Author Description

THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS During thousands of years of existence, the beliefs which comprised what was called Egyptian religion passed through nearly every phase known to students of comparative mythology. It is possible to ask in what manner the modern mythologist is better equipped to analyze elements. Hence, confounding and difficult to explain as the mythic shapes of the divinities worshipped in the Nile Valley if ancient Egyptian theologians found it impossible to form a pantheon of deities with any hope of consistency, assigning to each God or goddess his or her proper position in the divine galaxy, which governed a definite sphere, cosmic or psychical. However, the answer is ready. As the science of comparative religion continues to expand, its light is slowly but surely spreading to the dark places of ancient faiths. So then, let us walk in the gloom of the pyramids, in the cool shadows of ruined temples, to say nothing of the tortuous labyrinth of Egypt's mind itself, with the hope that by the light we carry, we shall unravel to some extent the age-long mystery of this mystic land. As a first consideration, it occurs to us that among so many gods as the Egyptian religion contains, it would be surprising if there wasn't some confusion concerning them among the natives. It is proven by the texts, which often struggle to define the exact qualities of specific deities, their grouping, and classification. These ambiguities have their origins close at hand. As we find the texts of the early dynasties contain the names of only a few hundred deities, the later Theban Recension (or version) of the Book of the Dead provides nearly five hundred words, as well as those of mythological beings to the number of eight hundred.