13 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses With Intense Backstories

Egyptian gods and goddesses were an essential part of ancient life. So much so, in fact, that there are said to be over 2,000 deities in the Egyptian pantheon.

And while a select few of these mythical characters are sometimes considered top-tier (Atum, Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nephthys), there are plenty of others with riveting tales and morals to teach that may be overlooked or misunderstood in modern society.

"The Egyptian religion has obviously changed a lot throughout the millennia," Victoria Almansa-Villatoro, Ph.D. candidate in Egyptology at Brown University, writes via email. "Even considering that pharaonic ideology is extremely conservative, we should not expect the Egyptian pantheon to remain the same for three thousand years of history. Moreover, traditions change also locally from north to south, and some gods have different names, or are favored over others in certain provinces."

1. Ra

Ra, the sun god, was the most important god in Ancient Egypt. Said to be born each morning in the east, and die each night in the west, he traveled through the underworld during the night.

"If there is a god that has always occupied a prominent position in the Egyptian pantheon, all over Egypt and Sudan, that god is Ra," Almansa-Villatoro says. "Up to some extent, most gods in Egypt have a solar aspect or can even claim to be minor manifestations of Ra. For example, the well-known lioness goddesses Sekhmet and Tefnut, or even Hathor, are nothing but the Eye of Ra."

Ra was considered the first pharaoh of the world. Legend has it, his golden sun ship sailed across the sky each day and then traveled through Duat, the underworld, at night.

In Duat, he navigated the River of Darkness to fight off monsters. Each morning, Egyptians are said to have celebrated his victorious return, which allowed the new day to begin.

According to Almansa-Villatoro, Ra dies every night in the western horizon (which was why most Egyptian necropolises were built on the western bank of the Nile), and then is born again in the east every morning. She says:

"Therefore, every solar symbol in ancient Egypt, such as the Eye of Ra, has a strong regenerative power. Just like Osiris [god of the underworld], Ra is a god related with death, but also with rebirth. The rising and setting of the sun represents one of the two main concepts of time of ancient Egypt: cyclical time. Osiris represents eternity (just like a mummy or a pyramid: something that is extra-temporal and that endures), whilst Ra represents continuity and repetition."

2. Osiris

Osiris was known as the god of the afterlife, resurrection and fertility. He embodies divine rulership and the cycle of death and rebirth.

As the husband of Isis and father of Horus, he plays a central role in myths symbolizing renewal and justice. Osiris was betrayed and dismembered by his brother Seth, but Isis reassembled and revived him, allowing Osiris to become the ruler of the underworld.

His green skin symbolizes vegetation and rebirth, and his iconography often includes a crook and flail, which signified kingship in ancient Egypt.

3. Isis

Isis was a central goddess in ancient Egyptian mythology, revered as the goddess of magic, motherhood, healing and protection. She is the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus, embodying devotion and resilience.

Known for her magical healing abilities, Isis used her wisdom to revive Osiris after his dismemberment by Seth and protect their son Horus during his infancy.

She was often depicted with a throne-shaped crown or with a solar disk and cow horns, signifying her connection to royalty and cosmic power. Isis was widely worshipped across Egypt and beyond, symbolizing love, fertility and the eternal cycle of life.

4. Horus

Horus was a complicated character in the world of Egyptology. Often represented as a man with the head of a falcon, he's taken on different forms and meanings over time.

While he was originally said to be the god of war and the sky, he was later predominantly known for being the son of Osiris, god of the underworld, and Isis, goddess of healing and magic.

His most famous role was perhaps his part in the myth surrounding Osiris and his brother Seth. As legend has it, Seth murdered Osiris out of jealousy, and then scattered pieces of his body throughout Egypt. Isis managed to bring her husband back to life and then gave birth to their son, Horus.

In some versions of the story, Horus was raised to avenge his father's murder and lost his left eye in a fight with Seth. The eye, however, was magically healed by Thoth.

Sometimes referred to as "The Avenger," Horus was said to have defeated Seth and claimed the title of pharaoh. All mortal pharaohs after him supposedly considered themselves his descendants.

5. Anubis

Often represented as a jackal-headed man (jackals were once associated with death), Anubis was the protector of the dead. In addition to guarding graves, however, Anubis was also in charge of weighing the hearts of the deceased and was also considered the guardian of the scales.

According to legend, he weighed the hearts of the dead against the weight of a feather (Ma'at's feather) which represented truth.

If the scales tipped in favor of the heart, Anubis unleashed a demon called Ammit to destroy the deceased person, but if scaled tipped toward the feather, Anubis delivered the person to Osiris, the king of the underworld. Osiris would then take that person to heaven.

6. Ma'at

Ma'at, the goddess of the cosmic order, truth and justice, was crucial to maintaining balance in the universe. Often depicted with an ostrich feather in her headdress, she symbolized the principles that held the world together.

In the afterlife, Ma'at's feather played a critical role. Anubis weighed it against the hearts of the deceased to determine their fate. Ma'at's presence was a constant reminder of the importance of living a balanced and ethical life.

7. Seth

Seth (sometimes spelled as "Set") was a complex and powerful figure in ancient Egyptian mythology, often associated with chaos, storms and disorder. Seth was infamous for murdering and dismembering his brother Osiris, embodying the forces of destruction and rivalry.

Despite his antagonistic role, Seth was also a protector of Ra, the sun god, battling the serpent Apophis to safeguard cosmic order.

His iconography includes a mysterious animal with a curved snout and upright ears, known as the Seth animal. Seth's dual nature reflects the balance of chaos and order in Egyptian cosmology, making him a multifaceted deity.

8. Neith

Neith was the patroness of the city of Sais and according to some accounts, was considered the creator of the world and the mother of Ra (which made her the mother of all the gods). On the flip side, she's also said to have been the creator of Ra's arch nemesis, the great serpent, Apep.

"The importance of Neith is usually underrated in modern Egyptology because her roles as a creator and maternal (yet virgin!) goddess were supplanted by Isis in later times," Almansa-Villatoro says. "She is one of the oldest goddesses of Egypt, appearing in the earliest records with the symbol of two bounded bows."

Neith's signature emblem was a pair of crossed arrows shown against the background of a leather shield, and she's also sometimes represented by an image of a bow case, which she was occasionally depicted as wearing on her head in place of a crown (when she's not rocking the red crown associated with Lower Egypt and holding crossed arrows and a bow).

"For a long time, her symbols had been confused with the crossed arrows of the archaic Hemusets (very obscure female entities that were very popular in the Early Dynastic times but almost absent later on!), because in later times, Neith adopts the arrows icon," Almansa-Villatoro says. "Thus, weapons and the Red Crown of Egypt are her main attributes."

Neith was unique in her defiance of gender norms and stereotypes. Almansa-Villatoro goes on to say:

"The interesting thing is that violence and power are traditionally associated with men and not women in ancient times. Neith exhibits a series of attributes that make her appear neutral to gender: She looks like a woman, but she is a warrior/huntress, king, she was the 'father and mother' of Ra, and her name could be written with a phallus sign! Many creator goddesses cross-culturally have warrior, royal and androgynous attributes (e.g., the Phrygian Cybele, Mesopotamian Inanna). The ancient Mediterranean archetype of Mother-Goddess is problematic, especially for Egypt, but Neith certainly fits the model of a powerful, and sometimes androgynous, creator female seen in other cultures, and not always related with motherhood."

9. Thoth

Often depicted as an ibis, a man with an ibis head, or a baboon, Thoth was the god of writing and wisdom and was said to have invented language and hieroglyphics. He's also credited with possessing knowledge around magic and possessing secrets which the other gods weren't privy to.

"As guardian of knowledge, he became associated with secrecy and magic," Almansa-Villatoro says. "Several ancient authors, among which the late period Egyptian historian Manetho, claim that Thoth himself wrote thousands of books that contained the wisdom and knowledge of ancient Egyptians."

Almansa-Villatoro says one Egyptian fictional story in particular, the Demotic tale of Setne-Khamwas (also written as "Setne-Khamuas") tells how the prince Setne-Khamuas, a son of Ramses II, travels around Egypt searching for the legendary Book of Thoth that grants magic powers for its reader.

"Setne-Khamuas learns of a series of misfortunes that the previous book owner, Neferkaptah, had endured after stealing the book from the place where Thoth had hidden it," she says. "Thus, Khamuas decides to return the book to Neferkaptah's tomb only after he himself begins to experience its curse. The moral of the story is that divine knowledge and power should not be sought by humans!"

10. Bastet

Bastet, often depicted as a lioness or a domestic cat, was the goddess of home, fertility and, curiously, protective warfare. She embodies the duality of nurturing and fierce defense.

In her early days, Bastet took on the lioness form, symbolizing her role as a protector. Over time, she softened into her more familiar feline guise, embodying grace, family protection and playfulness.

Bastet's sacred city, Bubastis, was a hub for her worship. Annual festivals in her honor were said to be some of the most boisterous celebrations in Egypt, featuring music, dancing and boat processions.

Cats, considered sacred animals, were often kept as pets to invoke Bastet’s protective blessings.

11. Hathor

Hathor, a versatile deity, is often depicted as a woman with cow horns or as a full cow. She was all about love, beauty, music and dance —but she also had a darker side, associated with protection and vengeance when the need arose.

As the "Mistress of the West," Hathor greeted souls in the afterlife, ensuring they were welcomed with comfort. She was also known as the "Golden One," often linked to fertility and maternal care. Need a deity to oversee your romantic woes or party planning? Hathor was your go-to goddess.

12. Sekhmet

If you needed a fierce defender in your corner, Sekhmet was the one you'd seek. Known as the goddess of war and healing, Sekhmet had a fiery personality, often depicted as a lioness.

Her name translates to "The Powerful One," and legend has it she could wipe out entire armies with her scorching breath.

Sekhmet was also a skilled healer, representing the dual nature of destruction and restoration. In some myths, she was sent by Ra to punish humanity but had to be pacified with red beer to prevent her from annihilating the world. Nothing like a little divine intervention to keep things balanced.

13. Ptah

Ptah, god of craftsmanship, was a master builder. Often depicted as a mummified man holding a scepter, he was considered the creator of the universe. According to legend, Ptah spoke the world into existence, making him a deity of profound wisdom and power.

He was highly revered in Memphis, where he was worshipped as the patron of artisans and architects. Ptah's influence extended beyond the physical world; he was also a protector of truth and justice.

We updated this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.

Original article: 13 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses With Intense Backstories

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