Differences In Ancient Egyptian Myth And Religion

Most famous for it’s giant pyramids and sphinx structures, Ancient Egypt is continually studied due to the mysterious history of the culture. Scientists have made huge strides in further interpreting certain aspects of these ancient people, one aspect being: religion. Although the act of worshipping a God or multitude of Gods is usually seen as a religion, the ancient Egyptians also used magic as a part of their daily spiritual needs. Because of this, many would argue that the Egyptians are distinctly different than most other religions. Despite the existence of Gods in their culture, magic was ultimately used to manipulate the Gods rather than serve them. In light of this, Egyptian mythology/religion is seen as something different all together.
The origins of magic may differ in subtle ways amongst different Egyptian societies but they all present a similar story. In Egyptian mythology, the universe was originally thought to be a dark abyss known as the “Nun”. This area was overrun by the serpent: Apep/Apophis and he himself embodied chaos and destruction (Pinch 12). Once the first land, called the Primeval Mound appeared, the creator God had a platform to transform chaos into order. This God was the first to use magic, and created everything in existence, including other deities and humans. In Egyptian mythology, this story of creation is personified by the Goddess: Maat. Once humans came into contact with the Gods, humans were also given magic, establishing the species above all other creations. It is also important to note that the exact origins of humans is not as important to the Egyptians, as is the origins of magic. Magic also had three different categories: Destructive
Although many Egyptian societies contained large temples meant for rituals and sacrifices, the majority of magic was normally done within the household. Rituals were not concrete, and every individual had unique ways of performing their own. Rituals often used animals as a sacrifice , the citing of spells, various objects, hand gestures, and other actions to bring about the desired outcome. Each household held multiple magical objects including: figurines, amulets, and oils. Possessing these items was believed to make the ritual more likely to happen, and also heighten the effects of the magic. Like most ancient civilizations, the Egyptians paid close attention to celestial occurrences. Different phases of the moon, and other natural events such as shooting stars, and eclipses demanded imminent rituals. The more unusual an event seemed, the more superstitious the people got, leading to an abundance of sacrifice and magic. Although magic is seen as primitive thinking compared to modern times, during ancient Egyptian times, it was widely accepted and even admired. As stated by Pesch, on the subject of magic: “[A] different kind of thinking, dependent on different social conditions, equally valid within its specific society”. By this, Pesch is making the argument that Egyptians are completely justified to perform magic, due to the time period and social norms of their society. The Egyptian’s perception of the world