Egyptian God and Goddess | Top 10 Famous Gods

Egyptian God and Goddess

“These are the ancient guides of the underworld and the afterlife.”

For this list, we’re focusing specifically on Egyptian mythology only, meaning no Pharaohs or Greek gods will be included.

“You have my leave to go”

Number 10:
Sobek, “reptile demon, soba kites were reptile worshippers”.

• Easily identifiable by his crocodile head, this ancient Egyptian deity offered protection from the dangers of the Nile.
• And while Sobek was originally acknowledged as the actual creator of the river and perhaps even of the world, he’s primarily associated with fertility.
• Military and pharaonic power was also in his purview.

The ancient Egyptians were known to mummify Crocs with the hope of receiving special care from Sobek in the afterlife. Not the calmest of gods but certainly one of the most respected. Sobek is sometimes referenced as an extension of both Horus and Roth.

Number 9:
Thoth. “Wise Lord of the sacred word, we seek your counsel”.

Now, here’s an Egyptian god is known for his calm and calculating ways.
Originally functioning as a moon god, Thoth was later referenced as the designer of the universe itself while also being recognized as the mediator between good and evil.

• In other words, Thoth kept Egyptians in check through education. Even coming to be credited with the invention of writing.
• A multifaceted deity to be sure and one with either an Ibis or a baboon head. Thoth inspired the beautiful Egyptian art that continues to amaze the world.

Somebody had to maintain the universe and this god made it look easy in the eyes of those who offered worship.
“I’ve seen the world created from sand and water, I contain all the wisdom in the universe.”

Number 8:
Geb, “Geb, god of Earth”.

He’s the father of snakes and had one heck of a laugh.

• It was believed that Geb’s booming cackles produced earthquakes while his tears filled the Earth’s oceans.
• Sometimes connected with the divine goose and sometimes deemed partially responsible for a world egg.
• Geb is usually most recognized for vegetation along the Nile and for being a ruler over tombs.

Above all, Geb had the ultimate say as to which of the Dead ascended to the sky and which remained on the earth plagued by heavy guilt. Both a facilitator and a dangerous being, Geb could easily rock the ancient Egyptian world.

“A lumbering giant, patient, deliberate, unmovable. He is Geb, the god of the earth.”

Number 7:
Set, also known as Seth.

“I, Set shall be your one true king.”

• As one of the sons of Geb, this Egyptian God was known to be violent.
• In fact, he dismembered his own brother Osiris.
• As a result, Set often feuded with Osiris’s son, Horus, giving rise to one of the classic tales of Egyptian mythology.
• Ultimately, Set complemented Horus’s rule of the Airable land by taking charge of the Egyptian deserts.

While Set has become associated with dominating tactics, he’s also been vilified for his scheming ways; either within his own family hierarchy or by trying to seduce Horus for more power.

“I showed you mercy. I won’t make that mistake”.

At the end of the proverbial day though, the Red Desert belonged to Set.

Number 6:
Horus. As mentioned, this god plays a prominent role in the Osiris myth.

• Respected as a god of the sky, a god of war, and even a god of hunting, Horus wore many hats on his falcon head and the Egyptian pharaohs were known to be the human embodiment of him when it comes to his lasting legacy.
• In the present world, there’s the Great Sphinx which is sometimes considered to be an aspect of Horus representing the Rising Sun.

With various forms of Horus emerging throughout history, he’s mostly regarded as a solar deity as well as the son of Isis and Osiris, which places him as a rival to Set.

“I looked up to you. Of course, you did.”

Number 5:
Isis. “She spent eternity searching for the cut-up pieces of her dead husband.”

While this Egyptian goddess has been aligned with various names and skills throughout time, the myth of Isis endures through her relationship with Horus.

• Likely inspiring the Christian imagery of Mary and baby Jesus. The mother and son relationship played a pivotal role in the Pharaoh’s life as Isis herself represents the actual throne.
• The flooding of the Nile River was often linked to the tears shed by Isis for her murdered brother and husband Osiris, along with fellow goddesses Hathor and Mut.She remains one of the most celebrated female deities of Egyptian mythology.“Isis, the Egyptian symbol of life. I meant it for your foundation. What good could that old charm have done to him?”

Number 4:
Anubis. “This depicts the god Anubis sailing the boat of raw to the underworld.”

Despite very few references to this god in classic Egyptian mythology, his name dates back to the Old Kingdom of approximately 2600 BC where and when he was frequently depicted.

• Cited by Plutarch as the adopted son of Isis, Anubis offered protection to those in the afterlife.
• Usually appearing with a canine head.
• In essence, this god had the ultimate say as to whether or not the dead could reach the underworld.
• “When a person died they passed into a room and were brought before Asyrus and a panel of judges. And next to them was a massive scale. Then the god Anubis weighed their heart against Mut, the god of the truth.”At times, this meant weighing the soul and guiding them along to their eternal fate. Recognized in art as both a jackal and wolf, Anubis is closely connected to the embalming and mummification process.“Is that the dog-headed figure? Is that a demon? Well, actually that’s a jackal’s head. He is Anubis, the Egyptian guardian, and protector of the dead”. 
  

  Number 3:
  Ra. “He has the head of a parakeet. It’s a falcon”.

  Often referenced as the defining God of the Egyptian religion, this Sun deity held great influence by the fifth dynasty.

  

  In fact, the famous Valley of the Kings is sometimes cited as portraying representations of Ra’s beams of sunlight.

• And as the supposed father of the gods, he ultimately merged into the deity known as Amun-Ra.
• Depicted in art through his relationships with Horace and Osiris, this god of the Sun, underworld, and maybe even the universe, made a cameo of sorts in Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. Which is just one of many reasons we remember him today.
  

  Number 2:
  Osiris. “Osiris, the god of life was the beloved king of all the lands made bountiful by the Nile”.

  Son of either Geb or Ra, depending on the source. Companion of Isis and the father of Horus.

• This is God at the center of the Osirian myth.
• As the story goes, Osiris met his death at the hands of his own brother.
• Only to be reassembled by Isis to give birth to Horus.
• In other words, this cycle of events led to Osiris becoming the god of the dead. Meeting Pharaohs after their demise and guiding them through a journey of spells and challenges. It’s also been said that Osiris once ended the practice of cannibalism; restoring life to the Egyptians and transitioning them to a life of agriculture.“All are welcome to the afterlife. This is my legacy”.Before we unveil our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions.Bastet – Goddess of Warfare and Cats
  Sekhmet – Goddess of War and Healing
  “Ptah, Lord of creation. As if the origin of the universe must forever be concealed”

  Number 1:
  Amun-Ra. Originally known as the hidden one and correlated with creativity.
  The king of gods named Amun looked after the city of Thebes around the 21st century BC.

  And as the creator of not only himself but also everything thereafter, his earthly extension would become an Amun-Ra, which was the result of the Sun-god merging with an invisible deity that the Greeks associated with Zeus himself.

  So Amun-Ra held a commanding presence over the day-to-day lives of Egyptians.
  Providing a sense of calm and personal meaning to their earthly and underworld practices.

  He is and always will be the defining presence of Egyptian gods and goddesses.

  “It’s not built on the scale of men, it’s built on the scale of gods, of one god, Amun-Ra, the God of the Sun.”

  Do you agree with our list?
  “No, it’s more than that. it’s a guide to immortality.”

• Curated by Ishmael Osekre, and Bright Ofori.