Important gods and goddesses in ancient Egyptian religion

Vocabulary notes:

to be elevated to the role of – быть воздвигнутым на роль кого-либо

tutelary divinity – божество покровитель

two long plumes – два длинных пера

to preside over – руководить чем-то

to be precisely codified – быть точно кодифицированным

to become widespread – стать широко распространённым

to counter the authority of the priesthood – противостоять власти братства святых отцов

to be suppressed – быть подавленным

the primordial solar divinity – древнее солнечное божество

the incarnation of the quintessence of femininity – воплощение истинной женственности

to be widely worshipped – быть широко почитаемым

a falcon - headed man – человек с головой сокола

to be depicted as – быть изображенным как

to wear an ostrich feather – носить страусиное перо

to remake the dismembered body – восстанавливать расчлененное тело

since the remotest antiquity – из покон веков

Amun, Amun-Ra. He was the principal ancient Egypt god of Thebes; he became increasingly important during the New Kingdom, and was eventually elevated to the role of a tutelary divinity in various parts of Egypt. He is represented wearing a crown with two long plumes.

Anubis. He was a male divinity with the head of a jackal; he presided over the funerary cult and was believed to have invented the technique of mummification. He accompanied the dead person to the hereafter and was therefore identified with Mercury during the Roman period.

Aten. He was the solar disc, and the source of life and heat. He was first mentioned as a divinity under Amenhotep III. However, it was during the reign of Amenhotep IV – Akhenaten – that his cult, mainly instituted to counter the authority of the priesthood of Amun, was precisely codified and started to become widespread in Egypt. When Akhenaten died the worship of Aten was suppressed.

Atum. He was the primordial solar divinity and the patron of Heliopolis. He was symbolized by the setting sun and was represented as a man wearing a double crown to symbolize his rule over the whole of Egypt.

Hathor. She was the incarnation of the quintessence of femininity, and was widely worshipped in many areas of Egypt. She is represented as a cow, or a woman with cow's ears.

Horus. He was the son of Osiris and Isis. He is often represented as a falcon or a falcon-headed man. He was worshipped in various parts of Egypt and the reigning king was identified with this ancient Egypt god.

Isis. She was the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. She was widely worshipped throughout the Mediterranean in Roman times. During the pharaonic period she was depicted as a woman with a throne or a solar disc and two cow's horns on her head.

Maat. She was the ancient egypt goddess of justice and the daughter of Ra. She is shown as a woman wearing an ostrich feather on her head. She represents the principal of order, which inspires the king as he governs the ostrich feather. She also appears as a counterweight to the dead person's heart on Anubis's weighing scale when the dead are judged.

Nephthys. She was the sister and the wife of Seth. She was involved with her sister Isis in seeking and remaking the dismembered body of Osiris. She is represented as a woman with her own name in hieroglyphs on her head.

Osiris. This ancient Egypt god was the brother and husband of Isis. He was born of the union between the sky goddess Nut and the earth god Geb. He became the king of Egypt and was then killed by his brother Seth. He was worshipped as the king of the dead and represented as a mummy with a white crown with two ostrich plumes.

Ra. He was the sun god and was mainly worshipped at Heliopolis. He is shown as a man with the head of a falcon crowned with the solar discs.

Selqet. She was a scorpion goddess, and the protector of the king and the boat of the sun since the remotest antiquity. She is shown as a woman with a scorpion on her head.

Seth. He was the ancient Egypt god of darkness, death, the desert and chaos. He killed his brother Osiris.

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