Great Sun God Ra example essay topic

Egyptian Gods The earliest tribal gods may have been fetishes connected with nomadic hunting or warrior people. Their gods became local god and were associated with agriculture. One of the commonest of the tribal fetishes was the falcon, which later became identified with the sky, maybe because the falcon was able to fly so high. Horus, was the most powerful of the falcon-deities, his people probably came from Libya and conquered large parts of Upper and Lower Egypt. At an early period many falcon-gods seem to have been merged with Horus. Horus people were living unconnected with each other in different parts of the Nile valley.

The first important gods begin 3100 B. C under Menes or Namer, the founder of the First Dynasty and the first King. Menes was a follower of Horus, the falcon-god, and the king of one of the branches of the followers of Horus which had settled in Upper Egypt, and had become supreme there. The Egyptians said that the first creation were the oceans. After that Ra, the sun, came out from an egg (flower, ) it appeared at the surface of the water. Ra worshipped the status of religion, the god was gradually fused with Amon during the Theban dynasties, becoming the supreme god Amon-Ra. The earliest predysnastic tribes venerated many deities who were at first embodied in animals (such as the sacred cat of Bu bastis), but who were later humanized.

The most widely accepted creation myth was that of the great sun god Ra, who appeared out of Chaos to create a race including Osiris and Isis, and their son Horus. The most important of the many forms of the Egyptian worship were the cults of Osiris, king and judge of the dead, protector of all; the sun god Ra (symbolized by the pyramid). The group of Ra, was worshipped at Heliopolis, the center of sun worship. Amon the god of Thebes, was usually shown as human.

He was viewed (along with his consort am enet) as a primordial creation-deity. Up to the time XII th Dynasty Amon was a god of no more than local importance, but as soon as the princess of Thebes had conquered their rival claimants to the rule of Egypt, and had succeeded in making their city a new capital of the country, their god Amon became a prominent god in Upper Egypt. It was probably under the dynasty that the attempt was made to assign to him the proud position which was afterwards claimed for him "king of the gods". Word amen means "what's hidden", "what is not seen" Amon was represented on five forms 1. As a man, when he is seen seated on a throne, and holding in one hand the scepter, and in the other symbol of "life". 2.

As a man with the head of a frog. 3. As a man with the head of a uraeus (cobra.) 4. As an ape.

5. As a lion crouching upon a pedestal. Symbols- ram, goose, bull. Bes, was the god of music and dance, the god of war and slaughter, and destroying force of nature. He was also protector of children.

Bes is most likely African origin, although some think he is Semitic (Middle Eastern.) Bes was usually portrayed as a dwarf with a large head. He is bearded with his tongue sticking out. He has a flat nose, bushy eyebrows and hair, large ears. Around his body, he wears the skin of an animal and its tall hangs down behind him and touches the ground.

He wears feathers on his head, suggest in an African origin. As a god of music he is sometimes shown playing a harp. As a warrior he wears a short military tunic and holds a shield and a short sword. Symbols-Lion knives, bells, drums. Duamutef is one of the four sons of Horus, he was portrayed as a mummified jackel. Horus, had a numerous wives and children, and his four sons were grouped together and generally said to be born of Isis.

Duamutef was one. The other three were Ims ety, Hope and Oebehsenuef. They were born from a lotus flower and were solar gods associated with the creation. They were retrieved from the waters of Nun by So bek on the orders of Re.

It was believed that Anubis gave them the funerary duties of mummification, the Opening of the Mouth, the burial of Osiris and all men. Horus later made them protectors of the four cardinal points (north, south, east and west). In the hall of Ma " at they sat on a lotus flower in front of Osiris. Most commonly, however, they were remembered as the protectors of the internal organs of the deceased. Each son protected an organ, and each son was protected by a goddess.

Duamutef's whole was to protect the stomach of the decreased and was the guardian of the East. He was protected by the goddess Neigh. Geb, was the son of Shu and Tef nut and the brother and husband of Nut. Through Nut he had four children, Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys. Geb, was the god of the earth. even so, Geb guided the dead to heaven and he gave them meat and drink. it is interesting to note that while in most cultures the deity associated with the earth and its bounty is a woman ("Mother Earth", Demeter of the Greeks, etc... ), the Egyptians chose a male for this role. He is usually as shown as a man wearing either the crown of the North or of the South.

Added is either the A tef crown or a goose. "The Great Cackler" It was said that Geb's Laughter was the source of earthquakes. Others images show him lying underneath his wife (Nut, goddess of the sky) and his father (Shu, god of the air). He reclines on one elbow with a knee and arm in the air.

In this way he Symbolized the valleys and hills of the land, which was called "The House of Geb". He is shown either as a dark or green skinned man (the colors of life, the soil of the Nile and vegetation, respectively) with leaves on his skin. The religious center of Geb seems to be Heliopolis (Cairo), where he and Nut produced the Great Egg from which the Sun-god sprang. Symbols- goose, earth. Anubis, was the jackal-god of mummification, he assisted in the rites by which a dead man was admitted to the underworld. He holds the divine sceptre carried by kings and gods.

The god of embalming is probably associated with the jackel due thei the habits if jackels to lurk about tombs and graves. One of the reasons the early Egyptians sought to make their tombs more elaborate was to keep the bodies safe from the jackets lingering about the graves. It is only natural therefore that god of mummification would be connected with them. By worshipping Anubis, the Egyptians hoped to invoke him to protect their deceased from jackels, and later, the natural decay that unprotected bodies endure. Anubis was the son of Nephthys: some myths say that his father was Seth and others name Osiris. One myth says that Nephthys got Osiris drunk and the result was Anubis.

Yet another says she disguised herself as Isis and seduced Osiris and subsequently gave birth to Anubis. Some stories even suggest that Nephthys' affair with Osiris was the reason Seth hated and murdered him. Anubis was worshipped as the inventor of embalming, who has embalmed the dead Osiris and therefore helping to preserve him that he might live again. Anubis also monitored the Scales of Truth to protect the dead from deception and eternal death. Symbols-jackel, embalming equipment, flail, flags.

These different, unique Egyptian gods are Egyptian mythology. email me at 321.