Rhinemaiden
To comment on what I said earlier about square peg/round hole... trying to fit Ancient Egyptian gods/goddesses into a traditional tarot structure, here's a brief list that I compiled of Egyptian gods/goddesses... which tarot card would YOU designate for each Ancient Egyptian god/goddess??
Guide to the Gods
of Ancient Egypt
a *brief* overview of the Gods and Goddesses
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This intended to be just what it is: a quick reference...primarily for non-Nileophiles who want to know "who was who" in Ancient Egypt. It is not scholarly or complete. So don't throw your bricks at me, save 'em to build your own pyramid. And no, there won't be a quiz.
Taking it from the top (relationship, not alphabetical order) we begin with the Creation of the World according to the Doctrine of Heliopolis:
1. NUN- father of the gods. (Sacred animal/object: bowl) God of the primeval waters. Created the first god ATUM, who then created the world and all that inhabited it.
2. ATUM - creator and lord of the world . (Sacred animal/object: double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt; snake) In the bud of the lotus flower (later the symbol of Upper Egypt, the papyrus was the symbol of Lower Egypt), ATUM rose from the chaos of NUN and created the gods.
3. SHU - the air god. (Sacred animal/object: feather; lion) Self-generated son of ATUM, SHU is the god of the four winds; brother-husband of TEFNUT, father of NUT.
4. TEFNUT - the dew goddess. (Sacred animal/object: lion) Self- generated daughter of ATUM, TEFNUT was the sister/wife of SHU and mother of GEB (earth) and NUT (sky).
5. GEB - god of the earth. (Sacred animal/object: goose) Son of SHU and TEFNUT, brother/husband of NUT; father of OSIRIS, ISIS, SET and NEPHTHYS. GEB ruled the world, establishing order and prosperity.
6. NUT - the sky goddess. (Sacred animal/object: bowl) Daughter of SHU and TEFNUT, sister/wife of GEB; mother of OSIRIS, ISIS, SET and NEPHTHYS. NUT is depicted as an arched female form, spanning the sky (supported by SHU to keep her from falling on GEB) balancing herself on her toes and fingertips. The legend says that NUT swallows the sun at dusk, it travels through her body at night and she gives birth to the sun at dawn.
7. OSIRIS - god of the dead. (Sacred animal/object: djed column) OSIRIS is a son of GEB and NUT, brother/husband of ISIS, brother of SET and NEPHTHYS. Originally a fertility god (a corn deity), he later became the god of the dead and is depicted in mummy wrappings with a green complexion, holding the royal crook and flail and wearing the atef (double feather) crown.
8. ISIS - goddess of fidelity, marriage (Sacred animal/object: step-like throne, also horns (see HATHOR) ISIS is a daughter of GEB and NUT, sister/wife of OSIRIS, sister of SET and NEPHTHYS. Legend tells us that after the death of OSIRIS at the hand of his brother SET, the body of OSIRIS was cut into 14 pieces and scattered throughout Egypt. ISIS transformed herself into a bird, and travelled the length of Egypt looking for the pieces of her brother/husband. Everywhere she found a piece, a temple was built. She found all the pieces except for the male organ. She fashioned an organ of stone, impregnated herself and gave birth to HORUS. Her main temple is located at Philae, near Aswan in Upper Egypt.
9. SET (also SETH) - god of wind and storms. (Sacred animal/object: head of an animal with trunk-like snout similar to an armadillo) SET is a son of GEB and NUT, brother/husband of NEPHTHYS, brother of ISIS and OSIRIS. One legend says that SET is the slayer of OSIRIS, another story tells us he is the brother and adversary of HORUS. SET is not evil, but to be considered akin to the Asian concept of yin and yang.
10. NEPHTHYS - goddess of the dead. (Sacred animal/object: hieroglyph resembling a pedestal with a bowl on top) NEPHTHYS is a daughter of GEB and NUT, sister/wife of SET, sister of ISIS and OSIRIS. Legend says that NEPHTHYS deceived OSIRIS into forming a union with her, the result of which was ANUBIS (the jackal, god of embalming). Like ISIS, NEPHTHYS is often depicted with winged arms. On a coffin NEPHTHYS guards the head with her outstretched wings, while ISIS protects the foot.
11. HORUS - the sun god. (Sacred animal/object: falcon or hawk) Son of ISIS, the reigning pharaoh was believed to be the incarnation of HORUS. HORUS is often depicted as a hawk (or falcon) wearing the double crown; at the Temple of Horus at Edfu he is also depicted as a winged solar disk. HORUS is the father of the gods of the four cardinal points: Duamutef (east, stomach, jackal, protected by Neith); Hapi (south, lungs, ape, protected by NEPHTHYS); Imsety (north, liver, man, protected by ISIS) and Qebhsenuef (west, intestines, falcon, protected by SELKET). The representational heads of these sons of HORUS were depicted on the lids of the four canopic jars used to house the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines of the deceased.
12. ANUBIS - god of embalming. (Sacred animal/object: jackal) Son of NEPHTHYS, ANUBIS is also shown in scenes depicting the weighing of the heart against MA'AT'S (goddess of truth) feather. Also in those scenes are THOTH (god of the scribes) recording the results of the weighing; and SOBEK (the crocodile god). If the heart is heavier than the feather, the heart will be eaten by SOBEK.
In addition we also have...
...ATEN - the sun god worshiped monotheistically by Akhenaten and Neferteri at Amarna.
Sacred animal/object: solar disk with rays ending in hands
...BASTET (also BAST) - goddess of joy and love
Sacred animal/object: cat
...BES - god of childbirth
Sacred animal/object: dwarf
...HATHOR - goddess of joy, dancing, love
Sacred animal/object: cow, often shown with either cow's ears or a cow's head, or just horns, she is often confused with ISIS.
...MA'AT - goddess of truth and justice
Sacred animal/object: feather of truth
...PTAH - a national god, patron of craftsmen
Sacred animal/object: apis bull (PTAH is often depicted in mummy form, with blue skull cap)
...RE - sun god
Sacred animal/object: solar disk
...SEKHMET - goddess of war
Sacred animal/object: lion
...SELKET - goddess of the west, protector of the dead
Sacred animal/object: scorpion
...SESHAT - goddess of writing (sister or daughter of THOTH)
Sacred animal/object: palm leaf, seven pointed star
...SOBEK - crocodile god
Sacred animal/object: crocodile (worshiped at the Temple of Kom Ombo, where mummified crocodiles have been found and are on display)
...THOTH - god of the scribes (brother or father of SESHAT)
Sacred animal/object: ibis, baboon
--------------------------------
there are more... the above is not intended to be an all-inclusive list...
Guide to the Gods
of Ancient Egypt
a *brief* overview of the Gods and Goddesses
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This intended to be just what it is: a quick reference...primarily for non-Nileophiles who want to know "who was who" in Ancient Egypt. It is not scholarly or complete. So don't throw your bricks at me, save 'em to build your own pyramid. And no, there won't be a quiz.
Taking it from the top (relationship, not alphabetical order) we begin with the Creation of the World according to the Doctrine of Heliopolis:
1. NUN- father of the gods. (Sacred animal/object: bowl) God of the primeval waters. Created the first god ATUM, who then created the world and all that inhabited it.
2. ATUM - creator and lord of the world . (Sacred animal/object: double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt; snake) In the bud of the lotus flower (later the symbol of Upper Egypt, the papyrus was the symbol of Lower Egypt), ATUM rose from the chaos of NUN and created the gods.
3. SHU - the air god. (Sacred animal/object: feather; lion) Self-generated son of ATUM, SHU is the god of the four winds; brother-husband of TEFNUT, father of NUT.
4. TEFNUT - the dew goddess. (Sacred animal/object: lion) Self- generated daughter of ATUM, TEFNUT was the sister/wife of SHU and mother of GEB (earth) and NUT (sky).
5. GEB - god of the earth. (Sacred animal/object: goose) Son of SHU and TEFNUT, brother/husband of NUT; father of OSIRIS, ISIS, SET and NEPHTHYS. GEB ruled the world, establishing order and prosperity.
6. NUT - the sky goddess. (Sacred animal/object: bowl) Daughter of SHU and TEFNUT, sister/wife of GEB; mother of OSIRIS, ISIS, SET and NEPHTHYS. NUT is depicted as an arched female form, spanning the sky (supported by SHU to keep her from falling on GEB) balancing herself on her toes and fingertips. The legend says that NUT swallows the sun at dusk, it travels through her body at night and she gives birth to the sun at dawn.
7. OSIRIS - god of the dead. (Sacred animal/object: djed column) OSIRIS is a son of GEB and NUT, brother/husband of ISIS, brother of SET and NEPHTHYS. Originally a fertility god (a corn deity), he later became the god of the dead and is depicted in mummy wrappings with a green complexion, holding the royal crook and flail and wearing the atef (double feather) crown.
8. ISIS - goddess of fidelity, marriage (Sacred animal/object: step-like throne, also horns (see HATHOR) ISIS is a daughter of GEB and NUT, sister/wife of OSIRIS, sister of SET and NEPHTHYS. Legend tells us that after the death of OSIRIS at the hand of his brother SET, the body of OSIRIS was cut into 14 pieces and scattered throughout Egypt. ISIS transformed herself into a bird, and travelled the length of Egypt looking for the pieces of her brother/husband. Everywhere she found a piece, a temple was built. She found all the pieces except for the male organ. She fashioned an organ of stone, impregnated herself and gave birth to HORUS. Her main temple is located at Philae, near Aswan in Upper Egypt.
9. SET (also SETH) - god of wind and storms. (Sacred animal/object: head of an animal with trunk-like snout similar to an armadillo) SET is a son of GEB and NUT, brother/husband of NEPHTHYS, brother of ISIS and OSIRIS. One legend says that SET is the slayer of OSIRIS, another story tells us he is the brother and adversary of HORUS. SET is not evil, but to be considered akin to the Asian concept of yin and yang.
10. NEPHTHYS - goddess of the dead. (Sacred animal/object: hieroglyph resembling a pedestal with a bowl on top) NEPHTHYS is a daughter of GEB and NUT, sister/wife of SET, sister of ISIS and OSIRIS. Legend says that NEPHTHYS deceived OSIRIS into forming a union with her, the result of which was ANUBIS (the jackal, god of embalming). Like ISIS, NEPHTHYS is often depicted with winged arms. On a coffin NEPHTHYS guards the head with her outstretched wings, while ISIS protects the foot.
11. HORUS - the sun god. (Sacred animal/object: falcon or hawk) Son of ISIS, the reigning pharaoh was believed to be the incarnation of HORUS. HORUS is often depicted as a hawk (or falcon) wearing the double crown; at the Temple of Horus at Edfu he is also depicted as a winged solar disk. HORUS is the father of the gods of the four cardinal points: Duamutef (east, stomach, jackal, protected by Neith); Hapi (south, lungs, ape, protected by NEPHTHYS); Imsety (north, liver, man, protected by ISIS) and Qebhsenuef (west, intestines, falcon, protected by SELKET). The representational heads of these sons of HORUS were depicted on the lids of the four canopic jars used to house the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines of the deceased.
12. ANUBIS - god of embalming. (Sacred animal/object: jackal) Son of NEPHTHYS, ANUBIS is also shown in scenes depicting the weighing of the heart against MA'AT'S (goddess of truth) feather. Also in those scenes are THOTH (god of the scribes) recording the results of the weighing; and SOBEK (the crocodile god). If the heart is heavier than the feather, the heart will be eaten by SOBEK.
In addition we also have...
...ATEN - the sun god worshiped monotheistically by Akhenaten and Neferteri at Amarna.
Sacred animal/object: solar disk with rays ending in hands
...BASTET (also BAST) - goddess of joy and love
Sacred animal/object: cat
...BES - god of childbirth
Sacred animal/object: dwarf
...HATHOR - goddess of joy, dancing, love
Sacred animal/object: cow, often shown with either cow's ears or a cow's head, or just horns, she is often confused with ISIS.
...MA'AT - goddess of truth and justice
Sacred animal/object: feather of truth
...PTAH - a national god, patron of craftsmen
Sacred animal/object: apis bull (PTAH is often depicted in mummy form, with blue skull cap)
...RE - sun god
Sacred animal/object: solar disk
...SEKHMET - goddess of war
Sacred animal/object: lion
...SELKET - goddess of the west, protector of the dead
Sacred animal/object: scorpion
...SESHAT - goddess of writing (sister or daughter of THOTH)
Sacred animal/object: palm leaf, seven pointed star
...SOBEK - crocodile god
Sacred animal/object: crocodile (worshiped at the Temple of Kom Ombo, where mummified crocodiles have been found and are on display)
...THOTH - god of the scribes (brother or father of SESHAT)
Sacred animal/object: ibis, baboon
--------------------------------
there are more... the above is not intended to be an all-inclusive list...
