Deities of Early Egypt
Introduction to Gods
Until around the 7th century, Egypt had what was known as a polytheistic religion (from Greek poly meaning “many” and theo meaning “god”), which recognizes and worships many gods. In this type of religion, each god has different, and sometimes multiple, roles. By looking carefully at images of the gods and noticing their characteristics, we can start to understand what those roles are.
For example, look closely at a statue from LACMA’s Egyptian collection. This steatite stone sculpture dates back to the Late Period (circa 755 - 525 BCE) and depicts an Egyptian deity or god. What do you notice about the figure’s clothing and posture?
Statuette of Osiris, Egypt, Late Period, 25th - 26th Dynasty (circa 755 - 525 B.C.), Sculpture, Steatite, Height: 10 1/16 in. (25.6 cm); Width: 2 3/4 in. (7 cm); Depth of base: 1 3/16 in. (3 cm), Gift of Varya and Hans Cohn (AC1992.152.49), Egyptian Art
This human-shaped figure represents an Egyptian deity called Osiris. As we can see, Osiris wears a crown on his head, meaning that he is connected to the institution of rulership. He also wears distinct regalia -- clothes and objects usually connected to Egyptian rulers. This includes the fake beard strapped to his chin and the crook and flail, symbols of leadership and nourishment. Oftentimes pharaohs would even claim to be connected to Horus to justify their right to rule over the Egyptian people. Osiris also had connections to the Nile River, the source of Egyptian food and life, so he was also seen as the deity of fertility and growth. These characteristics point to him being a leader of the gods and protector of pharaohs, rulers of Egypt. There are several objects related to Osiris in LACMA’s collection, and we encourage you to check them out!
According to the traditions of Memphis, an important Egyptian city, Osiris’ brother Set, the god of deserts and chaos, was jealous of Osiris’ power as ruler of the gods. He succeeded in killing his brother and scattering his body all across Egypt. Osiris, though, had a wife named Isis, who also happened to be the goddess of magic. She retrieved all the pieces of her husband’s body and used her magic to put him back together and temporarily bring him back to life. During their last day together, they created their son, the falcon-headed deity of the skies, Horus, who was destined to avenge his father’s death. Meanwhile, Osiris became the ruler and protector of the Duat, the land of the dead.
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Cartonnage Painted Fragment depicting Isis, Egypt, Late Period - Ptolemaic Period (724 - 31 BCE), Textiles; fragments, Cartonnage, painted, 4 5/16 x 2 3/4 in. (11 x 7 cm), Gift of Robert Miller and Marilyn Miller Deluca (M.80.199.139), Egyptian Art
Winged Isis, Egypt, Late Period-Roman Period, 711 BCE - CE 395, Sculpture, Bronze, Height: 8 3/4 in. (22.07 cm); Width: 2 5/16 in. (5.72 cm); Depth: 3 1/2 in. (8.89 cm), Gift of Varya and Hans Cohn (AC1992.152.66), Egyptian Art
Take a look at the two depictions of Isis. What are some of the features you notice? How is she depicted differently in the sculpture versus the mural? Many objects from early Egypt depict scenes and deities from the Egyptian worldview and religion. What characters or people important to you would you make a sculpture or painting of?
After Death
Early Egyptians had a lot of rituals related to death and ensuring that the deceased could be at peace in the Duat, the land of the dead. Among the many rituals, one of the better known is mummification, a process in which a body is preserved through various naturally-occurring chemicals and materials to protect it from decay. The Egyptians would also put protective amulets, or other protective charms or jewelry, on the body to protect it from spiritual decay. This would be important in the person’s journey to the Duat.
It was believed that when a person died, their spirit would be led by the jackal-headed god Anubis to the Duat, where they would begin the Weighing of the Heart ceremony. There, the deceased person’s heart (often shown in art as a jar) would be weighed against Ma’at, the goddess who embodied order and morality (often depicted as a feather). If a person’s heart were virtuous, it would be as light as a feather, and they would be permitted to enter the spirit’s final resting place -- the Field of Reeds in the Duat. Those with hearts heavy with chaos and wickedness would be eaten by the demoness Ammut. Seeing as no one is perfect and free from sin, the amulets put on the body during the mummification process would help lessen some of the weight.
Coffin, Egypt, likely Thebes, mid-21st Dynasty (about 1000 - 968 BCE), Furnishings; Accessories, Wood, gesso, polychrome and yellow varnish, Base: 73 3/4 x 21 1/2 x 13 in. (187.33 x 54.61 x 33.02 cm); Outer Lid: 74 1/4 x 21 3/4 x 14 in. (188.59 x 55.24 x 35.56 cm); Inner Lid: 69 1/8 x 16 5/8 x 4 1/4 in. (175.58 x 42.23 x 10.79 cm), Purchased with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. John Jewett Garland (M.47.3a-c), Egyptian Art
Anubis Amulet, Egypt, Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, 724-30 B.C., Jewelry and Adornments; amulets, Faience, Anonymous gift (M.80.200.5), Egyptian Art
Heart Scarab, Egypt, New Kingdom-Late Period, 1569-333 BCE, Jewelry and Adornments, Serpentine, 1 1/2 × 3/4 × 2 in. (3.81 × 1.91 × 5.08 cm), Anonymous gift (AC1999.116.1), Egyptian Art
Let’s take a close look at this 3D-modeled Amulet. What do you think it is? Do you notice anything etched on the Amulet? We believe it represents two baboons! What animal would you have on an amulet to protect you?
In Life: Rituals and Practice
As we learned, Osiris rules over the Duat, the realm of the dead, but what happened back in the land of living in Egypt? Who gets to be king next? -- the pharaoh’s sibling or another descendant? Set, Osiris’ brother, and Horus, Osiris’ son, battled to see who would take over. In one of these battles, Horus loses one of his eyes and asks his mother to heal the wound. The act of healing Horus’ eye then symbolizes restoration to wholeness. So when Egyptians wore amulets with this symbol -- The Eye of Horus -- they hoped for protection from injury and speedy recovery from injuries that had already befallen them. Look at this 3D model of an Eye of Horus amulet to see how people create and wear objects with this symbol.
Let’s look at an image of Horus from LACMA’s collection. This bronze sculpture dates back to anywhere from 711 to 332 BCE, placing it in the Late Period, around the same time as the Osiris sculpture. What do we see with this sculpture?
Figure of Horus as a Falcon, Egypt, Late Period (711 - 332 BCE), Sculpture, Bronze, 6 1/2 × 1 7/8 × 4 1/2 in. (16.51 × 4.76 × 11.43 cm), Gift of Varya and Hans Cohn (AC1992.152.52), Egyptian Art
We can see that this sculpture depicts a bird, specifically a falcon. Falcons have amazing eyesight, allowing them to hunt small prey high in the sky. Egyptians thought of falcons as being able to see everything, another characteristic associated with the Eye of Horus. But the unusual thing about this falcon, and we can tell it's a deity, is that it has something on its head. This falcon is wearing the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt -- the same crown that Osiris wore, meaning he won the battle for rulership against Set and became leader of the Egyptian deities.
Let’s look at another image of Horus from LACMA’s collection. This limestone sculpture is a bit more recent and dates back to 332 BCE - 337 CE, placing it to Egypt’s Greco-Roman period when it was governed by rulers from outside Egypt. How does this statue differ from the Late Period statue of Horus? What do these sculptures have in common? What do you think it can tell us about changing traditions?
Picture of Horus, Seated, Egypt, Probably Greco-Roman Period (332 BCE - 337 CE), Sculpture, Limestone, 2 9/16 x 1 1/4 in. (6.5 x 3.1 cm), Gift of Robert Miller and Marilyn Miller Deluca (M.80.199.11), Egyptian Art
This image depicts Horus as having a half-human, half-falcon body, highlighting that Horus is a divine figure -- a deity. An important indication of his status comes from his regalia. He still wears the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, demarcating him as a protector, blessing Egypt’s pharaohs. There are several objects related to Horus in LACMA’s collection. Take a look!
Let’s pause to look at a different object from LACMA’s collection. What do you notice that makes it similar to some of the statues we’ve already seen?
Syrian Warrior God, Syria, Phoenician, 1550-1150 B.C., Sculpture, Bronze with gold and silver overlay, 7 × 2 × 3 in. (17.78 × 5.08 × 7.62 cm), Mr. and Mrs. Allan C. Balch Collection (M.45.3.121), Art of the Middle East: Ancient
This figure, which LACMA calls a warrior god, wears the crown of Egypt, but it comes from an area that is now part of northern Syria. It dates from circa 1550-1150 BCE, and the figure probably held a weapon such as a spear. It is one example of how Egypt influenced, and was influenced by, the cultures around it. This exchange of traditions and art styles is very common across many cultures, and we expand more on this subject in the following lesson on communication and exchange.
While Horus was strongly associated with the pharaoh, were there other deities that looked over everyday people? Let us look at Taweret, the Hippo goddess of fertility, childbirth, and protection, who was worshipped in homes instead of in a temple. What do you notice about her that makes you think she could protect a family?
Figure of Taweret, Egypt, New Kingdom (1600 - 1081 BCE), Sculpture, Wood, 15 1/2 × 3 1/2 × 4 1/2 in. (39.37 × 8.89 × 11.43 cm), William Randolph Hearst Collection (50.37.12), Egyptian Art
Now look at Bes, the male counterpart to Taweret, who also protected households, children, and fertility. How does he look different from Taweret? In what way does he look protective?
Figurine of the God Bes, Egypt, Third Intermediate Period (1081 - 711 B.C.), Sculpture, Bronze with gold inlays, Height: 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm), Museum Associates General Acquisition Fund, Joan Palevsky, and the Ancient Art Council (M.90.28), Egyptian Art
Making Connections
Beginning in the 4th century BCE, Egypt was governed by rulers from other cultures, such as the Greeks and Romans. During this time, Egyptian religion would change in various ways from these outside influences. Greek and Roman deities would displace or become combined with Egyptian ones, with traditions and practices blending between the Egyptian people and foreign leaders. Throughout the following centuries, especially through Arab influence from the East, there would be a slow transition to Islam. By the 12th century CE, this monotheistic religion became the dominant religion within Egypt.
Standing Osirian Figure, Standing Osirian Figure, Egypt (modern) Bronze, Height 8 in (20.3 cm) Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James Sanders
Though early Egyptian (sometimes referred to as Kemetic) religion is no longer as widely practiced as it was thousands of years ago, early Egyptian culture continued to influence societies worldwide. In the early 1800s, for example, French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte sparked an “Egyptomania” within Europe following his military campaign in Egypt. During this period, European society became obsessed with collecting, looting, and appropriating early Egyptian imagery, even going as far as making their versions of sculptures depicting deities like Osiris, like the object seen above. Some of these sculptures are currently in LACMA’s collection. These continuing influences from within and outside Egypt show how Egyptian culture changes and adapts to different social and political conditions. Egypt today reflects these long changes, with their long history present in the country’s architecture, art, and traditions.