Who were the gods?
The Ancient Egyptians believed in many gods and goddesses and that they chose the Pharaohs.
They thought that some gods were stars and others were humans or animals.
Each god or goddess was in charge of something, for example, weather, fire and death.
When the Romans took over Ancient Egypt, people eventually became Christian (following the religion or faith of Christianity) and the old gods were forgotten.
In modern day Egypt many Egyptians are Muslims (following the religion or faith of Islam).
Important words
Important words on the Ancient Egyptian gods.
| Keyword | Definition |
|---|---|
| Afterlife | A belief that a part of a person continues to exist after their body dies. |
| Amulet | An ornament or small piece of jewellery thought to give protection. |
| Christian | Following the religion or faith of Christianity. |
| Muslim | Following the religion or faith of Islam. |
Watch: Ancient Egyptian beliefs
Watch the video to learn more about what the Ancient Egyptians believed in.
THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN GODS
The gods of old Egypt rule over us here,
Bringing us wisdom and wonder and fear.
They look like the things that
The natural world shapes,
Like jackals and beetles and lions.
And apes!
Babi watched over his troupe of baboons,
Ihy, would charm with his beautiful tunes,
Thoth was the scribe god of reading and writing!
Sekhmet the lioness, war god, she liked fighting!
Anubis took care of the recently dead,
Rah wore the sun on the top of his head!
The stories align to the planets and stars!
The sun and the moon, in the timeless stone we'd carve.
Great statues, such forms, we revere, we adore,
The ancient Egyptian gods.
For 3000 years they watched over these lands,
Holding the fate of the world in their hands,
Horus would watch with his all-seeing eye,
Nut moved the moon and she held up the sky,
Isis taught humanity, and healed us when we're hurt,
Osiris , god of life and death, controlled the underworld,
Ptah built the Earth and created us all,
Seth, god of chaos, was an evil so and so!
The stories align to the planets and stars,
The sun and the moon, in the timeless stone we'd carve.
Great statues, such forms, we revere, we adore,
The ancient Egyptian gods,
The ancient Egyptian gods!
A closer look: Ra and Horus
Ra
Ra was the Ancient Egyptian god of the sun.
He was shown as a man with a falcon’s head and a sun on top.
Ancient Egyptians believed that Ra gave light, warmth and life and was the creator of the universe.
This made him the most important and most worshipped god.
Horus
Horus was the son of Osiris and Isis.
He was known as the god of the sky and the god of war.
He was often shown as a falcon or a man with the head of a falcon.
Horus’ main job was to protect the Pharaoh.
What is an amulet?
An amulet (an ornament or small piece of jewellery thought to give protection) were decorative objects worn around the neck in Ancient Egypt that feature symbols of the gods and goddesses.
The Ancient Egyptians thought that amulets had magical properties and could protect them from harm.
Amulets featured symbols to represent what people desired, such as the eye of Horus for healing or a scarab (beetle) for good fortune.
They were commonly worn by all of Ancient Egyptian society including Pharaohs, nobles and officials.
Amulets were often placed with the dead to ensure they were protected in the afterlife (a belief that a part of a person continues to exist after their body die).
King Tutankhamun was found with 20 amulets around his neck inside his tomb!
Slideshow: The gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt
Click through the slideshow to learn more about some of the gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt.
Image caption, Thoth
Thoth was often shown with the head of a baboon or an ibis (a wading bird with long legs and a long beak). He was the scribe for the other gods and the ancient Egyptians believed that he invented hieroglyphs.
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Think like a historian
Have a look at the thinking points below and think about your answer to the questions. You could even write it down on a piece of paper or discuss it with somebody else if you want to.
How do we know what the Ancient Egyptians believed about their gods and life after death?
Why were there so many different gods and goddesses in Ancient Egypt?
Did you think about what the Ancient Egyptians left behind? They wrote stories in hieroglyphs about their gods and painted pictures on tombs and walls. They also made statues of the gods. The Ancient Egyptians mummified bodies and filled tombs with food, clothes and treasures for the afterlife (life after death). All of these things help us understand what the Ancient Egyptians believed about their gods and the afterlife.
Perhaps you thought there were so many different gods and goddesses because each one looked after a different part of life? Some gods controlled the sun, sky or river, like Ra, who gave light, warmth and life. Others were in charge of death and the afterlife, like, Osiris and Anubis. The Egyptians believed that each god had a special job to protect and help them in their daily life and after death.
Activities
Activity 1: Name the gods
Match the god to their name below.
Activity 2: Quiz – Ancient Egyptian gods
Activity 3: History Explorer game
Play this game to test your knowledge and learn even more facts about Ancient Egypt.
History Explorer: Secrets through time
History Explorer: Secrets through time: KS2 History
Grown-ups corner
Are you a parent, carer or teacher?
Take a look at some of the links below on KS2 History which are packed full of knowledge, videos, quizzes and activities.
KS2 History: Ancient Egypt
BBC Bitesize for Teachers
KS2 History: Ancient Egypt - Gods and goddesses
BBC Bitesize for Teachers
KS2 Music: Ancient Egypt. Song: 'So many gods and goddesses'
BBC Bitesize Schools Radio
Horrible Histories: Raid and Trade game! game
Play Horrible Histories: Raid and Trade KS2 History
More on Ancient Egypt
Find out more by working through a topic
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