Egyptian mythology
The myths and religious traditions of ancient Egypt, encompassing its gods, creation accounts, royal ideology, rituals, and visions of the afterlife.
Ma'at: The Egyptian principle of truth, justice, balance, and cosmic order. Ma'at governed divine conduct, royal duty, and the moral judgment of the dead.
Egyptian creation myths: Ancient Egyptian accounts of how the world, gods, and ordered life began. Different creation traditions explain the origins of the cosmos and divine authority.
Osiris myth: The mythic cycle of Osiris's death, restoration, and succession by Horus. It connects kingship, death, renewal, and the afterlife in a single narrative.
Ra: The ancient Egyptian sun god, associated with creation and royal authority. Solar cycles linked Ra to the world's continuing renewal and the king's divine mandate.
Atenism: The religious program centered on the Aten promoted by the pharaoh Akhenaten in the 14th century BCE. Its unusually exclusive focus on the Aten contrasts with Egypt's diverse older cults.
Ka: A vital life force or spiritual double that a person possessed in ancient Egyptian belief. The ka needed offerings and continued care after bodily death.
Ennead of Heliopolis: A group of nine deities in the Heliopolitan account of creation. Its genealogy traces the emergence of gods and the world from Atum.
The Contendings of Horus and Seth: An Egyptian narrative recounting the gods' dispute over who should rule Egypt. Its comic and dramatic episodes explore legitimacy and the limits of divine power.
Osiris: An ancient Egyptian god of the dead, regeneration, and kingship after death. His restoration made him the central ruler of the afterlife in many traditions.
Amun: An ancient Egyptian god whose cult became closely associated with Thebes and royal power. Amun's prominence shows how particular gods rose with regional and political change.