In pop culture, we often see mythology adapted for the stories of books, movies, and video games. This includes Egyptian mythology. The Egyptians, like many others, have their own beliefs on how the world was made. This is their story.
They believed that in the beginning, Ra (the sun) awoke. The void was empty and lonely. This inspired Ra to create four others: Get (the earth), Nut (the sky), Tefnut (moisture), and Shu (the air). Eventually Ra discovered Nut was pregnant. Displeased by the idea of more gods would be born without Ra's intent for them to be born, Ra tells Nut none of her children could be born on any day of the year. It was believed that back then there were only 360 days in the year. So Nut gambled with Khonsu, the moon god. She was able to win enough moonlight to create five more days. On each of these days her children, Set (sometimes spelled Seth), Osiris, Horus, and Nephthys, were born. These gods, it was believed, would be reborn over and over again.
One famous story from Egyptian mythology is of one of these rebirths. Osiris was the king of Egypt (it was believed the pharaohs were reincarnated gods) and Isis was his queen. Seth was jealous and concocted a plot. He built a sarcophagus (tomb) and challenged all to try to fit it. The sarcophagus, however, was built to only fit Osiris. When Osiris climbed into the sarcophagus, Seth closed the top and hid it. Isis searched and eventually found the sarcophagus but Seth, fearing his brothers' return, cut the coffin and scattered it. Isis, joined by her "son" Horus, her sister Nephthys, and her other son Anubis, recovered all the pieces. However, when the four resurrected Osiris, they found he now ruled the dead.
Many confuse Anubis to be the god of the dead but it's actually Osiris. Anubis is the god of burials and is typically depicted with Osiris in the Hall of Truth, judging dead mortals. Horus, now fully grown, confronted his uncle/brother and challenged him for the throne. During this fight, Horus lost his eye, which was replaced by Thoth, the god of wisdom, with moonlight. This is what came to be the symbol of the Eye of Horus. After this fight, Horus won the title of the god of war.
The ancient Egyptians also believed each person was made up of five distinct parts - the Akh, the Ba, the Ka, the Ren, and the Sheut. Akh: The Akh, or Ib, was your physical body. It was most often used to mean a complete person, whether living or dead. While living, the Akh referenced the five elements - your body, Ba, Ka, Ren, and Shadow. When dead, the Akh referred to the reunion of the Ba and the Ka, which they believed happened each night.
Ba: The Ba was your personality. It was whatever made each person unique that was not physical, such as your humor, your warmth, and your charm. The Ba is pictured in hieroglyphics as a bird with a human head as the Egyptians thought birds were able to fly between the worlds of the living and the afterlife.
Ka: The Ka was your life force. It was believed every ancient Egyptians was born with a Ka that was uniquely theirs.
Ren: The Ren was your identifiable name. If something happened to your preserved body or if your name was not written down, the Ba and the Ka would be lost. They would find their way home to your tomb, causing you to disappear forever. You would not be able to watch over your family or enjoy your afterlife.
Sheut: The Sheut was the shadow of your body. It was considered an extension of yourself. In ancient Egypt, each shadow was considered very powerful.
Other gods have been created for other aspects of life or animals. If you are interested, you can reference the chart below!
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