Understanding the Confusion between the Ancient Egyptian Gods

One of the most fascinating parts of the Egyptian religion is the ancient Egyptian gods. If caught unprepared, prepare for future headaches! Not only do they have more than 700 gods, but also confusing!

The ancient Egyptians have a bad habit of fusing gods into one and our language barrier took its toll in translation. Now, we have lots of English misspellings on Egyptian gods that can make a four-year-old quiz bee student cry.

Of course, I know you won't cry! :) I am also confused at them at times. Let's try to study them in more detail!

Translating the Egyptian Hieroglyphics makes it hard to understand the gods. That's because Hieroglyphics does not contain vowels! This results a lot of names for one god. The most classic example for this one is Ra. Goggling his name results in Ra or Re. For me, I will accept both names as correct! Confusing isn't it?

The Egyptian Gods Hathor, Horus and Isis carved on a temple wall

Describing the Gods of Ancient Egypt

Although you could see them walking in heads of jackals or falcons, they are only depictions for the real gods. The ancient Egyptians believed they existed as a formless being. They only depicted it in these weird portraits to describe their characteristics and role as a god.

The ancient Egyptian gods are subject to emotions like fear and anger. Using the story of Seth and Osiris, you can feel the love and hate in the story. The Egyptian mythology establishes that gods seemed to be humans with supernatural powers!

Because of their knowledge in medicine and mummification, no wonder they concentrated on their burial practices. Most gods in ancient Egypt are based on afterlife and judgment. Classifying them as a sinister nation is unfair. Fascinated with life, they equip the dead with tools to aid them in the afterlife. That's what makes them more fascinating!

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