Ancient Egypt – a civilization famous for mythical stories about mysterious supreme gods. Each god is associated with legends explaining the formation and development of ancient Egypt and is represented in many forms and symbols, from humans, animals and plants to inanimate objects.
In this article, join LifeWise in learning about 4 famous supreme gods in ancient Egyptian mythology!
- Ra – Sun God – the supreme deity in ancient Egyptian belief
He represents the power of creation and rebirth. He is often depicted as a man with a falcon’s head wearing a solar disk encircled by a cobra.
- Horus – God of the sky
He represents justice and protection and is considered the protector of the Pharaoh and Egypt. Horus is often depicted as a man with the head of a falcon.
The Eye of Horus is also a symbol of ancient Egypt representing divine protection and royal power.
- Osiris – God of the afterlife and rebirth
He is believed to rule justice and order in the underworld. Osiris is depicted with green skin (symbolizing rebirth), a Pharaoh’s beard, holding a crook and flail, and wearing the Atef – a white crown with feathers on both sides.
- Hathor – Goddess of love and beauty
She is the goddess of love and marriage, art and beauty. She is depicted as a woman with a solar disk and cow horns on her head, or as a cow. Hathor is considered the embodiment of beautiful things in life and is one of the gods most frequently mentioned in ancient documents.
Reverence and belief in the power of the gods created a mysterious beauty in the religious culture of the ancient Egyptian people.