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[1]Exit _Life in Ancient Egypt_
Gods and Religion
_The ancient Egyptians interpreted every occurrence in terms of the
relationship between natural and supernatural forces._
Those phenomena that figured prominently in their lives included the
annual cycle of the Nile River's flood, the enormous size and
unchanging harshness of the surrounding desert, and the daily cycle of
the sun's appearance in the east, gradual movement across the sky, and
eventual disappearance in the west. The ancient Egyptians developed a
world view in which these and other events and conditions were
attributed to the actions of multiple, related gods and goddesses.

_The ancient Egyptians imagined the world to be a far different place
from what we now know it to be._ They believed the earth was a flat
platter of clay afloat on a vast sea of water from which the Nile
River sprung. In this fundamental description of the world, the forces
of nature were identified as divine descendants of the creator god.

_When we try to make some sense out of the many Egyptian gods and
goddesses, we must keep two important facts in mind._ First, early in
Egyptian history Lower (north) and Upper (south) Egypt were unified
under one ruler. This union resulted in the merging of several
cultural traditions. Second, because ancient Egyptian civilization
existed for more than three thousand years, the deities and myths
gradually changed over time as a result of new ideas, contact with
other peoples, and changing cultural values.

One of the best-known legends in Egyptian mythology, for example,
revolves around a deity who at one time may have been a local ruler in
the Nile River's delta. Originally [2]Osiris was a god associated with
the city of Busiris in the Delta; over time this regional god gained
countrywide acceptance.

_As the religion of Egypt evolved, various gods gained importance._
The falcon-headed god depicted on [3]this coffin fragment is
identified as Re-Horakhty-Atum, the god central in creation myths. Re,
the sun god, had several aspects: Khepri, the morning; Horakhty, the
midday; and Atum, the afternoon. During Dynasty XXI (ca. 1070-945
B.C.) with increasing frequency he replaced Osiris in the traditional
offering formula.

[4]Next 

[5]Funerary Customs 
[6]Orientation 
[7]Chronology 
[8]Natural World 
[9]Daily Life 

[10]Back [11]Exit [12]Next 

[13]Carnegie Museum of Natural History

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