* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Patron of: knowledge, secrets, writing, and scribes Appearance: A
Survey
Document related concepts
Transcript
Patron of: knowledge, secrets, writing, and scribes Appearance: A man with the head of an ibis holding a scribe's palette and stylus. He was also shown as a full ibis (a large turkey-like bird with a long snout, or sometimes as a baboon.) Description: Thoth is an unusual god. Though some stories place him as a son of Ra, others say that Thoth created himself through the power of language. He is the creator of magic, the inventor of writing, teacher of man, the messenger of the gods and was extremely important because he was the divine record-keeper and mediator. Thoth's role as a scribe is well-documented. He was VERY important in the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony. He is the god who questions the souls of the dead about their deeds in life before their heart is weighed against the feather of Maat. He is also the great counselor and the other gods who frequently went to him for advice. Thoth became credited by the ancient Egyptians as the inventor of writing, and was also considered to have been the scribe of the underworld. For this reason Thoth was universally worshipped by ancient Egyptian scribes or writers. Many scribes had a painting or a picture of Thoth in their "office". Likewise, one of the symbols for scribes was that of the ibis. Tawaret 'The Great One' Appearance: Head of a hippopotamus with the arms and legs of a lion, the back and tail of a crocodile, and an enlarged stomach. Tawaret was a goddess who protected women during pregnancy and childbirth. Taweret (can be spelled Tawaret) was a patron of childbirth and a protector of women and children. She was considered to be a ferocious goddess as well as a protective and nurturing goddess. She was associated with the lion, the crocodile, and the hippo; all animals which were feared by the Egyptians but also highly respected. Initially she was viewed as a dangerous and potentially deadly force. However, by the later times she was seen as a protective rather than an aggressive force (just as female hippos came to be seen as aggressive largely in defense of their young). As a result, Taweret became a mother goddess and a patron of childbirth who was often described as the caregiver of the pharaoh. As time passed she soon became a household goddess, helping rich and poor alike. She was thought to help women in labor and to ward off evil spirits who intended harm to mother or baby. She was associated with so called "magic wand" or "magic knives" used to ward off evil. These magical tools were usually made of hippopotamus ivory, and included depictions of her. Sobek Appearance: Man with the head of a crocodile and a headdress of feathers and a sun-disk Sobek was a Nile River god. Sobek was the ancient god of crocodiles. Some Egyptians believed that Sobek was the creator of the world who arose from the "Dark Water" and created the order in the universe. Sobek was a god of the Nile who brought fertility to the land. As the "Lord of the Waters" he was thought to have risen from the sacred waters and made the Nile from his sweat. One creation myth stated that Sobek laid eggs on the bank of the sacred waters creating the world. However, as well as being a force for creation, he was seen as an unpredictable god who sometimes allied himself with the forces of Chaos. In some areas, a tame crocodile was worshiped as the earthly embodiment of Sobek himself, while in other places crocodiles were reviled, hunted and killed. It seems likely that Sobek began as a dark, evil god who had to been changed, but that his protective qualities and his strength were valued when they were used in defense of the Pharaoh and the people. He could protect the justified dead in the netherworld, restoring their sight and reviving their senses. Because of his ferocity, he was considered to be the patron of the army. . Appearance: Man with the head of a 'Seth animal' (unidentifiable) Seth was the god of chaos. Seth represented everything that threatened harmony in Egypt. He was a storm god associated with strange and frightening events such as eclipses, thunderstorms and earthquakes. He also represented the desert and the foreign lands beyond the desert. He was considered to be very strong but dangerous, and strange. However, he was not always considered to be an evil being. He was a friend to the dead, helping them to ascend to heaven on his ladder, and he protected the life giving oases of the desert, and was at times a powerful ally to the pharaoh and even the sun god Ra. Set was the black boar who was thought to have swallowed the moon each month, obscuring its light. He was also identified with the hippopotamus, crocodiles, scorpions, turtles, pigs and donkeys - all animals which were considered to be dangerous. According to one myth he lived in the Great Bear (the Big Dipper), a constellation in the northern sky - an area which symbolized darkness, and death. He was restrained with chains and guarded by his wife Taweret, the hippo goddess of childbirth. Even as an young god he was dangerous and unpredictable. Set was jealous of his brother Osiris. Set was the god of the desert. Set was viewed as immensely powerful, and was regarded consequently as the chief god. He was the brother of Osiris and Isis. He murdered his brother Osiris, then battled with his nephew Horus to be the ruler of the living. At certain times in the history of ancient Egypt, Seth was associated with royalty. Appearance: Woman wearing a panther skin dress and a star headdress Seshat was the goddess of writing and measurement. She was the wife of Thoth. She was the scribe of the pharaoh, recording all of his achievements and triumphs including recording both the money and the captives taken in battle. She was also thought to record the actions of all people on the leaves of the sacred persea tree. It is interesting to note that she is the only female character who was actually depicted in the act of writing. A number of other women were depicted holding the scribes palette and brush, indicating that they could write, but not actually engaged in writing. Usually, she is also shown holding a palm stem, carrying notches to denote the recording of the passage of time. She is frequently dressed in a leopard-skin, a symbol of funerary priests, because the pattern of the skin represents the stars, both a symbol of eternity, and associated with the moon. Seshat assisted the pharaoh in the stretching the cord ritual. This ritual is related to laying out the foundations of temples and other important structures in order to determine and assure measurement were correct. Her skills were necessary for surveying the land after the annual floods to reestablish boundary lines. The priestess who officiated at these functions in her name also oversaw the staff of others who performed similar duties and were trained in mathematics and the related store of knowledge. Sekhmet 'The Powerful One' Appearance: Woman with the head of a lioness Sekhmet was the goddess of war. Sekhmet is one of the oldest known Egyptian goddesses. Her name is derived from the Egyptian word "Sekhem" (which means "power" or "might") and is often translated as the "Powerful One". She is depicted as a lion-headed woman, sometimes with the addition of a sun disc on her head. Sekhemet was a sun goddess. She represented the scorching, burning, destructive heat of the sun. She was a fierce goddess of war, the destroyer of the enemies of Ra and Osiris. Her temper was uncontrollable. Sekhmet was the wife of the creator-god Ptah. Having once unleashed her powers for the destruction of mankind through a power drought, killing all the crops, the Egyptians feared a repeat performance by Sekhmet. The Egyptian people developed an elaborate ritual in hopes she could be pleased. This ritual revolved around more than 700 statues of the goddess (such as the one to the left). The ancient Egyptian priests were required to perform a ritual before a different one of these statues each morning and each afternoon of every single day of every single year. Ra 'Sun' Appearance: Man with hawk head and headdress with a sun disk Ra was the sun god. He was the most important god of the ancient Egyptians. The ancient Egyptians believed that Ra was swallowed every night by the sky goddess Nut, and was reborn every morning. Ra was the primary name of the sun god. He was often considered to be the King of the Gods and thus the patron of the pharaoh and one of the central gods of the Egyptian. Ra was often described as the father of the gods. He was sometimes thought to be married to Hesat and Hathor was his daughter. He was also described as the creator of everything. Ra was very powerful and a popular god. The Egyptians also built solar temples in honor of Ra. It was thought that Ra "died" or was swallowed by Nut (pronounced Nuit), the goddess of the Sky, every evening as the sun dipped below the horizon. He travelled through the world of the dead by night and was then reborn in the morning. Ra primarily is depicted as a man wearing a pharaoh's crown (a sign of his leadership of the gods) and the sun disk above his head. Often he had a falcon's head, as does Horus. For the Egyptians, the sun represented light, warmth, and growth. This made sun gods very important to Egyptians, and it is no coincidence that the sun came to be the ruler of all. In his myths, the sun was either seen as the body or eye of Ra Appearance: Man wrapped in a tight white cloak carrying a staff Ptah was the god of craftsmen. Ptah was the great protector of Egypt. According to myth, he saved the town of Pelusium from the Assyrian invaders. He ordered all of the vermin (rodents) in the fields to chew through the bowstrings and shield handles of the enemy, destroying their weapons and sending them home in a panic. Ptah was also the patron god of skilled craftsmen and architects. This may be due to the excellent sources of limestone near his temple in Memphis. Pharaohs worshiped Ptah because they wanted to have a safe place built for them when their life on the Earth was over. Ptah was depicted as a bearded mummified man with unbound arms holding a staff which allowed him to perform duties other would find as dangerous. Because of this power he was also considered the god of rebirth. He was the god of sculptors, painters, builders and carpenters, and other craftsmen and was thought to have invented masonry (brick laying). The Egyptians believed that Ptah was a god who created everything from artifacts to the world egg to the other gods themselves. The Opening of the Mouth ceremony was believed to have been created by Ptah. This ceremony allowed the spirit of the dead person to eat, breathe, see, hear and enjoy the offerings and provisions performed by the priests, thus to sustain the ka or spirit. Appearance: A male pharaoh with a white headdress with feathers on both sides. Osiris was the god of the dead and ruler of the underworld. In Egyptian mythology the underworld was referred to like a heaven. It was a place everyone wanted to go after their life on earth was over. It was not consider a bad place, but one where there would be no pain or suffering. As well as being a god of the dead, Osiris was a god of resurrection and fertility. In fact, the ancient Egyptians believed that Osiris gave them the gift of barley, one of their most important crops. A large temple was built to honor Osiris at Abydos. Osiris is one of the oldest gods for whom records have been found. He was widely worshiped for thousands of years. Osiris was usually depicted as a green-skinned (green was the color of rebirth) pharaoh wearing the Atef crown, a form of the white crown of upper Egypt with a plume of feathers to either side. Typically he was also depicted holding the crook and flail (which are in his hands) which signified high authority in Egyptian pharaohs. Throughout the height of Egyptian civilization, Osiris was the primary god. In power, he was second only his father, Ra, and was the leader of the gods on earth. He was the husband of Isis and the father of Horus (and a number of other gods in some stories). Osiris resided in the underworld as the lord of the dead, after being killed by Set. Even though he was a god, he could no longer dwell in the land of the living. In the underworld, Osiris sits on a great throne, where he is praised by the souls of the worthy. All those who pass the tests of the underworld become worthy to enter The Blessed Land, that part of the underworld that is like the land of the living, but without sorrow or pain. In some texts, in addition to the Judging of the Heart, Osiris passes final judgment over the dead. Pronounced: Newt or Nuit Appearance: Represented by a woman whose body arches across the sky, wearing a dress decorated with stars. Nut was the sky-goddess, whose body created a vault or canopy over the earth. Her name means Night. Nut was the wife of Ra, the god of the sun. She was also the mother of Isis, Osiris, Nepthys and Seth. Nut (was the personification of the sky and the heavens) She was pictured as a woman arched on her toes and fingertips over the earth—her body, a star-filled sky. Nut’s fingers and toes were believed to touch the four cardinal points or directions (North, South, East, and West). The ancient Egyptians believed that at the end of the day, Nut swallowed the sungod, Ra, and gave birth to him again the next morning. Nut was the goddess of the daytime sky, but in later times she was known simply as the sky goddess. Nut possessed many of the attributes of the Egyptian Gods including superhuman strength, longevity (ability to live long) and resistance to injury. As a SkyGoddess, she was thought to have the ability to manipulate and command certain sky phenomenon such as wind and rain. She was seen as a friend to the dead, as a mother-like protector to those who journeyed through the land of the dead. She was often painted on the inside lid of the sarcophagus, protecting the dead until he or she, like Ra, could be reborn in their new life. She is also represented like this: Appearance: Woman with headdress showing her name in hieroglyphs Nephthys was a protective goddess of the dead. She is often shown on coffins, or in funerary scenes. Nephthys was an ancient goddess of the dead. She was extremely important to ancient Egyptians. She was the counterpart or twin of Isis. Nephthys was usually depicted as a woman with the hieroglyphs of her name (a basket on top of the glyph) on her head. She could also be depicted as a mourning woman, and her hair was compared to the strips of cloth used in mummification. She also occasionally appears as a hawk, a kite, or a winged goddess in her role as a protector of the dead. She is also considered as the head of the household of the gods, and her protection is given to the head woman of any house. In fact her name is given as a title to such women (literally translated it means "head of the house"). Ammet was known as the “devourer” of the dead. She would eat any soles that were not worth of making it to the afterlife. Ammit was not worshipped, and she was never regarded as a goddess. Instead, she embodied all that the Egyptians feared, threatening to curse them to eternal darkness if they did not follow the principles of eternal life. Ammit was depicted with the head of a crocodile, the front part of her body as a lion, and her hind quarters in the form of a hippopotamus. This combination of animals was considered as the most dangerous to the ancient Egyptians. Although often referred to as a demon, technically, however, in destroying evil she acted as a force for good. Ammit was said to live near the scales of justice, in the underworld, where the hearts of the dead were weighed by Anubis against the feather. The hearts of those who failed the test were given to Ammit for her to devour (eat), and their souls were not permitted to enter the afterlife. These spirits would be restless forever. Not making it to the afterlife was consider the worst of all fates. If the heart was lighter then a feather then it was then judged by the god of the underworld, Osiris. Appearance: Man with the head of a curly-horned ram Khnum was a creator god, and a god of the inundation (Flooding of the Nile River). Khnum was a creator-god, molding people on a potter's wheel. Since potters used Nile mud, Khnum was also connected with the innundation. Khnum was originally a water god who was thought to rule over all water, including the rivers and lakes of the underworld. He was associated with the source of the Nile, and ensured that the inundation deposited enough precious black silt onto the river banks to make them fertile. The silt also formed the clay, the raw material required to make pottery. As a result he was closely associated with the art of pottery. According to one creation myth, Khnum molded everything on his potters wheel, including both the people and the other gods. He was one of the gods who was thought to have helped Ra on his perilous nocturnal journey through the underworld. It is also thought that he created the boat which carried Ra and helped defend the sun god against the serpent Apep. He was usually depicted as a Ram-headed man at a potter's wheel, with recently created children standing on the wheel. In earlier stories, he also appeared in his earlier guise as a water-god, holding a jar from which flowed a stream of water. Know as the Queen of the Gods Appearance: A beautiful woman in magnificent clothing with headdress in the shape of a throne. Sometimes the headdress contains the sun disc between two horns. Isis was a protective goddess. She used powerful magic spells to help people in need. Isis was the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. Since each pharaoh was considered the 'living Horus', Isis was very important. Unlike the other Egyptian goddesses, the goddess Isis spent time among her people, teaching women how to grind corn and make bread, spin flax and weave cloth. Isis became the most powerful of the gods and goddesses in the ancient world. Ra, the God of the Sun, originally had the greatest power. But Ra was uncaring, and the people of the world suffered greatly during his reign. The goddess Isis tricked him by mixing some of his saliva with mud to create a poisonous snake that bit him, causing him great suffering which she then offered to cure. He eventually agreed, however, he had to tell her the secret powers of life and death. She quickly became the most powerful of the Egyptian gods and goddesses, using her great powers to the benefit of the people. Many of the common people came to Isis to get advice and seek answers. Isis was a caring woman and willing to help all the people. Isis enjoyed the royal life by attending the parties and socializing with the pharaohs. Horus was usually depicted as a falcon, or a falcon-headed man. He often wore the Double Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. Horus was an ancient and important god and the Eye of Horus became an important Egyptian symbol of power. Horus had a man's body and a falcon's head. Horus fought with Set for the throne of Egypt. In this battle one of his eyes was injured and later it was healed by Isis. This healing of the eye became a symbol of renewal. Horus united Egypt (Upper and Lower) and bestowed divinity upon the pharaohs. Horus was among the most important gods of Egypt, particularly because the Pharaoh was supposed to be his earthly body. Kings would eventually take the name of Horus as one of their own. Horus was thought the be the god of the sun and god of the moon. He was extremely powerful and well liked among the humans. Horus was mentioned many times in the Book of the Dead. He was to have led people to the Weighing of Heart Ceremony. He often wears a costume that includes the hats of upper and lower Egypt signifying the unification of the two Egypts. The Eye of Horus was used in many tombs to represent rebirth Lady of heaven She was known as "the Great One of Many Names" and her titles and attributes are so numerous that she was important in every area of the life and death of the ancient Egyptians. She was married to Horus and had a son Ihy. The horned cow-goddess of love, Hathor was also the god of happiness, dance and music, and a protector of women. She is depicted as a cow, as a woman with the head of a cow, or as a woman with who wears the stylized cow-horns which hold in them the solar disk. Hathor was the goddess of joy, motherhood, and love. She was the god for all women, no matter their station in life. As the goddess of music and dancing her symbol was a drum. Hathor was also associated with the inundation (flooding) of the Nile. Hathor was also represented in the form of a cow. Cows were considered sacred animals because they provided many of the necessities to the people. Cows produced milk and meat for the Egyptians. They also provided skin for clothing and other means. If Hathor was not resented by a cow, then she was seen as having horns on her head with the sun disks resting between them. Hathor was a caring and hard working woman. Many of the worshipers were artists, musicians, and dancers who turned their talents into creating rituals that were nothing short of works of art. Music and dance were part of the worship of Hathor like no other goddess in Egypt. Hathor herself loved to dance, and stories were told of she danced before Ra to cheer him up. His father was Shu (the god of air) and his mother was Tefnut Geb was the god of the earth. Even so, Geb guided the dead to heaven and he gave them meat and drink. Geb is usually represented in the form of a man who wears either the white crown to which is added the Atef crown, or a goose. The Goose was his sacred animal and symbol. As the God of earth, the earth formed his body and was called the "house of Geb. He was also often portrayed laying on his side on the earth, and was sometimes even painted green, with plants springing from his body. Earthquakes were believed to be the laughter of Geb. Geb plays a very important part in the Book of the Dead. Therefore he is one of the gods who watches the weighing of the heart of the deceased in the Judgement Hall of Osiris. If the heart of the dead person was heavier then the feather, there life was considered wicked and they would not be allowed to enter the Valley of the Dead. Geb helped to make this decision. The righteous who were provided with the necessary words of power were able to make their escape from the earth but the wicked were held fast by Geb, their spirit trapped on the earth to suffer. Bes was a funny looking god whose job was to protect children. It was believed that he was present at the birth of the child, where he would dance around the room and shake a rattle to scare away any demons that threatened the new baby. When a baby laughed for no apparent reason, it was thought that Bes was there, making funny faces that only the child could see. Statues of Bes were commonly kept in homes with children and pregnant women. They figured that he was so ugly that even a statue would scare away any evil spirits! Bes also had a reputation as a prankster. Mischievous Bes was blamed when food went bad or when a person stumbled. A fat bearded dwarf, ugly to the point of being comical. He is often shown sticking out his tongue and holding a rattle. When carved or painted on a wall, he is never shown in profile, but always fullface, almost unique in Egyptian art. When a baby laughed or smiled for no apparent reason, it was believed that Bes was somewhere in the room making funny faces. Bes' role as demon-queller also extended to driving off mischievous beings that were believed to cause minor misfortune, like tripping people and souring food. Bes was so ugly that even a statue of him would frighten away wicked creatures. Thus, many houses would keep a statue of Bes near the door to guard it. As the daughter of Ra the sun god, Bastet is affiliated with the warmth and power of the sun. She was a protector of women and the home. Bastet also was the patron god of cats, and to hurt one of these sacred animals was a huge no-no! Cats were treated with the same care and respect that many pet lovers do today... sometimes even more so: they wore jewelry and were allowed to eat from the same plate as their owners! Even stray cats were fed milk-soaked bread and fish. Their love for cats was so deep that the Egyptians would save the cats from a burning building before even attempting to put the fire out. And when a pet cat died, ancient Egyptians would shave off their eyebrows as a gesture of grief. Bastet was considered a very important goddess because she held the traits of a sacred cat. As described upon, cats were also extremely important to the crops of ancient Egypt. This goddess was to look over the crops of Egypt to protect them from rodents that would destroy the crops such as mice, rats, and snakes. Many important people considered their cats prized possessions. They took them with them to the afterlife and had them mummified and buried with them in the tombs. If a person did not own a cat then a statue of Bastet was placed in the tomb or coffin. Atum (also known as Tem or Temu) was the first and most important god to be worshiped in Lower Egypt. In the creation myths, Atum is the major creator. He created himself (or arose out of the land) and created the first gods, Shu and Tefnut, from his spit. Shu became the god of the sky and air and Tefnut was the god of the water. Atum was revered not only as the father of the gods but also as the father of the pharaohs. The title "Son of Atum" was included in the many titles of the pharaohs. Atum is one of the most important and frequently mentioned gods from earliest times, as seen in hieroglyphic writings. He is portrayed as both creator god and father to the king. He is usually depicted as a man wearing either the royal head-cloth or the dual white and red crown of Upper Egypt, and Lower Egypt, reinforcing his connection with kingship. In his depiction, he carries a staff for protection and the Ankh, a jewel that is in the shape of a cross which symbolized the Rebirth of life. Hapy was the Egyptian god of inundation. He was known as the father of the Nile River. Hapy was especially important to the ancient Egyptians because he brought the flood every year. This flood deposited rich silt on the banks of the Nile, allowing the Egyptians to grow crops. Hapy is portrayed as a man with a pot of water plants on his head. This symbolize the need for the Nile and the production of food for the Egyptian people. Just as Egypt was divided into two parts (the north and the south) so was Hapi's domain, the Nile. As a god of the northern Nile, Hapi was depicted wearing papyrus plants, a symbol of Lower Egypt, on his head. In this form, he was called "Hap-Meht". The Nile-god of Upper Egypt was "Hap-Reset" and wore lotus plants (a symbol of the south) on his head. Osiris was originally a water or river god and eventually Hapi was identified with him. However Hapi was recognized as one of the greatest Egyptian gods and he was declared not only the maker of the universe, but the creator of everything from which it and all things sprang. Hapi was also associated with Nun, as the Nile's source of water. Hapi had a certain mysteriousness about him. The Egyptians believed that the Nile rose out of the ground between two mountains. Hapi was in charge of the waters that flowed during the floods. The flood was commonly known as the "arrival of Hapi". The Egyptians would toss sacrifices, amulets and other offerings into the Nile at special places to appease Hapi and to ensure that he would provide an adequate inundation to water their fields. Khepri was a god of creation, the movement of the sun, and rebirth. He is portrayed as a man with the head of a beetle. In some Egyptian drawings, he had the wings of a falcon to help him raise the sun each morning. As for beetles, they were considered magical creatures to the Egyptians. The ancient Egyptians believed that the beetles just appeared from nowhere- as they believed that their creator god had appeared from nowhere. Thus, they thought that the scarab beetle was special. Khepri is a form of the sun-god Re. Khepri was specifically the god of the rising sun. He was selfproduced and usually depicted as a human with a beetle on his head, or sometimes with the beetle as his head. His name comes from the Egyptian word, kheprer or "to become". It was Khepri job to ensure that each day started at the exact same time. He was in charge of making sure that Re or Ra, the sun god, was born each morning and traveled across the sky throughout the day. The ancient Egyptians believed that Khepri, rolled the sun like a huge ball through the sky, then rolled it through the underworld to the eastern horizon. Each morning Khepri would renew the sun so that it could give life to all the world. According to an ancient Egyptian creation myth, Nun was the waters of chaos .Nun was the only thing that existed on Earth before there was land. Then, the first land (in the form of a mound) rose out of Nun. Nun is portrayed as man carrying a bark. A bark is a canoe like boat that was meant for only one person. Nun is also portrayed as a bearded man with a blue or green body, symbolizing water and soil fertility. He is the oldest of the ancient Egyptian gods and father of Re, the sun god. Nun was more than an ocean, he was a limitless expanse of motionless water. Even after the world was created, Nun continued to exist and it was believed that he would one day return to destroy the evils on the Earth and begin the cycle again. In ancient Egypt there were no temples devoted specifically to Nun, but he was represented by the a lake that was at the foot of each god’s temple. These lakes were frequently referred to in religious prayers or ceremonies. It was believed that Nun existed in every particle of water and formed the source of the river Nile and the yearly innundation.