For questions on the myths, legends, and religious beliefs of the people of Ancient Egypt.
Questions tagged [egyptian]
82 questions
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Are there any depictions of Horus being crucified and resurrected
In my internet adventures I've stumbled upon the idea that the story of Jesus was heavily inspired by the ancient Egyptian god Horus. See, for example, some positing it here—by its major modern proponent Acharya S—and here, a short clip by Bill…
6D65
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What were the five parts of the Egyptian soul?
This is an offshoot of a question asked about the Ba and Ka.
What were the other 3 parts of the Egyptian soul and what did they represent?
user28
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Do Egyptian myths provide explanations for the shape of the pyramid?
Pyramids are iconic structures from Ancient Egypt. But why did the ancient Egyptians shape their pyramids in a, well, pyramidal shape? These are not exactly intuitively shaped tombs. Some research suggests that the pyramids might have been shaped in…
Semaphore
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Star islands in Egyptian cosmology
Among the phenomena they describe is the Milky Way, which the Egyptians called "the beaten path of stars". Like other parts of the sky, it could be navigated by boat, and was apparently viewed as a series of islands in the midst of celestial…
inzenity
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How does merging of two gods actually work?
The only two examples I can remember at the moment are:
Ra merging with Horus
In later Egyptian dynastic times, Ra was merged with the god Horus, as Ra-Horakhty ("Ra, who is Horus of the Two Horizons").
Amun merging with Ra
After the…
Ero Sɘnnin
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How did Atenism explain night-time?
Atenism was Egypt's state religion during the reign of Akhenaten. The religion considered Aten - the sun disc - as the supreme and only god, a radical departure from traditional beliefs.
I realize Atenism only lasted for a few years and probably…
yannis
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In ancient Egypt what did the Ba and the Ka represent?
In ancient Egypt what did the Ba and the Ka represent? They were parts of the soul but why two parts?
user28
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Did ancient Egypt use the abbreviation IHS for "Isis, Horus, and Seb"?
The Chick Publications tract "Are Roman Catholics Christians?" has all sorts of questionable content (including many fundamental misunderstandings of Roman Catholicism), but there is one historical claim that I was unsure of. When talking about the…
Thunderforge
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Do the Egyptian gods bleed?
In the 2016 film Gods of Egypt the gods bleed a bright golden liquid when hurt (which happens often).
I wonder if there's any basis for this in Egyptian mythology, an Egyptian equivalent to the Greek ichor.
Ouroboros
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Is there a 'Messenger of the Gods' figure in Egyptian mythology?
While Thoth is often equated with Hermes, he seems to be more of a keeper of secret wisdom than a messenger.
Is there any such figure in Egyptian mythology?
Drew Stevens
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How are Taweret and Nephthys related?
When I compare the two Egyptian goddesses Nephthys and Taweret, I see a number of parallels, but I also see distinct differences. Consider:
Both are associated with childbirth, but whereas Nephthys is called upon for protection in the afterlife,…
papidave
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What is known about A’ani, the ancient Egyptian God of Equilibrium?
Wikipedia’s article on Thoth states that A’ani is a form of Thoth, which is consistent with what I know about Thoth, although much of the information I'm working with comes through the hermeticism.
Wikipedia’s citation for A’ani comes from Budge’s…
DukeZhou
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What is the difference between Ra and Horus?
I'm wondering what the difference is between Ra and Horus. I know there are both the gods of the sun/sky.
cherryblossom
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Are there any instances where the Egyptian gods are promiscuous?
As we all probably know, the Greco-Roman and the Norse gods were, to put it in a mild manner, "lustful". They had extramarital affairs, took on numerous lovers without before marriage and even raped others.
Are there any instances where Egyptian…
user1385
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What do we know about the ram-headed deities helping Shu support Nut in the Greenfield Papyrus?
The "Greenfield Papyrus" is a funerary illustrated manuscript from the "Book of the Dead" of Nestanebetisheru:
According to the British Museum curator's comments:
This scene is a symbolic representation of the creation of the world. According to…
yannis
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