Ra

Ra is the god of the sun, creation and symbolizes renewal. The sun represents creation, justice and growth. The sun disk on his head represents his role as the ruling god of the universe.

The ancient Egyptians believed that Ra travelled on a journey through the underworld and the sky. At night, Ra will journey through the underworld and therefore there will be no light on earth. Then, in the day, Ra will return to the sky and light up the world. Hence, the Egyptians associate Ra with all that is good.

Osiris

Osiris is the god of the afterlife, the underworld and agriculture. He is the offspring of the gods Geb and Nut and is the consort of Isis. The god Horus is his offspring.

He judged the dead in the afterlife and also oversaw agricultural activities. Sometimes, Osiris would be associated with life because of the prosperity brought by the growing of crops on the fertile land by the banks of the Nile.

Osiris was widely worshipped by the ancient Egyptians as Ruler of the Underworld until the time when Christianity started to spread to Egypt.

Isis

Isis is the goddess of motherhood, fertility and magic. She was widely worshipped throughout Egypt like her consort Osiris. However, unlike other Egyptian deities, the worship of Isis spread to countries as far as Greece and beyond.

Isis helped Osiris in the underworld by acting as an assistant to the pharaohs that have died. She was also the protector of children and women and prominent figure for them. An ancient myth states that Isis helped restore Osiris to life after his brother Set murdered him. She used her magical skills, given by Ra after she tricked him into doing so, to do this.

There are still a few cults in the modern world that continue to worship Isis, supporting the fact that her religion has stood the test of time.

Set

Set is the god of darkness, chaos and conflict. He is the brother of Isis and Osiris and the offspring of Ra. Originally, Set was the god of deserts, winds and storms. However, after conflicts between the followers of Horus and his own followers, the large group of people who had worshipped Horus regarded Set as a demon.

An Egyptian myth states that Osiris was slain by Set, who dismembered his body and dispersed it all over the world. However, Isis was able to collect all of Osiris’ body parts and restore him to life again. Osiris’ son, Horus, continues to fight Set in a never-ending battle to avenge his father’s murder.

Horus

Horus is the god of living pharaohs and war. He is the son of the gods Osiris and Isis and is the nephew of Set. Like his parents and uncle, Horus is one of the oldest figures in Egyptian mythology.

The worship of Horus was widespread in Egypt and was a main religion. This was so as Horus was the patron of the pharaohs, who ruled Egypt. He protected and acted as a guide to the kings too.

Horus avenged his father’s murder by battling Set.

Thoth

Thoth is the god of wisdom, writing and language. He also the record-keeper and adviser for the gods. The origin of Thoth is relatively unknown, some stories say that he is self created while others say that he is the son of Ra.

Thoth plays an important in the underworld, for he questions the souls of the dead before they are finally judged. Besides that, Thoth was credited with the invention of hieroglyphics and the Egyptian language.

Maat

Maat is the goddess of truth, law and order. She is the personification of justice and is the consort of Thoth. Pharoahs took the title ‘Beloved of Maat’ to show that their priority was to uphold the law. She was widely worshipped by peasants and nobles alike. Some ancient paintings even show other deities praising her.

Maat played an important role in the judging of the dead. Her feather would be used to weigh the deceased person’s heart. If the feather outweighed the heart, showing the person was wicked, the person’s soul would be fed to the demon Ammit. However, if the heart outweighed the feather, the person was honourable and would join Osiris in the Afterlife.

Anubis

Anubis is the god of embalming and mummification. He is one of the oldest known gods and possibly older than Osiris. Like Osiris, Anubis works in the underworld. Like other major gods, Anubis is worshipped widely throughout and prayers to him were carved onto the walls of very ancient tombs.

Anubis has many duties in the underworld. Firstly, he oversees the mummification process to ensure that it is done properly. Next, he guides the souls of the dead through the underworld and tests them on their faith. More of his duties include weighing the deceased’s heart on the Scale of Justice with Maat’s feather and feeding the wicked souls to the Ammit the demon.