Bulfinch’s Mythology · Chapter
Egyptian Deities explained
This chapter introduces the principal Egyptian deities, beginning with Amun (later identified with Zeus or Jupiter Ammon), who manifests through his word or will to create Kneph and Athor.
What happens
This chapter introduces the principal Egyptian deities, beginning with Amun (later identified with Zeus or Jupiter Ammon), who manifests through his word or will to create Kneph and Athor. From them proceed Osiris and Isis, with Osiris worshipped as the sun god and god of the Nile, annually visiting Isis (the Earth) through inundation. The chapter also describes Serapis or Hermes as a ruler of Tartarus and god of medicine, Anubis as the guardian god with a dog's head, and Horus (Harpocrates) as the god of Silence, seated on a lotus with his finger on his lips.
Themes in this chapter
Mortality and Immortality
Osiris as a dying and resurrecting god associated with the annual Nile flood, symbolizing life, death, and renewal.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“Osiris was worshipped as the god of the sun, the source of warmth, life, and fruitfulness, in addition to which he was also regarded as the god of the Nile, who annually visited his wife, Isis (the Earth), by means of an inundation.”
Osiris was revered as both the sun god, providing heat and fertility, and the Nile god, who each year flooded the land to reunite with his wife Isis, the Earth.
Explains the dual role of Osiris in Egyptian religion.
“Anubis is the guardian god, represented with a dog’s head, emblematic of his character of fidelity and watchfulness.”
Anubis, the protector god, is depicted with a canine head to symbolize his loyalty and vigilance.
Describes the iconography and symbolism of Anubis.