Check out some fascinating Egyptian Internet Sites - click our Great Links section. The fascination with the history and mystery of ancient Egypt is as eternal as their belief in life after life. The philosophy or religion of early Egyptians was based on a collection of myths, nature worship and gods. From this evolved a belief in a divine order to life, known as Ma'at, and in an afterlife. The successful transition of the deceased was insured by the quality of his life's deeds by which he was judged, before being accepted into the afterworld. Preparations for death and funerary rites to insure safe passage were an elaborate ritual. Much of the representations of Egyptian artworks seen today are taken from the paintings adorning the ancient Egyptian temples and tombs. Because of their reverence for nature, many of the gods were represented with human bodies and the heads of animals. Usually the characteristics of the animal expressed the unique characteristics of the god. The account of creation weaves together the myth of some of the most famous gods. In the beginning, there was only the ocean. Then Ra, the sun god, was born from the Lotus Flower that appeared on the surface of the water. Ra brought forth four children, the gods Shu and Geb, and the goddesses Tefnut and Nut. Shu and Tefnut became the atmosphere. They stood on Geb, who became the earth, and raised up Nut, who became the sky. Ra, like the sun, ruled over all. Geb and Nut later had two sons, Seth and Osiris, and two daughters, Isis and Nephthys. Osiris succeeded Ra as the king of the earth aided by Isis, his sister-wife. Seth was jealous of his brother Osiris and killed him, scattering parts of his body into the ocean. The grief stricken Isis searched for her husband, and with her powerful magic, resurrected him. He lived only long enough to create their son Horus, the falcon god. Osiris passed into the afterlife and ruled over the land of the dead. Horus inherited his kingship and, after many battles to maintain his rule, finally defeated Seth in a great battle and became known as king of the gods. |
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