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This image gallery is a visual guide to the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt. It includes depictions of many of Egypt's more iconic and widely worshipped deities, along with brief descriptions of their roles in Egyptian religion. Each of Egypt's gods filled an important role in the proper functioning of the cosmos. Elemental gods watched over everything from the annual flooding of the Nile to the solar and lunar cycles. Other gods and goddesses protected humanity from disease and dangerous animals or provided inspiration to craftworkers and physicians.
These deities permeated Egyptian culture and were frequent subjects of Egyptian art and literature. Many were depicted with distinctive attributes such as clothing and objects. They were also often associated with a specific animal or animals. For example, Anubis is recognizable by his jackal-head, while Hathor is known for her bovine horns. Even today, the gods of Egypt loom large in the imagination, and are easily recognized by their iconic features.
Egyptian Coffin with Coiled Snake (Atum) on the Top
by Art Institute of Chicago
published on 03 October 2020
Atum was the universal creator deity in Egyptian mythology. He willed himself into existence in the beginning, emerging out of the dark primordial waters (Nu) that existed before creation. Sitting upon the primordial mound, he felt loneliness and created the gods. Pictured: Bronze coffin decoration depicting the god Atum as a coiled serpent. Late Period of Ancient Egypt (525-332 BCE). (Art Institute of Chicago)
Original image by Art Institute of Chicago. Uploaded by Arienne King, published on 03 October 2020. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Public Domain. This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.
