Many sources Egyptian mythology presented with slight differences, and they can not be traced systematic exposition.In this regard, historians identified the most reliable sources, which provides information on the mythology of the Egyptians, they were clearly recognized religious texts.They are extant prayers and hymns to the gods, write on the walls of tombs where the funeral rites.
Ancient Egyptians are very sensitive to the realm of the dead, believing in the existence of an afterlife, so the Egyptian mythology is based on the cult of the afterlife and the dead.The most significant of the records, allowing to unveil the mysteries of the Egyptian myths - is the oldest "Pyramid Texts", the royal funeral rites, carved on the inner walls of the pyramids of the pharaohs related to V and VI Dynasty.The sources also could be considered "texts sarcophagi" and "Book of the Dead."Last artifact was compiled from the beginning of the period of the New Kingdom until the end of the history of ancient Egypt.
Long before the emergence of class society began to form Egyptian mythology, the first details of which relate to VI - IV millennium BC.In every area of life was the cult of the gods, that embodies the heavenly bodies, trees, rocks, animals, snakes, birds, etc.
is difficult to overestimate the importance of the Egyptian myths.This unique material, which allows to study the religious ideas that existed in the Ancient East, to carry out comparative characteristics and examine the ideology of the Greco-Roman world.It provides an invaluable service for understanding the history of the appearance and development of the Christian religion.
Egyptian mythology early in its inception was not based on the cosmic gods, which is usually credited with the creation of the world.According to scientists, the large priests appealed to the cosmological ideas later.The first versions of the world existed then high society of the country was the union of Heaven and Earth, from which the sun was born.This tells us the Egyptian mythology.The gods personifying the earth (Geb), the sky (Nut) and the sun (Ra) are present in all sources extant.They are described throughout the history of ancient Egypt in the scriptures, and their images are in many tombs of pharaohs.According to the beliefs of the Egyptians the sky goddess Nut every morning sired Ra - the sun god, and every night hid it in her womb.
largest religious centers of Egypt (Heliopolis, Hermopolis and Memphis) had its own system, which included a different version in the creation of the world.Each of them had his own creator, and therefore their chief god.He, in turn, he was the progenitor of all the gods around him.
Religion Egyptians had a total concept, which was based on the idea of the existence of the chaos of water, immersed in the eternal darkness that preceded the emergence of the world.The appearance of light, in their opinion, was the beginning of the output from the chaos, but it was the embodiment of the sun.Such representations from the perspective of historians is understandable, since the population of Egypt are witnessing the annual flooding of the Nile, and then there was a decline of water.For them it is an annual act of creation.
If we talk about such a concept as Egyptian mythology, the gods represented in it in different ways.A curious fact, despite the cosmogonic stories, is the small attention paid to the creation of man.The literary heritage of this country is almost no mention.Religion Egyptians suggests that the gods created the world for people, and his birth man owes to God.The priests of Heliopolis, considered the creator of the world god Ra, identifying him as a man Atum and Khepri as a scarab beetle.This is indicated by "Pyramid Texts."
