Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses 3

In this article dealing with additional gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt, you will learn who Thoth, Dedwen, and Hathor are , as well as why these deities were so important throughout mythology and religion in Egypt.

 

Thoth

 

It was the God of Wisdom, Thoth (also known as Tehuty or Djehuty) was able to persuade Tefnut to return to Egypt after a heated argument with her father. Besides being associated with wisdom, Thoth is also known as a patron of knowledge, secrets, writing, and scribes. The man possesses the head of an ibis and is often seen holding the palette of the scribe and stylus. Sometimes, his image is depicted as a full ibis (and at times , a baboon).

 

In ancient Egypt, Thoth is viewed as an unusual god where numerous stories connect him as the son of Ra, while others believe that Thoth created himself by using the power of language. Many other associations are linked to Thoth, including being known as the creator of magic, teacher of man, as well as the messenger of the gods. He is also seen as the god who invented writing. Other responsibilities include serving as a record keeper of the divine and a great mediator. Throughout Egypt, Thoth is worshipped, where his cult center was positioned at Hermopolis.

 

Dedwen

 

Watching over Nubia, Dedwen is an anthropomorphic god who is known to have been worshipped at all times throughout ancient Egypt. When looking over the Pyramid Texts, you will find that the king is honored as ” Dedwen ,lord of Nubia.” Since his connection with incense, this is why incense is burned when royalty is born into the world. Dedwen received the building of temples throughout Nubia.

 

Hathor

 

Hathor (who is also known as Het-Hert and Hetheru) is regarded as the patron of the sky, the sun, the queen, music, as well as dance and the arts. When depicted, the goddess is seen as a cow with a sun disk placed between her horns or in human form, as a woman who is wearing a sun disk and horns upon her head. In later periods, her connection with the cow’s head started to emerge and become quite prominent with her existence.

 

The goddess is known as quite an ancient vision, actually dating back to predynastic times. When dynastic rule elevated, Hathor became the queen alongside Horus as king. When translating her name, this becomes prevalent as it means “The House of Horus.” In many circles, she is seen as the mother-goddess of the entire world , in a much similar fashion to that of Isis. Her worship is quite different than other goddesses, as both males and females served as her priests. This was uncommon as most deities had clerics that were of the same gender. In Egypt, her cult center was situated at Dendera, which is located in Upper Egypt.