Introduction
Religion is one of the most interesting aspects of Ancient Egypt. However, a complete guide to Egyptian religious practices has not transcended our age but can be deciphered from their sacred texts. A wide view of ancient spirituality and its observances is known from considerable remnants and the reports of ancient chroniclers. (Clerk, xxi)Early Egyptian thoughts and imaginations resulted in a series of gods and goddesses to whom much was attributed to. Prior to the religious conception of God, man’s thoughts were centred entirely on natural phenomena. However, it could be said that it was the Egyptians who took the concept of gods further.
Egyptian beliefs in gods evolved slowly over a very long period of time. This whole conception of gods in a personalized form evolved as a result of the realization of a higher sense of individuality among men. In Egypt, every region had its own deity that was represented by the shapes of animals. through time, however, these gods and goddesses were given human attributes and human bodies. Owing to the integrative function of religion, Egyptian civilization quickly developed. Below are some of the Egyptian gods who played very important roles in the civilization of Egypt.
Isis
One of the earliest gods whose worship extends up to this very day is Isis, the goddess of medicine. It is believed that she taught mankind the secrets of medicine. Egyptians throughout the land have reverence for her as a great mother goddess who represents the most intimate form of maternal spirit. She is also considered the protector of the dead. She was often represented as a woman putting on her head a hieroglyphic symbol of her name, sometimes with horns and solar discs but during the Greek and Roman conquests, she later adopted various forms. She is one of a few deities with wings. Isis not only influenced the lives of the Egyptians but also was admired by other people.
This extended the influence of the Egyptian culture in the sense that some pieces of Egyptian religion dominated other cultures. Cleopatra, an Egyptian queen often viewed herself as a personification of Isis. When the Greeks and later the Romans conquered Egypt, they were impressed by her and thus took her image to their mother Empires. Among the prominent Roman cities that Isis was worshipped is Pompeii.
Aten
Another Egyptian god who influenced the political life of Egyptians was Aten. In the 14th Century BC, Akhnaton, who was an Egyptian pharaoh, proclaimed that there was only one true God who should be revered by all mankind. Akhnaton wanted to unite all the people of Egypt under one god and thus discarded the traditional cults, replacing them with Aten. According to the pharaoh, Aten was the creative force in the Universe that propelled every living thing and non-living thing.
Unlike many of the Egyptian gods, Aten had no physical image and his origin was not known. He was regarded as the sun while other people held that he was the material composition of the sun. The attempt to unite the Egyptians under Aten did not go down well with the people and after his death, Egyptians reverted to atheistic practices they were engaged with before. This only proves how the Egyptian people were united in their reverence for more than one god and no one at that time could change their perception.
Hapi
Another important deity is Hapi. His importance is attached to the fact that he was the god of the Nile. This god had been worshipped even before Ra, who was the sun god because it was argued that Egyptians could not live without the Nile. The Nile played an important role in the civilization of the Egyptians because through it, many fields were watered providing food for the entire Egyptian population. Hapi was responsible for bringing the fertile silt. He provided the Egyptians with water and food besides being a fertility god. He was often represented as a bearded man with breasts wearing papyrus on his head.
Hapi was reverenced by both the upper and lower Egypt even after the empire disintegrated. even during the reign of Akhnaton, he could not disown Hapi due to his significance in controlling the river Nile. Even though he was referred to by different names in both upper and lower Egypt, a duality existed in his representation. In upper Egypt, he was depicted as wearing a papyrus on his head while in Lower Egypt he wore a lotus.
He was referred to as Hap-Mehta in upper Egypt. In lower Egypt, he was called Hap-Reset. This god was important to the civilization of the Egyptians in the sense that he symbolized the integration of the Upper and Lower Egypt during the time of their disintegration. The Egyptians offered sacrifices to Hapi by throwing offerings into the Nile. These sacrifices were meant to make Hapi regulate the height of the flood since too much water spelt disaster for those residing along the water banks and too little could lead to starvation. The floods were often referred to as the arrival of Hapi.
Horus
Horus was another important Egyptian god even though his followers were not originally from Egypt. The name Horus however comes from the Egyptian name Hor which means face. The moon and the sun are considered as his eyes even though during the moonless nights, he is seen as the god of the blind. because his followers invaded Egypt, this god was viewed as a victorious warlord. He was integrated as a god into the religion of the Egyptians, being associated with Ra, the sun god.
Being so important to the religion of the Egyptians, Horus was considered to have a human manifestation in the Egyptian kings. Because of this, Kings could take his name as their own. He was represented as the falcon-headed god and associated with the sun. However, due to the conflict between gods, fifteen distinct forms of Horus emerged. He is one of the solar deities among the numerous Egyptian gods.
Thoth
The origin of Thoth is marked by various controversies because some people claim that he is Ra’s son while others hold that he created himself by word of mouth. he is considered the instructor of man and the messenger of gods. This god is known for his knowledge and divine speech.
He was the lord of books and patron of the scribes. He is also the god of the moon and the knowledge of astronomy, geometry and medicine are attributed to him. The superiority of Ancient Egypt in these fields which are the core of their civilization is attributed to Thoth. Thoth also invented speech and writing and this attests to the fact that it was the Egyptians who first invented the art of writing.
According to Ancient Egypt: The Mythology, Thoth measured the earth and counted the stars. He keeps and records all knowledge. It was believed that he is the author of the book of the dead and important religious texts. he was also charged with weighing the sins and the good deeds of an individual at death. Many ancient nations were amazed at the knowledge of the Egyptians and this prompted them to appoint Egyptian instructors who in the process spread their culture.
Egyptian culture and civilization influenced many people because it thrived during the time when men were actively involved with the quest for knowledge. Many people thus were amazed by the richness of Egyptian culture hence emulated it. however, this could not be done without having some sort of reverence for the Egyptian gods because every aspect of Egyptian life was dominated by the gods.
Reference
Ancient Egypt: The Mythology. 2008. Web.