The main ancient religions of Egypt. The Religion and Mythology of Ancient Egypt

The ancient religions of Egypt have always been inseparable from the mythology and mysticism inherent in this part of the globe. It was thanks to ancient Egyptian myths and legends that paganism in Russia was further developed. Also echoes of this culture can be observed in modern Judaism, Islam, Christianity. A lot of images and legends spread throughout the globe and eventually became part of the modern world. Assumptions and hypotheses concerning Egyptian culture and religion are still being tormented by scientists of the world desperately trying to unravel the secrets of this amazing country.

Main directions

The religion of ancient Egypt is diverse. It combines several directions, such as:

• Fetishism . It is a worship of inanimate objects or materials to which mystical properties are attributed. These can be amulets, paintings or other things.
• Monotheism . It is based on belief in one god, but at the same time allows the existence of other supernatural forms or several divine faces, which are the image of the same character. Such a god may appear in different guises, but its essence remains unchanged.
• Polytheism . A belief system that is based on polytheism. In polytheism, there are whole pantheons of divine creatures, each of which is responsible for a particular subject.
• Totemism . A very common phenomenon for ancient Egypt. The essence of this direction is to worship the totems. Most often they are animals that are presented with gifts, to appease the gods through them and ask them about a happy life or comfort in another world.

All these directions were formed over more than 3 thousand years, and, of course, for such a long time the religion of ancient Egypt survived many changes. For example, some gods, who occupied the last place in their importance, gradually became the main, and vice versa. Some symbols merged and turned into completely new elements. A separate part is occupied by legends and beliefs concerning the afterlife. Thanks to this versatility, various branches and constantly changing rituals in Egypt, there was no single state religion. Each group of people chose a separate direction or deity, which later began to worship. Perhaps this is the only belief that did not unite all the inhabitants of the country, and sometimes led to wars due to the fact that the priests of one commune did not share the views of another, worshiping other gods.

Magic in ancient Egypt

Magic was the basis of all directions and was practically presented to people as the religion of ancient Egypt. It is difficult to sum up all the mystical beliefs of the ancient Egyptians. On the one hand, magic was an instrument and was directed against enemies, on the other, it was used to protect animals and people.

Amulets

The most important significance was given to all kinds of amulets, which were endowed with extraordinary power. The Egyptians believed that such things could protect not only the living person, but also his soul after the transition to another world.

There were amulets on which the ancient priests wrote special magic formulas. Particularly serious about the rites, during which the amulet spells were pronounced. On the body of the deceased it was also customary to put a sheet of papyrus with words addressed to the gods. Thus the relatives of the deceased asked the higher powers for mercy and for a better fate for the soul of the deceased.

Figures of animals and people

Myths and religion of ancient Egypt include stories about all kinds of animal figures. Egyptians attached such amulets to great importance, because such things could not only bring good luck, but also help curse the enemy. For these purposes, a figure of a man who needed to be punished was made of wax. In the future, this direction was transformed into black magic. In the Christian religion, too, there is a similar custom, but, on the contrary, it is aimed at healing. To do this, it is necessary to mold the sick part of the human body from the wax and bring it to the church to the icon of the saint, whose relatives ask for help.

On a par With amulets Great importance was attached to drawings and all sorts of spells. Originally there was a tradition to bring food to the funerary room and put it next to the mummy of the deceased in order to appease the gods. After a while, when the food spoiled, the Egyptians brought fresh offerings, but in the end everything was reduced to the fact that next to the mummified body was a picture of food and a scroll with certain spells. It was believed that after reading the coveted words over the deceased priest could transmit a message to the gods and secure the soul of the deceased.

"Words of power"

This spell was considered one of the most powerful. The ancient religions of Egypt attached special significance to the utterance of sacral texts. Depending on the circumstances, this spell could produce a different effect. To do this, it was necessary to name the name of this or that creature, which the priest wanted to call. The Egyptians believed that it was the knowledge of this name that was the key to everything. Remnants of such beliefs have survived to this day.

Turn of Akhenaten

After the Hyksos were expelled from Egypt (which influenced the ancient religions of Egypt), The country experienced a religious upheaval, instigated by Akhenaten. It was at this time that the Egyptians began to believe in the existence of a single god.

The chosen god was Aton, but this belief did not take root because of his sublime character. Therefore, after the death of Akhenaten, very few worshipers of a single deity remained. This brief period of monotheism nevertheless left its imprint on subsequent directions of the Egyptian religion.

According to one version, the Levites, led by Moses, were one of those who believed in the god Aton. But due to the fact that it became unpopular in Egypt, the sect was forced to leave its native land. In the course of their journey, the followers of Moses united with the nomadic Jews and converted them into their faith. The Ten Commandments, which are now known, strongly resemble the lines of one of the chapters of the Book of the Dead, which is called the "Commandment of Denial." It lists 42 sins (one for each god, which, according to one of the Egyptian religions, there were also 42). At present, this is only a hypothesis that allows us to consider in more detail the features of the religion of ancient Egypt. There is no reliable evidence, but many experts are increasingly inclined to this formulation. By the way, the controversy over the fact that Christianity is based on Egyptian beliefs, is still not quenched.

Egyptian religion in Rome

At a time when the mass spread of Christianity began, and Alexander the Great died, the Egyptian religion completely merged with ancient mythology. At a time when the old gods no longer met all the requirements of society, there was a cult of Isis, which spread to the entire territory of the Roman Empire. Along with the new trend, a great deal of interest began to manifest itself to Egyptian magic, whose influence by this time had already reached Britain, Germany, and began to spread throughout Europe. It is difficult to say that this was the only religion of ancient Egypt. Briefly, it can be imagined as an intermediate step between paganism and gradually emerging Christianity.

Egyptian pyramids

These buildings have always been shrouded in hundreds of legends and beliefs. Until now, scientists are trying to unravel the mystery of how any organic objects undergo mummification in the pyramids. Even small animals that died in these buildings are stored for a very long time without embalming. Some people say: after spending some time in the ancient pyramids, they experienced a surge of energy, and even got rid of some chronic diseases.

The culture and religion of ancient Egypt are closely connected with these extraordinary buildings. This is understandable, since the pyramids have always been the symbol of all Egyptians, regardless of which religious line was chosen by a particular group of people. Until now, tourists who come on an excursion to the pyramids, say that in these places blunt razor blades become sharp if they are correctly placed, being guided by the sides of the world. Moreover, there is an opinion that it is not so important, from which material the pyramid is made and where it is located, it can be made even from cardboard, and it will still have unusual properties. The main thing is to observe the correct proportions.

Religion and art of ancient Egypt

The art of the country has always been closely connected with the religious preferences of the Egyptians. Since any image and sculpture had a mystical connotation, there were special canons according to which such creations were created.

In honor of the gods, huge temples were erected, and their images were imprinted in stone or precious materials. God Choir was portrayed as a falcon or a man with a falcon head, thus symbolizing wisdom, justice and writing. The conductor of the dead Anubis was portrayed as a jackal, and the goddess of war Sokhmet always appeared in the image of a lioness.

Unlike Eastern cultures, the ancient religions of Egypt presented the deities not as fearsome and punishing avengers, but on the contrary, as majestic and all-knowing gods. Pharaohs and kings were representatives of the rulers of the world and were respected no less, therefore they were painted in the form of animals. It was believed that the image of a man is his invisible double, which was called "Ka" and was always presented in the form of a young man, regardless of the age of the Egyptian himself.

Each statue and picture had to be necessarily signed by their creator. The unsigned creation was considered unfinished.

The religion and mythology of ancient Egypt pay great attention to the organs of sight of man and animal. It is from that time that the belief has gone that it is the eyes that are the mirror of the soul. The Egyptians believed that the dead were completely blind, so that such attention was paid to sight. According to the Egyptian myth, when the god Osiris was treacherously killed by his own brother, his son Horus cut out his eye and gave it to swallow his father, after which he was resurrected.

Deified animals

Egypt is a country with a fairly poor animal world, yet the ancient Egyptians honored nature and representatives of flora and fauna. They worshiped the black bull, which was a divine creature - Apis. Therefore in the temple of the animal there was always a living bull. He was worshiped by the townspeople. As the well-known Egyptologist Mikhail Aleksandrovich Korostovtsev wrote, the religion of ancient Egypt is quite extensive, it sees symbolism in many things. One such was the cult of the crocodile, which personified the god Sebek. Just as in the temples of Apis, in the places of worship of Sebek, there were always living crocodiles, which were fed only by the priests. After the death of the animals their bodies were mummified (they were treated with the utmost respect and reverence).

Also in honor were falcons and vultures. For the killing of these winged ones you could pay with life.

A separate place in the history of Egyptian religion is occupied by cats. The most important god Ra was always represented in the form of a huge cat. Also there was the goddess Bastet, who appears in the image of a cat. The death of this animal was marked by mourning, and the body of the four-footed was attributed to the priests who read spells over them and embalmed it. To kill a cat was considered a huge sin, followed by a terrible payoff. In case of fire, first of all, a cat was saved from a burning house, and then by family members.

Considering the ancient Egyptian mythology, it is impossible not to mention the beetle-scarab. This great insect is given a great role by the religion of ancient Egypt. The summary of the most famous myth about him is that this beetle personifies life and self-regeneration.

The concept of the soul in ancient Egypt

The Egyptians divided the human being into several systems. As mentioned earlier, each person had a "Ka" particle, which was his counterpart. In the burial room of the deceased, an additional coffin was placed, in which this very part had to rest.

Particle "Ba" was the very soul of man. At first, it was believed that only Gods had this component.

"Ah" - the spirit, was represented in the form of an ibis and was a separate part of the soul.

Shu is a shadow. The essence of the human soul, which is hidden on the dark side of consciousness.

Also there was a part of "Sakh", which personified the body of the deceased after his mummification. A separate place was occupied by the heart, since it was the receptacle of the whole consciousness of man as a whole. The Egyptians believed that during the terrible after-trial, a person could keep silent about his sins, but his heart always revealed the most terrible secrets.

Conclusion

It is rather difficult to list all the ancient religions of Egypt briefly and easily, because they have undergone a lot of changes in such a long time. Definitely one can say one thing: a mysterious Egyptian history contains a huge number of the most extraordinary and mystical secrets. Annual excavations provide incredible surprises and generate more and more questions. To this day, scientists and people who are simply interested in history find unusual symbols and evidence that it was this religion that formed the basis of all the beliefs that still exist today.