Discover the powerful deities worshipped by the Ancient Egyptians — gods with human bodies and animal heads who controlled every aspect of life!
The Ancient Egyptians were polytheists, which means that they worshipped many gods and goddesses. There were dozens of gods and goddesses of varying importance.
Often, they were viewed as being half-animal, half-human, with many depicted on tomb paintings and temple walls as having human bodies, but the head of an animal such as a crocodile, a falcon or an eagle.
The gods and goddesses were typically believed to be in charge of varying aspects of everyday life, and myths were created about how they had come to be in charge of these things.
For example, one very significant god was Osiris, who was believed to be the god of the River Nile. Consequently, he was in charge of the flooding of the Nile every year, which watered the land to allow crops to be grown.
Osiris was widely worshipped, because if he did not produce a good flood, the harvest would fail and many people would starve. Consequently, great offerings were made to him in his temples before the annual flood.
The esteem in which these gods and goddesses were held changed over time. For instance, early on, the most important god in Egypt was Ra, the God of the Sun, who was said to travel across the sky every day in a boat.
Later, others such as Anubis, a god of the dead, became revered.
The gods and goddesses were at the heart of everything in Ancient Egypt. They were believed to control the forces of nature, protect the people, and guide the dead to the afterlife. From the flooding of the Nile that grew their food, to the sun that warmed their days, the Egyptians believed divine powers were behind every aspect of their world.
History Subscription Box for Kids
Turn history into an adventure! Stories, magazines, puzzles, crafts and hands-on fun — delivered straight to your door every month.
As Seen In
