Egyptian Culture
Gods and Goddesses, Religious Practices, Mummification & The Afterlife and Burial
Important Egyptian Gods
Other Gods
- Amun-one of the most powerful gods in ancient egypt, a man with a ram-head.
- Anubis-the god of embalming and the dead, man with a jackal head.
- Aten-form of the sun god Ra, a sun disk with rays which end in hands
- Atum-creator of god, man with double crown
- Bastet-protective goddess, woman with the head of a cat
- Bes-the protector of pregnant women, newborn babies and the family, dwarf with lion and human features
- Geb-god of earth, man with a goose on his head
- Hapy-god of the inundation, man with a pot belly, shown with water plants
- Hathor-protective goddess, goddess of love and joy, woman with the ears of a cow
- Isis-protective goddess, used powerful magic spells to help people in need, woman with headdress in the shape of a throne.
- Ma’at-goddess of truth, justice, and harmony, a woman with a feather on her head
- Nephthys-protector goddess of the dead
- Ptah-god of craftsmen
- Sekhmet-goddess of war
- Seshat-goddess of writing and measurement
- Seth-god of chaos
- Shu- god of air
Religious Practice
- Religion was part of everyday Egyptian life. Many temples were built to honor important people and things in their religion. People of ancient Egypt are very superstitious and Egyptian Magic was a big part in religious rituals. Their religion includes cultish traditions, sacrifices, offerings, spells, curses, and a strange description of religious figures.
- The biggest belief is the that mummies a tombs were built in the afterlife. Now, the belief in honoring the dead has turned into luxurious coffins, grave stones, and fresh flowers. The Pharaoh was thought to have direct access to the Gods.
Mummification
- Mummification was a way for the Egyptians to preserve the bodies of their ancestors. They would dry out the body in order to make it last much longer.
- In the earlier stages of developing this process, the bodies would be dried in the sun, perhaps with a salt solution, and then wrapped in linen cloth. The internal organs of the deceased began to get removed around the 4th dynasty.
- Mummification was extremely expensive, therefore only the very wealthy could afford it. This process reached its peak in the New Kingdom.
Afterlife and Burial
- In Ancient Egypt, the dead were buried in the ground, often in a fetal position. They would be buried along with some goods such as simple pots. Since the desert sand was so dry, the bodies were often very well preserved.
- Sometimes, wealthy people or kings wanted a better burial. Egyptians built mud brick tombs known as mastabas, which were very expensive. Now that the body was not buried in the dry sand, the moist inside of the tomb would cause the bodies to rot. When a family returned to the tomb to remember their loved ones they would find a rotted body.
- For the families of the royal and wealthy Egyptians, the simple mastabas began to get replaced by pyramids and rock cut tombs. Their families put everything they felt would be useful in the afterlife into their loved one’s tomb or pyramid. Most pyramids would be robbed eventually, very few tombs have survived. Those excavated provide many hints about the ancient Egyptians lives and beliefs.