The Varied Mythology of Ancient Egypt: 4000 BCE - Essay Sample

Introduction

According to mythological studies, there are always conflicting versions of the same myths depending on the period they were told. Therefore, there is no right or wrong version of a myth. Egyptian mythology was embedded in the belief structure and the ancient Egyptian culture dating back from at least 4000 BCE which has been evidenced by tomb paintings, hymns, ritual texts, and burial practices. Egyptian mythology is, therefore, a collection of myths describing the roles of the Egyptian gods as a way of understanding the cosmos (Pinch 11).

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To the ancient Egyptians, the world was often a terrifying place full of destruction and death. Myths were created around this to make it less horrifying but the gods ended up taking every aspect of their lives. Ancient Egyptians were more concerned by life after death more than the present life and this is depicted by the prominent pyramids, which are there to date.

Mythology greatly influenced Egyptian cultures such as religion and kingship. It instead seems bizarre, especially the myths of Osiris and Horus and the stories of the sun god Ra. The deities represented physical objects such as the sun, earth and the sky. Their myth of origin is somehow questionable on how these gods could mate and bring forth the universe. Additionally, the goddess Isis is represented by a cow with horns which is believed she replaced her head with that of a cow when it was chopped off by her son god Horus who got angry with her.

Although these myths may not be literally true, and are a mere representation of what humans cannot understand, it is a form of symbolism to help understand the incomprehensible. It becomes ore strange that they believed such phenomena and went ahead to represent their gods as physical objects such as cows which were sacred. On the other hand, the kingship which originated from the gods at the beginning of time was later passed to human. This is the case of pharaohs which seems quite logical. The role of the king was to link humanity and gods since, the kings were born from gods and a human mother hence, and it showed the connection between humanity and divinity.

Religion was vital in the lives of ancient Egyptians they believed in life after death, where life on earth was a part of the eternal journey and one was needed to live a worthy life. They believed in Heka religion which means magic. The god of magic enabled all other gods to function. The modern religion is similar to the ancient one since they also believe in life after death. More so, they believe in a higher power. The idea of a creator of the whole universe, living a life of harmony, life after death, the god of the dead and even the priests they had is a form of the new mythological system developed from the ancient religion.

There lies a controversial similarity between ancient religion and modern Christianity. Osiris, the god of the dead one of the most important gods, was betrayed by his brother, murdered and was resurrected by the product of his wife's love. Although this resonates less with Christ's death, there is no much difference between the ancient and the modern religion.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the myths affected the culture of the Egyptians. Typically in time, that is how the god Ra rises in the morning and sets in the evening. Most importantly in the work of art, the amulets they wore had mythical symbols that had the eye of Horus as a sign of protection.

Works Cited

Pinch, Geraldine. Egyptian mythology: A guide to the gods, goddesses, and traditions of ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press, USA, 2004.