Ursus Posted April 16, 2005 Report Share Posted April 16, 2005 It is important to correct a misconception. The Egyptians were not obsessed with death. That we think so is a function of modern archaeology, which interprets Ancient Egypt through surviving artifacts. Most of the artifacts that have survived are religious and funerary in nature, which colors perceptions of Egyptian mentality. The religious and funerary buildings so synonymous with Egypt were built to last, and often placed in the desert where they were well preserved by the barren wasteland. By contrast, the items of everyday Egyptian life were built of less durable materials and much has been lost over the centuries. full article available at the Religion of Egypt page... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Scanderbeg Posted April 16, 2005 Report Share Posted April 16, 2005 Wow, I wish I had made my "eastern religion" topic that informative. Good work ursus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primus Pilus Posted April 16, 2005 Report Share Posted April 16, 2005 Yes, excellent synopsis as always Ursus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeke Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 Wonderful and very educational, Zeke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lacertus Posted October 8, 2005 Report Share Posted October 8, 2005 I make bold to add this thread and put a table listing some of the many gods and goddesses of Egyptian mythology. The deities are listed as closely as possible to the order of their appearance in the myths, from oldest to newest. Nekhbet vulture goddess of Upper Egypt Wadjet cobra goddess of Lower Egypt Meskhenet childbirth goddess, represented by a tile Taweret hippopotamus goddess, also childbirth goddess and protectoress Bet childbirth god and protector of children Atum Heliopolis (ancient On) sun god, self-created from the Watery Waste of Nun Shu god of air, created by Atum Tefnut goddess of moisture, created by Atum, sometimes a lion goddess Geb earth god, created by Shu and Tefnut Nut sky goddess, also goddess of death and burial, created by Shu and Tefnut Osiris fertility god, later king of the dead, child of Geb and Nut Isis Mistress of Magic and Speaker of Spells, also goddess of the dead, sister-wife of Osiris, child of Geb and Nut, mother of young Horus and therefore symbolic Mother of the Egyptian King Seth rival of young Horus, destroyer of Osiris's body, child of Geb and Nut Nephthys one of the goddesses of the dead, sister-wife of Seth and child of Geb and Nut Horus the Elder often shown in man's form, or as a hawk, child of Geb and Nut young Horus son of Isis Hathor powerful sky and cow goddess, fertility figure, consort of young Horus but kept a separate temple, associated with tirual music Thoth Hermopolis god, moon god and reckoner of time, depicted in human form with an ibis mask Neith national goddess of Lower Egypt, huntress with crossed bow and arrows as her symbol, also goddess of the dead, sometimes supreme creator Serkhet a goddess of death and burial Re sun god, in the creation myth with Neith as supreme god, wept men and women from his eyes Ptah Memphis god, considered primeval being first created to take precendence over Atum Sekhmet represents the rays of the sun at midday, consort of Ptah and daughter of Re, the sun god, lion goddess of Middle Egypt Aton Aye at el-Armana tomb chapel, also claimed to take precedence over Atum Khnum First Cataract deity, ram-headed supreme creator god Satet and Anuket represent the Nile in flood, helpers to Khnum Nun and Nunet Ogdoad of Khemenu gods (City of Eight), represent the primeval abyss Heh and Hauket Ogdoad of Khemenu gods, represent infinity Kek and Kauket Ogdoad of Khemenu gods, represent darkness Amun and Amunet Ogdoad of Khemenu gods, represent the unknown gods, also male and female principles in the cosmic system, Amun later a chief god Mut both lion and warrior goddess, consort of Amun at Thebes, replacing Amunet Bastet cat goddess, important in the last 1000 years B, originally a lion goddess Meretseger cobra goddess of the peak overlooking the Valley of the Kings, name means "she who loves silence" Renenutet snake goddess and protector of the king and the harvest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursus Posted October 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2005 Thank you for the welcome addition, Lacertus. Is this an area you have some interest in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lacertus Posted October 9, 2005 Report Share Posted October 9, 2005 I lived in Egypt eight years off and on. Of course this event was seared into my memory. I going to return to Egypt and take part in an archaeological digs next summer. I treat with one of the Europe University about it and going to interlocution with project director next week. I try to renew my knowledge about ancient Egypt and read many books about it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emperess Posted October 17, 2005 Report Share Posted October 17, 2005 i joined a group a year ago that follows the ancient egyptian religion and worships its Gods anyone else want to join? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursus Posted October 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2005 Uh ... let's try not to proselytize in the temple. Keep the discussion confined to history and academics. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobias Posted October 17, 2005 Report Share Posted October 17, 2005 I was reading the other day of some of the hybrid gods that existed in Alexandria around the late Ptolemy dynasty onwards, those mixtures of Macedonian, Egyptian, Greek etc. gods to make things like your Zeus-Osiris-etc. etc. gods. It really is indicative of the crossroads of religion there eh? Does anyone else know of any of the other hybrid gods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursus Posted October 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2005 Serapis was, for all intents and purposes, a hybrid of several Egyptian and Hellenic gods. Isis for her part was a blending of various Egyptian gods which were then identified with various Hellenic God. Ptolemy Soter basically created the Serapis cult as a way for both his Hellenic and Egyptian subjects to have a common ground. The Egyptians didn't fall for it, they much preferred their own uncorrupted traditions. The cult did catch on with Greeks and later Romans. The magic and mysticism gave them something mostly absent from their own native religions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lacertus Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 After the Greek conquest, the new city of Alexandria became the centre of Egyptian religious life, and indeed of the religious life of the whole Hellenic world. Eventually in Egypt the hellenic pharaohs decided to produce a deity that would be acceptable to both the local Egyptian population, and the influx of hellenic visitors, to bring the two groups together, rather than allow a source of rebellion to grow. Thus Osiris was identified explicitly with Apis, really an aspect of Ptah, who had already been identified as Osiris by this point, and a syncretism of the two was created, known as Serapis, and depicted as a standard Greek god. A great temple, the Serapeum, was set up by Ptolemy I at which a sort of trinity of gods was worshipped. There were Serapis (who was Osiris-Apis rechristened), Isis and Horus. There were not regarded as separate gods but as three aspects of one god, and Serapis was identified with the Greek Zeus, the Roman Jupiter and the Persian sun-god. This worship spread wherever the Hellenic influence extended, even into North India and Western China. The idea of immortality, an immortality of compensations and consolation, was eagerly received by a world in which the common life was hopelessly wretched. Serapis was called Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viggen Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 old article but excellent, so it was time to make a page of it... thanks Ursus... cheers viggen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rameses the Great Posted April 15, 2006 Report Share Posted April 15, 2006 (edited) Ursus, all that I read in that article was a hundred percent true. You guys know that I'm one tough critic, but that article absolutely nailed it. That was a great article and I'm glad there are some people that know the true Egypt. Thanks for that great article Ursus, that was nothing short of amazing! Edited April 15, 2006 by Rameses the Great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athenian1977 Posted April 16, 2006 Report Share Posted April 16, 2006 Rameses are the Armenians Kopts ?? I know that they're very close to the orthodoxy but I'm not quite sure.. Thanks ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.