EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY
Gods, Pharaohs and Book of the Dead of
Egyptian Mythology
BY
Stephan Weaver
© 2015 Copyright
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
electronic or mechanical means including information storage and
retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
Egyptian Mythology
CHAPTER II
Gods and Goddesses
CHAPTER III
Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt
CHAPTER IV
Book of the Dead: Life, Death and Afterlife
CHAPTER V
Rituals and Sacrifices
BONUS CHAPTER
Ten Little Known Facts about Egyptian Mythology
>>BONUSES<<
Introduction
Of the many nations in this world, it’s quite apparent that ancient
Egypt has a lot of stories to tell. And there is certainly an ample
amount of interesting elements in the history of this great nation, but
what gives a better insight of ancient Egypt and her incredibly
imaginative inhabitants happen to be the myths.
As the epicenter of the ancient Egyptian culture, Egyptian Mythology
consists of enthralling gods to whom sacrifices and rituals were
consecrated. Isis, Osiris, Ra, and Horus are but a few. Egyptians
were able to export their phenomenal religion and culture through
their far reaching trade links.
This eBook contains the many features of the mythology which
include the deities, the pharaohs, rites and sacrifices and the
mysterious “Book of the Dead.” It gives a great insight into the
prehistoric Egyptian society.
Near the end of the book there is a bonus chapter full of interesting
and fun facts that you would be surprised to learn.
CHAPTER I
Egyptian Mythology
Egyptian Mythology is the accumulation of myths derived from
ancient Egypt from at least c. 4000 BCE to 30 CE. The end was
marked with the death Cleopatra VII, the last of the Ptolemaic
sovereign of Egypt.
The air god Shu, assisted by other gods, holds up Nut, the sky, as Geb, the earth, lies beneath (950 BCE)
Often in Egyptian writing and art, myths occur— particularly in short
stories and in religious materials such as ritual texts, hymns, funerary
texts and temple decorations. Full accounts of the myth from these
sources are rare as they are habitually described in brief fragments.
The Egyptian religion and belief were spread beyond the domain of
Egypt through trade, notably after 130 BCE when the Silk Road
opened. This made Alexandria the epicenter of commerce. For other
cultures, the imperative aspect of Egyptian Mythology was the eternal
life after death concept, the reincarnation and benevolent deities.
Both Greek philosophers Plato and Pythagoras are believed to be
inspired by the belief of Egyptians in reincarnation. What's more,
religious cultures from Egypt were largely adopted by the Romans as
they did from other civilization.
Natural surroundings greatly influenced the Egyptian myth. Annually,
the Nile flooded the land to renew the soil’s richness and promote the
prosperity of farming that was essential to the civilization of Egypt.
Daily, the sun rose and set to bless the land with light and to watch
over the activities of humanity. Thus, in the view of Egyptians, water
and the sun were considered the emblems of life. They also viewed
time as a chain of natural cycles. Low and high floods threatened the
order of this cycle; they caused damage to the cultivation and
buildings and brought about famine. The generous Nile valley was
encircled by a severe desert that was inhabited by peoples who the
Egyptians believed were savage foes who disrupted the order. As a
result, they believed their area of habitation was one of stability,
secluded from the rest.
To the Egyptians, humanity’s existence was believed to be only a tiny
part in the journey to eternity. The deities and supernatural agents
coordinated and ruled over the course of this voyage.
According to the historian Bunsen:
“Heh, called Huh in some eras, was one of the original gods of the
Ogdoad [the eight deities worshipped during the Old Kingdom, 2575-
2134 BCE] at Hermopolis and represented eternity – the goal and
destiny of all human life in Egyptian religious beliefs, a stage of
existence in which mortals could attain everlasting bliss (86).”
The existence of someone on this earth was a part of the eternal
journey; it was also an introduction to something bigger. The concept
of the afterlife for Egyptians was a mirror-world of one’s life on earth
— particularly, one’s life in Egypt. If one desired to enjoy the rest of
his/her eternal journey, he was obliged to live that life correctly.
The Creation of the World
The creation of the universe and the world out of whirling chaos and
obscurity was where the journey commenced. There was once
nothing but infinite dark water, devoid of form or purpose. From this
bedlam surfaced Ben-Ben (the primeval hill); atop of this hill lived
Atum (sometimes, Ptah). Atum observed the emptiness and realized
his loneliness. He bred with his shadow to produce two offspring:
Tefnut (goddess of moisture, whom Atum vomited out) and Shu (god
of air, whom Atum spat out). The principles of order were issued by
Tefnut and the principles of life were given by Shu.
After they were born, the siblings set out to create the world, leaving
their father on the Ben-Ben. After a while, Atum was overwhelmed
by anxiety as his children took a long time to return. He took out his
one eye and sent it to look for them. Much to his relief, Shu and
Tefnut returned after some time with his one eye; Atum, grateful for
his children’s return, shed tears of happiness. His tears rained atop
the dark and fertile soil of Ben-Ben, thereby producing women and
men.
The sun rises over the circular mound of creation as goddesses pour out the primeval waters around it (1075–
945 BC)
These early beings had no place to dwell, however. Tefnut and Shu,
thus, mated and bore the goddess Nut (the Sky) and the god Geb
(the earth). The siblings, Geb and Nut, became lovers, inseparable
from one another. Unable to accept their unacceptable behavior,
Atum took Nut into the heavens, far away from Geb. Both lovers had
clear views of one another; however, they were unable to touch.
Already impregnated by Geb, Nut gave birth to Set, Osiris, Isis and
Nephthys— the prominent Egyptian gods. Osiris was often
considered a sensible and thoughtful god which was probably why
Atum gave him rule over the world.
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