Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals which were an integral part of ancient Egyptian society. It centered on the Egyptians' interaction with many deities who were believed to be present in, and in control of, the forces of nature. Rituals such as prayers and offerings were efforts to provide for the gods and gain their favour. Formal religious practice centered on the pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who was believed to possess a divine power by virtue of his position. He acted as the intermediary between his people and the gods and was obligated to sustain the gods through rituals and offerings so that they could maintain order in the universe. The state dedicated enormous resources to Egyptian rituals and to the construction of the temples.
Individuals could interact with the gods for their own purposes, appealing for their help through prayer or compelling them to act through magic. These practices were distinct from, but closely linked with, the formal rituals and institutions. The popular religious tradition grew more prominent in the course of Egyptian history as the status of the Pharaoh declined. Another important aspect was the belief in the afterlife and funerary practices. The Egyptians made great efforts to ensure the survival of their souls after death, providing tombs, grave goods, and offerings to preserve the bodies and spirits of the deceased.
In the 1st millennium BC, Egypt was significantly weaker than in earlier times, and in several periods foreigners seized the country and assumed the position of pharaoh. The importance of the pharaoh continued to decline, and the emphasis on popular piety continued to increase. Animal cults, a characteristically Egyptian form of worship, became increasingly popular in this period, possibly as a response to the uncertainty and foreign influence of the time. Isis grew more popular as a goddess of protection, magic, and personal salvation, and became the most important goddess in Egypt.
Ptolemaic-era beliefs changed little after Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire in 30 BC, with the Ptolemaic kings replaced by distant emperors. The cult of Isis appealed even to Greeks and Romans outside Egypt, and in Hellenized form it spread across the empire. In Egypt itself, as the empire weakened, official temples fell into decay, and without their centralizing influence religious practice became fragmented and localized. Meanwhile, Christianity spread across Egypt, and in the third and fourth centuries AD, edicts by Christian emperors and iconoclasm by local Christians eroded traditional beliefs. While it persisted among the populace for some time, Egyptian religion slowly faded away.
However, during World War Two, the Ahnenerbe Project plundered the ruins of the ancient temples of Egypt in search for relics to turn the tide of the war. Instead, they awoke the mummified Risen that had laid dormant for thousands of years. The first of these was Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty, also known as ‘Khufu the Awakener’.
After the return of the Egyptian Mummies, so too did their beliefs. Kemetism, as it became to be known in the modern age, was reborn in Egypt from the people who witnessed the feast of these long dead rulers from ancient days during the war. Temples were raised and statues brought out from dusty museums. The new religion expanded as Khufu rose to power and, with the return of the faith that powered them, so did the Gods of Old Egypt.
For all ancient people, the world was filled with mystery. Much of what they experienced in the world around them was unknowable and frightening. The ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses began as representations of aspects of the Egyptians’ natural and “supernatural” surroundings and helped them understand its many aspects. Soon, the belief gave birth to actual beings that are worshipped today.
RA
The supreme sun god often appears as a man with the head of a hawk, crowned with a solar disk and the sacred serpent. It is said that each day Ra traveled across the sky in the form of the sun, riding in his solar boat, and each night he journeyed through the underworld where he defeated the allies of chaos. He is reborn each morning in the form of the sunrise.
The Egyptian kings claimed to be descended from Ra, and called themselves “The Son of Ra.” His cult was very powerful during the period of the Old Kingdom, when Sun Temples were built in his honor. Many of these temples have been remade in recent years, including the 'Great Sun Temple' of Cairo.
ANUBIS
Anubis is shown as a jackal-headed man, or as a jackal. His father is Seth and his mother Nephythys. His cult center was Cynopolis, now known as El Kes. He is closely associated with mummification and as protector of the dead. It is Anubis who conducted the deceased to the hall of judgment.
HORUS
Horus is the son of Osiris and Isis and the enemy of the wicked God Seth. He is depicted as a hawk or as a man with the head of a hawk. Sometimes he is shown as a youth with a side lock, seated on his mother’s lap. He is the god of the sky and the divine protector of kings.
Horus is worshipped throughout Egypt and is particularly associated with Edfu, the site of the ancient city of Mesen, where his temple resides.
ISIS
A very important figure in the ancient world, Isis is the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. She is associated with funeral rites and said to have made the first mummy from the dismembered parts of Osiris. As the enchantress who resurrected Osiris and gave birth to Horus. She is also the giver of life, a healer and protector of kings. Isis is represented with a throne on her head and sometimes shown breastfeeding the infant Horus. In this manifestation she is known as “Mother of God”. To the Egyptians she represented the ideal wife and mother; loving, devoted, and caring. Her most famous temple is at Philae though her cult spread throughout the Medi-terranean world and, during the Roman period, extended as far as northern Europe. There was even a temple dedicated to her in London.
GEB
Geb is the father of Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephythys. As an Earth god he is associated with fertility and it is believed that earthquakes are the laughter of Geb. He is mentioned in the Pyramid Texts as imprisoning the buried dead within his body.
SEKHMET
Sekhmet is a warrior goddess as well as goddess of healing. She is depicted as a lioness, the fiercest hunter known to the Egyptians. It was said that her breath forms the desert. She is seen as the protector of the pharaohs and led them in warfare.