| .... | |
|
|
| IMRAN-C |
|
||||||||
|
ancient Egyptian gods "a" |
||||||||
|
Anubis:
Anubis is depicted in human form, usually seated, with a
jackal’s head and sometimes with a head of a wild dog. He
was regarded as a frightening canine god who oversaw the
mummification process and safeguarded burials. His role was
to judge the dead and along with his army of messengers to
punish any who violated the tombs. Most references link him
to death and burial. For most of the Old Kingdom he is
regarded as probably the most important deity for funeral
ceremonies. He was also known as the god of embalming and as
the god who kept the secrets. “Keeping the secrets” meant
that he did not disclose the rituals and processes that took
place in the embalming chamber. By the end of the third
millennium BCE, he had lost his place as the god of the dead
and Osiris had replaced him. He did, however, still remain
as the god who had invented mummification and thereby became
the preserver of the Osiris’ corpse. Eventually he came to
be known as the son of Osiris; whereby, he also became
associated with a dark element that followed him throughout
and most probably why the epithet “the one who eats his
father” was equated to him. He was very much associated with
the “Opening of the mouth Ritual” that occurred during the
mummification process. In the book of the dead he is also
shown as supervising and weighing of the hearts of the dead
as they are extrapolated. His role as a funeral god
continued into the Roman Era; however, that function
eventually diminished and took on a more diabolical swagger.
He was regarded as coming from a divine family of supreme
beings. His mother was the cow goddess Hesat and his father
the bull god Mnevis. It appears that he was worshipped in
various parts throughout Egypt but more so in Upper Egypt. Anukis or Anuqet: This goddess was regarded as the First Cataract of the Nile and also the wife of the god Khnum. She is depicted carrying a staff and wearing a feather crown. She was known throughout Egyptian history but more so when the country held vast territories below the Cataracts. It is believed that she, Khnum, and Satet were part of the divine family to protect the Nile Cataract Region. Apis: This Apis bull was most regarded as the god of royalty and fertility. He was worshiped from the Early Period onward. He is depicted with a blaze on his forehead and other special features which mark him as the animal chosen to be the divine bull of this period. There were many festivals honoring this animal. Some ceremonies date back to the First Dynasty and were called “The Running of Apis.” In order for bulls to be considered sacred, they had to have a white crescent on one side of their body or a white triangle on their forehead. This signified that this bull would be accepted by the gods. Sometimes a vulture patch on the back of the animal would be accepted for ceremonial purposes. Animals used for ceremonies were dressed in elaborate golden robes and paraded in the cememonies of Ptah. The belief was that the Apis bull was born from a virgin cow. After the death of one of these animals, an immediate search would begin to replace him. Bulls were cared for by priests for up to 25 years and then they were drowned. Parts of the animals were used for sacramental meals and other parts were embalmed and placed in the serapeum or other bull structures for preservation. Aten: This god represented daylight which brought life to humans and animals. This god was known as “Aten of the Day” the solar disk that shone on the river. It was during the time of Akhenaten’s reign that Aten came to life. Aten is depicted as a solar disk with long rays ending in the shape of human hands and often extending the Ankh to the king. Akhenaten decreed to all that the god Aten was the true religion of the land and thereby all had to follow this “true” spiritualism. He was not invented by Akhenaten but rather had come to fruition during the reign of his predecessors Tuthmosis IV and Amenhotep III. As a result of this new proclamation by the king Akhenaten, a new capital was established in Aten’s honor which was called “Horizon of Aten.” Currently, this is known as el-Armana which is north of Thebes. Eventually, many temples were constructed representing the Aten worship; however, there were no statues to represent this god. Aten continued to be represented by a red disk with outreaching sun rays and hands. He was probably one of the most abstract deities known to the Pharoahs of Egypt. His popularity was heightened during the reign of Akhenaten and the royal family but once Akhenaten died (in 1335 BC), Aten was banished. Many of the temples and things related to Aten and Akhenaten were demolished thereafter. Atum: Atum is considered to be the oldest god to have existed in ancient Egypt. In Heliopolitan theology this god name took on two meanings; “not to be” and “to be complete.” Taking on these two meanings caused vagueness and obscurity and most likely was meant to be this way. Supposedly, Atum was formed in the ancient waters that existed before the earth appeared. In some areas it was believed that he may have created himself. He was thought to be a form of the |
||||||||
| setting sun and sometimes he appeared in the guise of a mongoose. It was during this process that he created space, air, moisture, the sky, and the earth. Mythology cult follows that mankind and the gods were created from his tears and his sweat. He is depicted in human form wearing the royal double crown of Egypt, holding a Royal Scepter and the Ankh (sign of life). | ||||||||
