules, then he can attain eternal life, like Osiris.

Nile in the mythology of Ancient Egypt

The mythology of Egypt can not exist without the legends of the Nile River, which played a big role in the emergence of the ancient civilization.

It was believed that this sacred body of water connected the world of people, Heaven and the underworld. The river flowing on the earth, personified the god Hapi. When the latter was in a good mood, he led the river out of the coast and saturated the soil with moisture, which made it possible to grow vegetables.

In the Nile lived different spirits, which appeared to people in the form of animals: frogs, scorpions, crocodiles, snakes.

Myths about the god Ra

Many Egyptian myths tell of the god Ra. Some of them say that people came from the tears of this god. His eyes were a powerful symbol in the art of Egypt. You can find their images on sarcophagi, clothes, amulets. The eyes of the god Ra lived separately from his body. The right eye was able to dispel opponents, and the left one - to heal from illnesses.

Myths about the Egyptian gods tell incredible stories in which the eye of Osiris appears as a separate hero or object.

For example, in one legend, Ra created a universe that is not like our world, and placed gods and people there. After some time, the inhabitants of the universe decided to arrange a plot for him. But Ra learned about this and decided to punish the perpetrators. Having gathered all the gods, he said to them: "O gods! I created people from my eyes, and they plot against me unkind! "After these words, Ra threw people his eyes, which took the image of the goddess Hator-Sekhmet. She dealt with people, but not this moment is interesting, but the way Ra could throw his eye.

In another myth, Ra gives his eye to the goddess Basti, so that he helps her in the fight against the evil serpent. There is a legend in which Ra's eye is identified with the goddess Tefnut. She took offense at God and went into the desert alone. There are hundreds of similar myths in which the eye of Ra is a separate object that seems to be a wonderful modern man.

Legends and myths about the Egyptian pyramids

The question of how to build the pyramids of Ancient Egypt, has been tormenting researchers and historians so far. Various versions have been put forward, but nobody knows how it was in fact.

There are many myths about the appearance of pyramids and their purpose. One legend says that the pyramids were built to store treasures. But if this is so, then the modern man will no longer be able to confirm its truth. After all, the treasures could have been stolen back in antiquity.

It is difficult to erect such structures even with the help of modern technology. How did the ancient Egyptians manage? The pyramids are built of processed blocks, stacked neatly on top of each other. Their parties are star-oriented. Therefore, even versions about the extraterrestrial origin of the pyramids are put forward.

There are also myths that the pyramids built the Atlanteans before the Great Flood in order to preserve the knowledge of their civilization. But to prove this yet no one succeeded.

It is quite clear that at that time people could not create such structures. This mystery will be tried to solve for a long time. It is not known whether it will be possible to do this.

Hieroglyphs and mythology

The hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt are strongly connected with religion and mythology. People addressed the deities in a special language. Which is reflected in the first hieroglyphics. They had the appearance of beings and objects.

According to legend, the god Toth in the form of hieroglyphs depicted the basis of the universe and knowledge. This is considered the origin of the Egyptian script.

Priests for the depiction of divine truths painted figures of animals and plants. In their understanding, the knowledge that God gave is to be expressed in a simple form. For example, the concept of time can be characterized as something hasty, combining the beginning with the end. It teaches caution, creates events, and ultimately destroys them. The hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt depicted this concept in the form of a winged snake holding its tail in the mouth - one image for the representation of complex knowledge.