The Egyptian gods were the fundamental figures for beliefs and rituals in the society of ancient Egypt . These beliefs formed a whole complex system of interaction between the gods and the civil people, who were convinced of the control and supernatural powers that these divinities had, capable of altering people’s destinies.

In this way, the attributes, offerings, prayers and other rituals dedicated to the Egyptian gods, were exclusively directed to gain their sympathy and to be able to count on their favors.

On the other hand, a well known figure from Ancient Egypt is the pharaoh who, in addition to ruling, served as a link between the divinity and the people . The citizens expressed all sorts of reverences to him in order to keep their gods “happy” and maintain a permanent state of order and peace.

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The most important Egyptian gods

Below you can find a list of the most significant Egyptian gods, with a brief description of each one and explanations about the influence they had throughout history.

1. Geb

He was the father god of Seth, Nephythys and Osiris, and used to be depicted as a man with a goose on his head. He was not attributed any kind of cult of his own because he was an earthly god. He was a symbol of fertility, and the earthquakes in Egypt were related to the god Geb with his laughter.

2. Ammit

The body of this female god was composed of three different animals: lion, crocodile and hippopotamus . Unlike the rest of the gods, Ammit was considered a demon, and was feared for all that he represented (death).

3. Shu

Father of Nut and Geb, and husband of Tefnut. Together with his wife, were the first Egyptian gods created by Atum . He was the god of air and sunlight; Shu’s main task was to support the body of the goddess Nun and thus separate heaven from earth.

4. Nut

Mother Goddess of Nephythys, Seth, Isis and Osiris. By the composition of her fine, thin and elongated body, symbolized the sky . According to ancient Egypt, Nut swallowed the sun every evening and gave it light when the morning broke. Its graphic representation is in many temples, as well as in the coffins of the dead.

5. Amun

This god was also known as Ammon, and was the main deity of the city of Thebes . He was the patron of the pharaohs of the same city, and was placed on the highest level of the pantheon along with the god Ra. The merger between Amun and Ra gave birth to the god Amun-Ra, and he was named “the king of the gods”.

6. Anubis

This god was represented as a man with a jackal’s head . Son of Seth and Nephythys, he was the protector of the dead. Anubis was in charge of bringing the dead to the day of their final judgment. He was also associated with the process of mummification and preservation of the bodies.

7. Amheh

He was a god of the underworld, whose name had the meaning of “devourer of eternity” . He was represented as a man with a dog’s head who lived in a lake of fire.

8. Anat

This female goddess was highly regarded in ancient Egyptian culture. Many temples were dedicated to her , as she represented the goddess of war. The god Ramses himself named his daughter Bint Anat (Anat’s daughter in Arabic).

9. Bes

Contrary to the other gods, Bes was drawn with the eyes in front, and not in profile . He was a stubby, short-legged being with his tongue out, and was considered the god of childbirth. It is believed that Bes chased away demons at night and protected people from dangerous animals.

10. Hapi

He was the god who represented the flow of the Nile River. He was a man with large breasts and a belly and a head ornament made of water plants. It is believed that he lived in the caves of the river and his cult was forged around the city of Aswan .

11. Horus

Main enemy of the god Seth, this god was the son of Isis and Osiris . His representation has always been diffuse: some Egyptologists claim that he was a man with the head of a hawk, others like a whole hawk, and some claim that Horus was a child with curls sitting on his mother’s lap.

After killing the god Seth, he became the king of Egypt, was the god of heaven and was considered the protector of kings.

12. Imhotep

He was one of the few commoners to be granted divine status . He was an expert Egyptian mathematician and served as chancellor during the time of the Third Dynasty. He himself had his own tomb built in what would be his last home (it has been hidden ever since and its whereabouts are still unknown).

13. Isis

A fundamental figure in the mythology of ancient Egypt, Isis was the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. She was related to the funeral rituals and is said to have created the first mummy with the dismembered remains of Osiris .

When he resurrected Osiris, he gave life to Horus, so he was also considered the goddess of life, healing and protector of kings. For the ancient culture, Isis represented the ideal wife, loving, devoted and affectionate.

14. Nephythys

Daughter of Geb and Nut, sister of Isis, wife of Seth and mother of Anubis, this goddess was known as the “lady of the palaces”. Like the goddess Isis, Nephythys is considered the Egyptian goddess protector of the dead .

15. Osiris

One of the most important gods, he was the first king of Egypt. It was assumed that he was the one who brought civilisation to the human race. Resurrected by his wife Isis, he thus became the god of the underworld and the chief judge of death .

16. Ra

He was the supreme god of the sun, represented as a man with the head of a hawk . Every night he traveled to the underworld to fight evil and chaos, and at dawn he was reborn . The Egyptian kings claimed to be direct descendants of Ra, so they called themselves “Sons of Ra”.

17. Seth

He was the son of Geb and Nut, brother of Osiris. He was considered the god of darkness, confusion and chaos. He was depicted as a man with an elongated head and long ears, possibly the skull of an aardvark. Seth killed his brother and stole his throne from Egypt, and most of the gods hated him. Horus managed to finish off Seth, in what was considered the battle between good and evil.

18. Tefnut

Goddess of moisture and corrosion, she was the wife of Shu and mother of Nut and Geb. Together with her husband, they were the first gods created by Atum. She has been depicted in two ways: woman with a lion’s head or as a lioness .

19. Ptah

He was regarded as the creator of the world through his thoughts and prayers, and therefore he was considered the creator god. Ptah was related to the artisans and had a temple in his honor.

20. Nefertum

According to Egyptian mythology, it was first a lotus flower that existed during the creation of the world and emerged from the source of life. He was considered the son of the creator god, Ptah, and the goddess Sekhmet . It was typically represented as a young man, beautiful and strong.

21. Mehen

Egyptian God represented by a great serpent , was also considered another protective deity. He made incursions with the god Ra during his nocturnal descent into darkness (let us remember that Ra was the protector of good).

22. Khonsu

His name means “traveller” , perhaps related to the journey he made to the moon each night. This god played a major role in the creation of life and creatures. He was thus considered the god of the moon.

23. Khnum

He is one of the oldest Egyptian gods in mythology, and is depicted as a ram-headed man. Originally considered the source of the Nile River , he was also considered the creator of children by making them from clay to introduce them into their mothers’ wombs.

24. Ishtar

She was the goddess of love, fertility, sex, war and power. She was Anu’s daughter. It is believed that she was the divine personification of the planet Venus.

25. Khepri

This Egyptian god is the favorite of science fiction novels and movies. He was related to the blue beetle . Khepri symbolizes creation and rebirth. He was drawn as a man with the head of a beetle.