Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

The Egyptian Gods and Goddesses have been around longer than most cultures.  Since roughly 5500 B.C. the people of Northeastern Africa have held the ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses as protectors, guides, and heavenly beings.  Similar to the gods and goddesses of other regions, the Egyptian deities cover nearly all aspects of ancient life while their myths cover everything from creation to the afterlife. The following list is in alphabetical order by common name, but you can use your browser's "find" function to find alternate names.


Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - A

  • Aah - (a.k.a. Aa, Ah) The god of the 360 day Egyptian calendar. He famously lost the other 5 days to Thoth in a game of dice.

  • Abtu - A fish deity, paired with Anet. Together they swim in front of Ra's boat to warn and protect him from danger.

  • Ahti - With the body of a hippo and the head of a wasp, this goddess was considered spiteful and chaotic and was rarely worshipped.

  • Aken - The ferryman who takes dead souls to the afterlife. Is often asleep, which means souls have to wake him for passage.

  • Aker - An earth god whose primary function is to protect the gateway into and out of the Underworld.

  • Amathaunta - Brought to Egypt from Sumerian myth, little is known of this goddess other than that she was associated with the sea.

  • Amaunet - The goddess of the North Wind in Lower Egypt. Also one of the 8 original gods, the Ogdoad.

  • Amenhotep - A pharoah who constructed so many great buildings he became the god of architecture and construction.

  • Ament - (a.k.a. Amentet, Amentit) The hostess of the Underworld. Greets new souls brought in by her husband Aken.

  • Ammit - (a.k.a. Ammam, Amemait, Ammut, Ahemait) A goddess of judgement. If one's soul is judged unworthy at the end of their life, this hippo/lion/crocodile goddess swallows it.

  • Amn - A greeter goddess of the Underworld. Possibly the same deity as Ament, except she is invisible.

  • Amsit - (a.k.a. Imset, Imsety) One of the 4 sons of Horus who protected the mummified remains of the dead. Amsit protected jars of livers.

  • Amun - (a.k.a. Amon, Ammon, Amen) One of the 8 Ogdoads (original gods) of Egypt who through time evolved to become the chief deity of all Egyptian mythology.

  • Amun Ra - (a.k.a. Amun Re, Amen Ra, Amen Re, Amon Ra, Amon Re, Ammon Ra, Ammon Re) The joining of Amun and Ra into one super-deity which occurred later in Egyptian mythology.

  • Anat - A war goddess brought to Egypt from Mesopotamia. Was also romantically linked to Set.

  • Andjety - (a.k.a. Anedjti, Anezti) The god of rebirth in the Underworld. Allowed souls to remain alive after their bodies died. Husband of Anit.

  • Anet - A fish deity, paired with Abtu. Together they swim in front of Ra's boat to warn and protect him from danger.

  • Anhur - (a.k.a. Inher, Onuris) A god of creativity who is best known for slaying the enemies of the Egyptian people.

  • Anit - Goddess of fertility, sex, war, and hunting. Originally from Canaan but also worshipped by early Hebrews.

  • Ankhet - (a.k.a. Ankt, Anuket) Goddess of the Nile, specifically flooding, fertility, and fertilization.

  • Anouke - (a.k.a. Anuke) An ancient Egyptian war goddess who was always shown with a bow and arrow.

  • Anti - An ancient god who became the patron god of ferrymen and travellers by sea.

  • Anubis - (a.k.a. Anpu, Imeut, Ienpw, Inpu, Lenpw, Yinepu) The jackal-headed god of Death in early Egyptian mythology. He holds the scales that weigh the souls of the dead.

  • Apedemak - (a.k.a. Apademak) A little known god of the Meroitic people. He had the head of a lion and was considered a warrior god.

  • Apep - (a.k.a. Aapep, Apepi, Apophis) A god of darkness in the form of a serpent. Would try to swallow sunlight and was the reason for eclipses.

  • Apis - (a.k.a. Hap, Haap, Hep, Hepi) A holy bull god in Memphis. Any bulls born all black with a white triangle on the forehead were considered him reborn.

  • Arensnuphis - (a.k.a. Arsnuphis, Harensnuphis, Ari-Hes-Nefer) A lion headed god of Nubia who wore a crown of feathers. His mythological function is unknown.

  • Aten - (a.k.a. Aten-Ra, Aten-Re, Aton, Aton-Ra, Aton-Re) A little known sun god until Pharoah Amenhotep IV decreed him to be the ONLY god. Also known as the "sun disc".

  • Atum - (a.k.a. Atum-Ra, Atum-Re, Tem, Tum, Temu) The creator of the world who began life as a single hill emerging from the water. Created the other gods from his semen.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - B

  • Ba - A fertility god with a ram's head. Women hoping to get pregnant would invoke his name.

  • Ba-Pef - A minor Egyptian god whose name means "That Soul". Little is known except that he is often sad and woeful.

  • Babi - (a.k.a. Bab, Babay) A baboon demon who was considered a god of sexual prowess in the underworld. Rarely wore pants.

  • Banebdjetet - (a.k.a. Banebtetet, Banebdjedet, Banebdedet, Ba-Neb-Tetet, Baneb-Djedet, Banephthysdjedet) An Egyptian ram god from Mendes. Intervened in the great war between Horus and Seth. Possibly the same deity as Ba.

  • Bast - (a.k.a. Bastet, Ubastet, Ailuros) A famous cat-headed goddess who protected Egyptians from foreign attacks as well as fires. Later became known for cat-like sensuality.

  • Bat - (a.k.a. Bata) A fertility goddess in the form of a cow. Was known in Upper Egypt.

  • Benu - A sun god in the form of a golden bird. Is connected to Atum, the creator of the world.

  • Bes - (a.k.a. Bisu) An ugly, scary looking dwarf god who uses his appearance to ward off evil spirits and vibrations. Commonly invoked for protection.

  • Beset - Beset is the female version of Bes. Most likely a later spelling of the same name.

  • Buto - A cobra goddess who protected the pharaohs. Pharaohs would wear a cobra on their crown to invoke her protection.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - C

  • Chenti-Cheti - A minor Egyptian god who took the form of a crocodile, then later a falcon.

  • Chenti-Irti - A minor Egyptian god of law and order who took the form of a falcon. Possibly Horus in disguise.

  • Cherti - (a.k.a. Kherty) Another ferryman of the dead, he took the form of a ram or a man with a ram's head.

  • Chontamenti - (a.k.a. Chonti-Amentiu, Khentamenti) A death god in Western Egypt. Took the form of a dog with horns and lived in the Underworld.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - D

  • Dedun - (a.k.a. Dedwen) God of wealth symbolized by his association with then-precious incense.

  • Dua - The god of toilets and sanitation.

  • Duamutef - One of the four sons of Horus who protected embalmed stomachs of mummified corpses. Has a jackal's head.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - E

  • Ehi - (a.k.a. Ihu) The Egyptian god of the sistrum, a rattle used in sacred ceremonies.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - G

  • Geb - (a.k.a. Keb, Seb, Qeb) God of the Earth. Represented by the goose. His laughter caused earthquakes. His twin sister/consort was Nut, the sky goddess.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - H

  • Ha - The god of deserts west of Egypt. Had a bull's tail.

  • Hah - (a.k.a. Heh, Huh, Hu) God of infinity and formlessness. One of the first Egyptian gods who supports the universe. He himself is the symbol for the number 1,000,000.

  • Hapi - God of the Nile who appears as a man but pregnant looking, representing his dedication to the fertility provided by the Nile.

  • Hapy - One of the four sons of Horus who protected embalmed lungs of mummified corpses. Has a baboon's head.

  • Har-Nedj-Hef - An incarnation of the god Horus, this one dedicated to protecting Osiris in the Underworld.

  • Har-Pa-Khered - (a.k.a. Harpakhered, Har-Pa-Khruti, Harpakhruti) An incarnation of the god Horus, this one as a child sitting on his mother's lap. Was invoked to ward off evil creatures.

  • Harmakhis - (a.k.a. Harmatchis) An incarnation of the god Horus, this one appearing as the Sphinx of Giza and representing ressurection identified by the setting and rising sun.

  • Haroeris - (a.k.a. Har-Wer) An ancient incarnation of Horus, considered "Horus the Elder", a combination of falcon-headed Horus and Wer, an ancient creation god.

  • Hat-Mehit - (a.k.a. Hatmehit, Hatmehyt, Het-Mehit, Hetmehit) A fish goddess primarily worshipped in the Nile Delta. Her husband was Banebdjetet.

  • Hathor - (a.k.a. Heret) The goddess of Happiness, Frolicing, and Cavorting. Was also a protector of women and had a complex history.

  • Hauhet - (a.k.a. Hehet) Goddess of infinity and formlessness. The female counterpart to Hah.

  • Hedetet - A little known goddess who took the form of a scorpion.

  • Heket - (a.k.a. Hek, Hektet, Heqat, Heget) An Egyptian goddess of childbirth. Was depicted on temple walls as a woman with a frogs head and on amulets as a frog.

  • Hemen - A little known Egyptian falcon god.

  • Hemsut - (a.k.a. Hemuset) A goddess of fate.

  • Henet - A pelican headed goddess who seemed to be linked to one's passing into the afterlife.

  • Heptet - The goddess who protected Osiris's body and soul in the afterlife. Had the head of a snake and held twin daggers.

  • Herishep - (a.k.a. Herishef) A minor god in Northern Egypt, he had a ram's head and horns and was associated with fertility.

  • Heru-Behudti - Horus in the form of the scorching sun.

  • Hez-Ur - A little known Egyptian baboon god.

  • Heka - (a.k.a. Hike) God of magic and magical rituals. Son of the Egyptian creator god Atum.

  • Horus - The great Egyptian sky god whose eyes were the sun and the moon. Son of Isis and Osiris and nephew of Seth.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - I

  • Iat - A minor goddess of milk, childbirth, and nursing.

  • Ihy - God of music and dancing.

  • Imentet - An ancient Egyptian goddess who welcomed the deceased to the afterlife in Western Egypt.

  • Imhotep - (a.k.a. Imhetep, Immutef, Iunmutef) A mortal commoner whose brilliance in sculpture, architecture, and mathematics helped him ascend to the rank of a god.

  • Imiut - An ancient Egyptian god whose name means "He who is in his wrappings". May have been connected with the Underworld.

  • Iptet - A goddess of childbirth who took on the form of a hippopotamus.

  • Isis - (a.k.a. Aset) An extremely popular goddess, originally protected sailors but then became the Great Mother Goddess after giving birth to Horus.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - J

  • Jah - (a.k.a. Joh) A god of the moon.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - K

  • Kebechet - (a.k.a. Khebhut, Kabehchet) The goddess of embalming fluid used in mummification.

  • Kebechsenef - One of the four sons of Horus. He would protect the intenstinal remains of the mummified.

  • Kek - (a.k.a. Kuk, Keket, Keku, Kauket) The great unknown darkness in Egyptian mythology. Took male form as a frog-man and female form as a snake-woman.

  • Kemur - (a.k.a. Kemwer) An oracular deity taking the form of a pure black bull in the Mnevis region.

  • Ken - An egyptian love goddess.

  • Khepri - (a.k.a. Kehperi, Kheper, Kehpera, Chepri) The god of ressurection. Symbolized by the scarab (dung beetle), which became a representation of ressurection itself.

  • Khnum - (a.k.a. Knum, Khnemu, Kemu, Knouphis, Chnum, Chnemu, Chnoumis, Chnuphis) He is where babies come from according to the ancient Egyptians. He would make a baby's body out of clay then sneak into a woman's home and impregnate her with it.

  • Khons - (a.k.a. Khonsu, Khensu, Chons) A brilliant young moon god who also was a god of time. Also an exorcist of sorts.

  • Kneph - (a.k.a. Cneph) One of the first Egyptian gods who is known to be connected to the creation of the universe.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - M

  • Maat - (a.k.a. Ma'at) Goddess of Justice and Law.

  • Mafdet - (a.k.a. Maftet) Egyptian goddess of Protection.

  • Mahes - (a.k.a. Maahes) A lion-headed god of war. Possibly the Eastern Egyptian version of Apedemak.

  • Mehen - A large snake god who protectively coils around Ra during the night.

  • Mehurt - (a.k.a. Mehturt, Mehet-Uret, Mehet-Weret) The mother of the sky in Egyptian mythology. Takes form as a cow and represents the flowing water of life.

  • Menhit - (a.k.a. Menchit) Warrior goddess with the head of a lion and a lust for war. The female version of Mahes.

  • Monthu - (a.k.a. Mentu, Menthu, Monto, Month) A popular war god in Ancient Egypt. Mostly seen as a falcon-headed man, but occassionally as a white bull with a black face.

  • Meret - (a.k.a. Mert) Goddess of Rejoicing. Presided over song and dance and was often considered the wife of Hapy.

  • Meretseger - (a.k.a. Mertseger) Cobra-headed goddess who was both dangerous and merciful. She protected the Valley of the Kings and laid waste to graverobbers.

  • Meskhenet - (a.k.a. Meskhent) An important goddess of childbirth who breathed the soul into each child as they were born.

  • Min - The god of male fertility and sexual prowess and potency, once called the Chief of Heaven.

  • Mnewer - (a.k.a. Mnevis, Mer-Wer) A sacred black bull worshipped in Heliopolis. Was considered an aspect of sun god Atum-Ra and represented virility.

  • Mut - Mother goddess of nurturing and protecting, she was depicted as a vulture - whoichancient Egyptians believed to be excellent parents.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - N

  • Nephthys - (a.k.a. Neb Hut, Nebthet) Could be called the "goddess of sympathy". Comforts both the living and dead after a person has died. Sister of Isis and Osiris.

  • Nef - (a.k.a. Nehab) A serpent god.

  • Nefertem - (a.k.a. Nefer Tem, Nefer Temu, Nefertum) Was born from a blue lotus flower at the beginning of creation. Created mankind from his tears.

  • Nehebkau - (a.k.a. Nehebkhau, Nehebu Kau) Protects against poisonous snake bites and scorpion stings. Also binds the souls (Ba and Ka) after death.

  • Neith - (a.k.a. Neit) A goddess of war, hunting, and wisdom. Was very wise and was said to be the mother of Ra.

  • Nekhbet - (a.k.a. Nekhabed) Patron goddess of the city of Nekheb, and seen as an "adoptive mother" in Egyptian myth. Depicted as a white vulture.

  • Neper - (a.k.a. Nepra, Nepri) A god of grain and corn. Paired with the goddess Nepit.

  • Nepit - A goddess of grain and corn. Paired with the god Neper.

  • Nun - (a.k.a. Nu) God of primeival and stormy waters. Was one of the 8 Ogdoad (early gods) of Hermopolis. His wife is Nunet.

  • Nunet - (a.k.a. Naunet) Goddess of the skies above stormy waters. Was one of the 8 Ogdoad (early gods) of Hermopolis. Her husband is Nun.

  • Nut - (a.k.a. Nuit, Newet) Goddess of the sky. One of the oldest and most prominent goddesses. Portrayed as a nude woman covered in stars.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - O

  • Osiris - (a.k.a. Ned Er Tcher, Usire) Former god of vegetation and fertility until he was killed by his brother and ressurrected by his sister. Now the Judge of the Dead.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - P

  • Petbe - The Egyptian god of revenge.

  • Ptah - (a.k.a. Ptha) The crafting god who covered all sorts of industry - masonry, craftsmanship, carpentry, sculpture, metalworking, and shipbuilding.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - Q

  • Qetesh - (a.k.a. Qadeshet, Qadesh, Qudshu) A goddess of fertility, representing sacred ecstasy and sexual pleasure.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - R

  • Ra - (a.k.a. Re) The great sun god. Often considered the most important deity in Egyptian mythology.

  • Renenet - (a.k.a. Ernutet, Renenutet) Goddess of Prosperity. An important cobra-headed goddess associated with motherhood, the harvest, and the magical properties of linen for mumification.

  • Renpet - Goddess of youth and the spring season.

  • Reshep - (a.k.a. Reshpu) Originally known by the Syrians as Ramman, this storm god became an Egyptian war god. Associated with Min and Qadesh.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - S

  • Sahu - The Egyptian incarnation of the constellation Orion. A star god associated with the change between night and day.

  • Satet - (a.k.a. Satis, Satjit, Sati, Sates) The Egyptian goddess associated with flooding the Nile River - the key source of life in ancient Egypt.

  • Sebek - (a.k.a. Sobek, Sochet, Sobk, Sobki, Suchos) The deification of the power of the Egyptian pharoahs. He was associated with the Nile river and had the head of a crocodile.

  • Seker - (a.k.a. Sokar, Sokaris, Soker) Falcon god of death and ressurection. Shown as a mummified falcon or hawk. Associated with gods Ptah and Osiris.

  • Sekhmet - (a.k.a. Sachmet, Sachmis, Sekhet, Sakhmet) An important, multi-faceted goddess of war, healing, and the desert. Depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness.

  • Sepa - (a.k.a. Sep) The god who protected dead bodies from insects. Most often seen in the form of a venemous centipede.

  • Serket - (a.k.a. Selket, Serqet, Serquet, Selcis) The goddess protector against poisonous animal bites and stings. She wore a scorpion crown.

  • Seshat - (a.k.a. Sesat, Seshet, Sesheta, Seshata, Safkhet) Her name means "She Who Is A Scribe". This goddess of knowledge, wisdom, and writing is the record keeper of the gods.

  • Sesmu - (a.k.a. Shesmu, Shezmu, Schezemu, Sezmu) A minor "demonic" god of slaughter. He also embodied blood, wine, pressed oils, and perfumes.

  • Set - (a.k.a. Seth, Seti, Setekh, Setakh, Setesh, Sutekh, Suty) One of the major gods, representing violence, chaos, and evil, as well as storms, the desert, and foreign wars. Famously killed his own brother Osiris.

  • Shai - (a.k.a. Shay) The gender-changing god of fate (see Shait). Often seen paired with Renenet (fortune) as the "hands of Toth" - the divine knowledge of the gods.

  • Shait - The feminine incarnation of Shai (as a goddess rather than as a god).

  • Shed - He is the god of salvation, tied to Horus in the form of "Horus the Child".

  • Shesmetet - An ancient Egyptian goddess from the land of "Punt" - a close foreign trading neighbor. Possibly an incarnation of Sekhmet or Bastet.

  • Shu - (a.k.a. Su) A very ancient Egyptian god of air, father of Nut and Geb (the sky and earth, respectively), and pacifier of the winds and the earth.

  • Sopdet - (a.k.a. Sothis) Goddess of the star Sirius - the brightest in the night sky - which also represented the upcoming flooding of the Nile.

  • Sopdu - (a.k.a. Septu, Sopedu, Sopd) A god of war and the sky god of eastern Egypt. Protected Egypt from foreign attacks from the East and by the Red Sea.

  • Sphinx - With a human head and the body of a lion, the great Egyptian statue is dedicated to the very same figure from Greek mythology.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - T

  • Tatenen - (a.k.a. Ta-tenen, Tatjenen, Tathenen, Tanen, Tenen, Tanenu, Tanuu) A Memphis god who was associated with creation from the primoridal mounds of the Earth.

  • Taweret - (a.k.a. Taueret, Taurt, Thoeris, Thureris, Apet, Aptet, Ipy, Ipet, Opet, Reret, Reret Weret) An important goddess of Maternity and Childbirth she took the form of a pregnant hippopotamus.

  • Tefen - A male associate of Tefnut who helped with the weighing of the hearts of the dead.

  • Tefnut - (a.k.a. Tefnet, Tefenet, Tphenis) The goddess of moisture in Egyptian myth. She consorted with Shu, the air god to create rain and humidity.

  • Thoth - (a.k.a. Thot, Tetu, Techu, Tehuty, Tehuti, Tahuti, Djehuty, Zehuti) One of the most powerful and heralded gods in Egyptian mythology. Said to have created himself, then created the Universe.

  • Tutu - A unique monster god who protected the Egyptian people from demons, ill-willed gods, and later dreams and nightmares.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - U

  • Un Nefer - A name for either Osiris, Horus, or Ra (depending on who you ask) that refers to one of their roles judging and preparing the dead.

  • Unut - (a.k.a. Un, Wenut, Wenet) A rare, rabbit-headed goddess who symbolized birth and fertility. Formerly took the form of a swift-moving snake.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - W

  • Wadj Wer - (a.k.a. Wadj-Wer) A somewhat androgynous god who represents the fertility of water and land, personified by the flooding of the Nile.

  • Wadjet - (a.k.a. Uadjet) A snake goddess often worshipped along with Bast, she protected pharoahs and pregnant women in cities who worshipped her.

  • Weneg - (a.k.a. Uneg) A sky and death god who could be invoked via a spell via the Pyramid Texts.

  • Wepawet - (a.k.a. Wepwawet) A war deity in the form of a wolf. He was first known as a scout, then as one who opened the way to victory, then to the afterlife.

  • Wosyet - (a.k.a. Waset, Wosret, Wasret, Wosret) A guardian goddess of Thebes whose name means "The Powerful"



  • Now that you've read about Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, how about checking out the List of Greek Gods and Goddesses?  Or if you're in for a good scare, try reading a couple of our reader-submitted True Scary Stories - there are hundreds of them!

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