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Table of Contents Cover………………………………………………………………………..Page 1 Table of Contents……………………………………………………..Page 2 Introduction and Anubis……………………………………………Page 3 Ra………………………………………………………………………………Page 4 Set…………………………………………………………………………….Page 5 Fun Facts…………………………………………………………………..Page 6 Glossary……………………………………………………………………Page 7 Bibliography……………………………………………………………..Page 8
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Do you know who the most important god is? Do you know who polytheists are? Have you heard the myths about the sun god flying over the sky on a magical sun boat? Have you heard of the god with the head of a jackal or the god with the head of a donkey? In this paper you will learn all that and more!!
Fun Fact! Gods were drawn with their bodies facing forward but their head, legs, and feet facing sideways.
Anubis
Anubis was one of the very important Gods. Anubis was the God of magic, the dead, and embalming. Anubis was believed to be the son of the God Osiris and the Goddess Nephthys. Anubis also was drawn with a head of a jackal and a body of a human. Since he was drawn with a head a jackal, ancient Egyptians believed his sacred animal was also a jackal. Jackals were also seen in cemeteries, so ancient Egyptians believed that Anubis watched over the dead. Priests often wore Anubis masks during mummification ceremonies, because they believed Anubis was the God who watched the process of mummifying. Ancient Egyptians also believed that Anubis escorted ancient Egyptian souls to the afterlife. Another thing ancient Egyptians believed is Anubis restored eternal life to Osiris after Set killed him, so Osiris could rule the Underworld. Those are the reasons Anubis was one of the most important Gods.
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Fun Fact Most gods were drawn with a head of an animal, as you can see in this picture of Ra.
Ra
Ra is also a very important God. He was actually the most important God to ancient Egyptians. He was the most important sun God, and in English Ra or Re means “Creator”. He was so important, ancient Egyptians called themselves “the cattle of Re”. They also believed that Ra was swallowed every night by the sky Goddess Nut after his daily trip on a magical sun boat, and reborn every morning to begin another trip across the sky on his sun boat. Ra also had a few symbols. They are a phoenix, a pyramid, the eye of Horus, the sun, a falcon, a bull, and an obelisk. Ra also had his own temple to be worshiped at. The temple is called Heliopolis. Aker was also a minor sun God. He is a double lion God and the guardian of sunrise and sunset. That is why Ra was one of the most important Gods to ancient Egyptians.
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Fun Fact! Gods were also drawn with an ankh in their hand. An ankh is an amulet that represents power and eternal life.
Set Set is also a very important God. Set was the God of deserts and trouble. He was the son of Geb and Nut as well as Osiris. His sisters were Isis and Nephthys. Set married Nephthys and Osiris married Isis. Ancient Egyptians believed Set was the lord of Upper Egypt. Ancient Egyptians also believed that Set was the protector from desert storms and sand storms. Osiris was the ruler of the Gods and goddesses at the time, but Set wanted to overthrow Osiris so Set killed his brother to take the position of ruler of the Gods and Goddesses. Anubis helped embalm Osiris, so he could rule the Underworld. Later Horus became the leader of the Gods and Goddesses. Even though Set was Osiris’s evil brother and Set killed Osiris, he wasn’t completely evil. Sometimes he would guard Ra’s magical sun boat and other stuff to help other Gods and Goddesses. Set also was believed to have a few sacred animals. They were a donkey, a pig, and a hippo. That is why he was a very important God.
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Fun Facts! 1. Ancient Egyptians were polytheists. 2. Most Gods or Goddesses were gods or goddesses of a specific object or activity such as embalming (Anubis). 3. Other Gods or Goddesses represented more abstract ideas like justice and harmony (Ma’at). 4. Gods and Goddesses were often represented in more than one way. 5. Many Gods or Goddesses were associated with a specific animal plant, or bird such as a falcon (Horus).
Conclusion Now that you know about Set, Ra, and Anubis, who do think should be the most important ancient Egyptian God? I really liked researching about this topic, because I have always been interested in Gods and Goddesses, especially Ra. I hope you like learning about these three Gods as much as I did. 6
Glossary Amulet: Amulets are charms of good luck and protection. Embalming: Embalming is the process of preserving a dead body. Eternal life: Eternal life means to live forever. Geb: Geb is the God of the Earth. Horus: Horus is the god of the sky. Jackal: A jackal is a nocturnal wild dog. Nephthys: Nephthys is the useful Goddess or the Excellent Goddess. Nut: Nut is the Goddess of the sky. Obelisk: An Obelisk is tall, four sided piece of stone that rises to a pyramidal top. Osiris: Osiris is the God and judge of the dead. Polytheists: Polytheists are people who follow more than one ancient Egyptian God or Goddess. Sacred: Sacred means to be devoted or dedicated to a God or Goddess or to some religious purpose. Underworld: The Underworld is a place ancient Egyptians believed people go after they died Pictures from http://www.neferchichi.com/godsinfo.html
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Bibliography (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2013, from Gods and Goddesses http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/explore/main./html
(n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2013, from Gods and Goddesses: http://neferchichi./godsinfo.html
(n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2013, from Ancient Egypt: the Mythology: http://www.egyptianmyths.net/section-deities.htm
Reid, G. H. (2002). The Usborne Internet-Linked Encycolpedia of Ancient Egypt. New York: Usborne Publishing.
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