Ancient Egyptians lived by a river that flooded, under a sun that blazed every day. They believed the world was full of powers, and they gave those powers names. Here is what Egyptians believed about their gods.
Key idea
The Egyptians believed in many gods, each caring for part of the world: Ra for the sun, Hapi for the flood, Nut for the sky, Geb for the earth, and Bes and Taweret for homes and families.
Why it works
Each god explained something people saw or needed. The sun rose every morning: Egyptians said Ra sailed across the sky in a boat. The flood came every summer: they gave thanks to Hapi. Big temples were the gods' houses, where priests cared for a god's statue every day. At home, families kept small figures of household gods like Bes for protection.
Worked example: Which god?
Egyptians said one god sailed across the sky each day in a boat. Who was it?
- Sailing across the sky each day is what the sun does.
- The sun god was Ra.
Answer: Ra, the sun god.
Common mistake
Thinking the gods were only animals. Egyptians pictured many gods as people, as animals, or as people with animal heads. The picture showed what a god was like, not a creature walking around. More on that in Gods with Animal Heads.
More than a thousand gods are known by name. Some were worshipped all over Egypt; others belonged to one town.