The Origins and Stories of Egyptian Mythology

The ancient Egyptian mythology consists of explanations on every thing that happened on their everyday lives. For example, myths do the talking about the annual flooding of the Nile River. From the creation of the world to the tales told by Egyptians, mythology explains the "whats", "whys" and "hows".

Most of the Egyptian myths start out as common experiences of the people. They describe the current happenings around them as acts of gods. They tell stories about these myths, passing them through the word of mouth.

In ancient Egypt, a lot of people cannot read or write. For generations, the Egyptians unknowingly modified these stories. Luckily, a few original accounts survived through the writings of the scribes.

The Egyptian Creation Myth

One of the most popular ancient Egyptian myths that enchanted ancient Egypt is the Creation of the World. Here, Ra, the sun god, emerged from the darkness as a shining egg. From his emergence, he eventually became lonely and thus named the first gods of ancient Egypt. From the first wind blown to the dawn of the morning, these gods gained life as Ra named them. He then took the form of a man and became the first pharaoh of Egypt!

The Murder of Osiris

The other famous myth is about Seth and Osiris. As the ruler of Egypt, Osiris showed popularity among the masses. He exhibits good governance and showed the people how to worship gods. Seth became jealous of it and murdered Osiris.

As the story goes by, Isis, Osiris' wife, succeeded in reviving her hubby. Enough to sustain Osiris for the final time, he make love with her until he died again. From there, Isis conceived Horus in her womb. As he grows up, Isis protected her son from Seth until Horus can stand on his own and claim his father's throne.

Uniting a Civilization

Thanks to these newly created deities, other tales emerged from them. The Egyptian mythology became the foundation of the ancient Egyptian religion. From the concept of Afterlife to their burial customs, it unified the ancient Egyptians into a great civilization.

Return To...

Return from Egyptian Mythology to Home Page