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tigerkirby215 · 2 years

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5e Ba’al, the Kandarian Demon of Manipulation build (Ash vs Evil Dead)

(Image from Villains Wiki)

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I promise this isn’t just going to be the “Ash vs Evil Dead” month and I honestly feel bad doing another character from the TV show, but put simply I can’t give all the love to the living. Unfortunately most of the demons outside of the TV show are kinda... underexplored? An episodic TV show gives a lot more time for character development when compared to a 90 minute movie, and an episodic format has the added bonus of not requiring Ash to blast the Deadite in the face 10 minutes after their introduction.

It’s okay though because Baal being the main villain of Season 2 of Ash vs gives me plenty to work with. And he has the most demonic power of all: gaslighting.

GOALS

High Tension - The deadites in Evil Dead love their manipulation so it’s no surprise Bill feels the same, whispering sweet nothings to people to try and break them.

The Claw! - While Bal isn’t the type to fight head on he is still a demon, and he’s got very long fingernails. Or well, fingernail (singular.)

He could be in this very room! - It’s good to get into someone else’s skin sometimes, but don’t take it too literally.

RACE

Holy shit I get to use a Tiefling while writing builds for the demon book, and holy shit all the variant Tieflings are now considered Legacy content. Well I guess we can start by talking about what all Tieflings get, being Darkvision, Hellish Resistance to fire, and the Infernal language because... duh of course you know Sumerian.

Seeing as Ba’al is a master manipulator we’ll be going for... Baalzebul Tiefling? Well along with the fact that “Baalzebul” has “Baal” in the name put simply we’re going to be getting everything from the more-apt Fierna Tiefling later down the line, so grabbing Legacy of Maladomini for Thaumaturgy, Ray of Sickness (at level 3), and the very apt Crown of Madness (at level 5) is better for us. You can also increase your Charisma by 2 and Intelligence by 1 which fits a master manipulator well.

ABILITY SCORES

Ba’al is very interesting because I kinda need good stats in everything if I want to be accurate, because well... he’s a demon lord? But pulling out point buy just to make this character work is a bit redundant so we’ll be keeping to Standard Array and taking the most important stats:

15; CHARISMA - You are a lord of manipulation and most of your strength is devilish in nature.

14; CONSTITUTION - Say it with me now: “there’s nothing else we need and it’s good to have health.”

13; DEXTERITY - Something something not Medium Armor, but we do need good AC.

12; WISDOM - Be it for Insight or just general Wisdom you need to be able to tell things apart.

10; INTELLIGENCE - You are a demon lord but you do get outsmarted by Ash Williams. Yeah: that guy. So maybe you’re not as smart as you think you are.

8; STRENGTH - You need Strength to control The Claw but we’ll have other ways of doing things,

BACKGROUND

Is there a “Minor Lord of Hell” background? No? Well Faceless (from the funny hell book that isn’t the Necronomicon Ex Mortis) will let you keep your ruse up with the party that you aren’t playing an evil character. You get proficiency with Deception and Intimidation, a Disguise Kit (which you probably won’t use so you know maybe replace it with a language or something), and a language of your choice which... sure you know Infernal but Abyssal makes plenty of sense in case the Dark Ones have you work the customs office.

Your background trait Dual Personalities will let you keep a ruse up as a friendly psychologist to everyone who might doubt you, including your friends! As long as you don’t give them a reason to doubt that you’re trying to help Ash kill the book then nothing bad will happen to you. I’m sure of it.

(Image from Headhunter's Horror House Wiki. Jeeze that’s a mouthful.)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - SORCERER 1

Starting off as a Sorcerer because Baal has strong innate power, is surprisingly squishy, and Constitution saving throw proficiency is good to have. You can also take proficiency with Arcana and Persuasion to keep that mastery over demonic magic and persuasion to yourself.

Sorcerers get to choose their subclass at level 1 and Baal has enough psychic powers for me to take the Aberrant Mind subclass. Along with getting Telepathic Speech to whisper sweet nothings into peoples’ ears without anyone hearing you (or potentially even seeing you) you get Psionic Spells to learn some extra divination / enchantment spells, or just keep to the spells the feature already gives you. Which by the way you also get Spellcasting as a Sorcerer if you didn’t know!

Anyways your Psionic Spells gives you access to Mind Sliver (which is a nice cantrip to invoke your inner Eligos) and Dissonant Whispers which fits you well enough and can’t realistically be obtained anywhere else, but I’d suggest replacing Arms of Hadar with good ol’ Charm Person, to do... exactly what the spell says. (Which is charm someone, not mind control them. That comes later!

You can also learn 4 cantrips and 2 leveled spells: for your cantrips take Mage Hand for an extra limb you can stick a puppet onto, Mending to fix any tears in your outfits or... tears in your outfits (remember that a corpse is an object), Prestidigitation to do general gaslighting things, and... I dunno Dancing Lights look funky I guess? Sorcerers get too many cantrips man...

Anyways for your leveled spells... well I mean, Mage Armor and Shield are unfortunately somewhat mandatory to keep your squishy self safe from a chainsaw while also rocking a nice suit.

LEVEL 2 - WARLOCK 1

I really hope you didn’t expect a literal demon to not have at least a little Eldritch power. Warlocks (much like Sorcerers) get to choose their benefactor at level 1 and we’ll obviously be going for the... Undead patron. Simply put Form of Dread is more useful to us than anything that the Fiend patron could realistically give. Along with a spookier true form you gain temporary hitpoints equal to a d10 plus your Warlock level, immunity to the Frightened condition, but most importantly when you strike your foes with any attack roll they have to listen to your whispers in their mind or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn! This transformation lasts for 1 minute and you can use it a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses at the end of a Long Rest.

Speaking of attack rolls you learn 2 cantrips from the Warlock list like Eldritch Blast to blast while you eldritch. You can also take Minor Illusion to create more images to manipulate your foes. You can also learn some 1st level Warlock spells like Hex and Hellish Rebuke, in case your ruse fails.

LEVEL 3 - WARLOCK 2

Speaking of ruses it’s about time you get a disguise, no? Second level Warlocks get to choose their Eldritch Invocations and Mask of Many Faces lets you cast Disguise Self at will, so you can be anyone you desire. Other than that? Well Agonizing Blast is good to agonize your blasts.

Additionally you can learn another 1st level spell, but why do that when 2nd level spells are so close by?

LEVEL 4 - WARLOCK 3

I hope you weren’t sick of your currently 7 cantrips because it’s time for your Pact Boon, and of course you should get your old girlfriend’s book back thanks to the Pact of the Tome. This gets you three more motherfucking cantrips, the most notable of which will be Primal Savagery for a claw that doesn’t take your Strength to use! Is Shocking Grasp probably a better cantrip? Yes, but that doesn’t have the aesthetic of The Claw!

Other than that? Well Guidance is universally useful and Vicious Mockery is kinda the go-to Enchantment / Manipulation damaging cantrip? Which is an elaborate way of saying “I don’t care who I’m building I’m not taking the Friends cantrip.”

Additionally you can learn more spells and at this point I’d get rid of Hellish Rebuke probably to instead grab Blindness / Deafness from the Undead list, Enthrall (which is kinda the textbook Ba’al spell), and Misty Step. For... Flash...?

(Image source.)

LEVEL 5 - WARLOCK 4

4th level Warlocks finally get an Ability Score Improvement which means we can finally bump your Charisma up to an acceptable level for a master of manipulation. But seeing as we only need +1 in Charisma you can also put +1 in Dexterity for more AC, initiative, and all that good stuff.

Additionally you can learn another spell like Suggestion for more powerful mental... suggestion... And you can grab the Toll the Dead cantrip for another way to get around resistances. Because holy hell you have too many cantrips.

LEVEL 6 - WARLOCK 5

5th level Warlocks get another Eldritch Invocation and One with Shadows is universally good to whisper sweet nothings from the background. Or just to hide when Ashy Slashy is out of bed.

You can also learn 3rd level spells like Enemies Abound to make your enemies not know who their enemies are.

LEVEL 7 - WARLOCK 6

6th level Undead Warlocks have spent enough time in hell to finally be considered a demon, or at least Grave Touched. Along with not needing to eat, drink, or breath (which is just a nice boon to have when you enjoy body-hopping) you can replace the damage you deal with Necrotic damage once per turn. This is any damage as long as it originated from an attack roll, including the attacks from your claw!

Additionally, while you are using your Form of Dread you can roll one additional damage die when determining the necrotic damage the target takes. This has very nice synergy with your claw, which uses a d10 as its damage die. But like... it works well with Eldritch Blast too?

And to top it off you can learn a final Warlock spell, so take Tongues to gaslight anyone you please. (But ask your DM if it works with your telepathic speech.)

(Image from Evil Dead Archive.)

LEVEL 8 - SORCERER 2

We’ve gotten sufficient demonic powers from our non-demonic patron, so it’s time to increase our Charisma... well, increase our spells to manipulate people with our Charisma. For a start you get Font of Magic for Sorcery points which don’t really do much right now (but we’ll talk about them later.

You could also learn another spell and I’ve kinda been ignoring Charm Person for the most part, even though it fits you quite well. But honestly by total level 8 with your Charisma score you really don’t need to use magic for basic manipulation. So like, take Charm Person if you want? But I’m going to be pretending that you didn’t.

LEVEL 9 - SORCERER 3

Hey remember those Sorcery points I didn’t talk about? Well you can use them for Metamagic to empower your spells with the might of the Book of the Dead! I’m going to put it very simply: take Subtle Spell so passers-by don’t notice your manipulation, and take Quickened Spell because quickening Eldritch Blast (or your claw) is a very good way to get more damage output.

Additionally you get 2nd level spells now, meaning you get Detect Thoughts from your Psionic Spells. But instead of taking the Calm Emotions spell (since you’re more of a chaos type yourself) you can grab Crown of Madness, which is like Enemies Abound but bad if your DM plays smart enemies. I’m suggesting Crown of Madness because it fits the character, but honestly if you want a “more useful” spell Tasha's Mind Whip is a very good damaging option (even at this level) that also hinders your foes.

You can also grab spells like Phantasmal Force to make illusions that only the target of the spell can see such as their “old friends” actually being locked-up mental patients, and Alter Self for a proper claw and better disguises that can’t be seen through as easily!

LEVEL 10 - SORCERER 4

Finally by total level 10 we can cap off your Charisma modifier to not only have the best spellcasting you can get, but also so you can actually be a proper “master” of manipulation, instead of just being really good at it.

You can also learn more spells, but we’re going to wait until we can get higher level stuff. You can certainly learn more cantrips though! Seeing as you got most of the cantrips you could need from Warlock and I refuse to take Friends grab Control Flames I guess to exercise your hellish influence.

LEVEL 11 - SORCERER 5

5th level Sorcerers who have access to Tasha’s Necronomicon Ex Mortis can use Magical Guidance to reroll failed skill checks for 1 Sorcery point. More notably however you can now learn 3rd level spells: Psionic Spells provides you with Sending to manipulate your pawns from afar, but I’d replace Hunger of Hadar with Incite Greed to get a whole crowd of primitive screwheads to gawk and stare at you.

Weird logistical nonsense: an ability that you’ll be getting next level would benefit considerably from you having the spell Enemies Abound specifically from your Psionic Spells feature, but I wasn’t about to wait until total level 11 to get probably the best spell for Ba’al.

if your DM is cool ask if you can grab Incite Greed from the Warlock list and get Enemies Abound as a Psionic Spell, but if not then it’s not a big deal.

You can also learn additional spells like Hypnotic Pattern to keep a room dazed and reeling, and... well I mean Fireball is good to have in a pinch.

LEVEL 12 - SORCERER 6

Hope you read that little quote block last level because Psionic Sorcery is why. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher from your Psionic Spells list, you can cast it with Sorcery points equal to the spell’s level instead of a spell slot. Additionally if you do so it requires no components, unless those components are consumed. Basically it’s like you get Subtle Spell for free on top of casting the spell for cheap.

Explaining weird logistical nonsense: Incite Greed states in the spell description that it requires people to stare at its material component, raising a weird question how it works with Subtle Spell / this feature. This is why having Enemies Abound would be better for you, especially since subtly casting Enemies Abound is probably a stronger power move for you. But again it’s not a bit deal: just something to figure out with your DM.

Additionally you gain Psychic Defenses for resistance to Psychic damage and advantage against charms and fears (in case you didn’t want to use your Form of Dread to just become immune to fears), and you can learn a spell like Gaseous Form which is good to get out of tough situations and into people’s noses. (Note: do not use Gaseous Form to go inside of peoples’ noses.)

(Image from The Christian Times)

LEVEL 13 - SORCERER 7

Hey look at that our Sorcerer slots are finally outpacing our Warlock slots. Neither of the Psionic Spells you have on offer fit so I’d suggest replacing them with Confusion and Raulothim's Psychic Lance (from Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons.)

You can also pick up another spell and while there’s plenty of great options at this level Dimension Door is universally good to have in your back pocket. Feel free to step out if your ruse is uncovered.

LEVEL 14 - SORCERER 8

8th level Sorcerers get another Ability Score Improvement, and you’ve probably noticed that uneven Intelligence score of yours. Up your understanding of mortal affairs with the Skill Expert feat. Along with a +1 to your Intelligence you gain proficiency with a skill of your choice (at this point pick whatever will help your party) and Expertise in a skill of your choice: depending on your campaign take Expertise in either Persuasion or Deception to be a master of manipulation.

Do remember to keep your mastery over the arcane too however: there’s a lot of good options but Polymorph is not only very in-character, it’s also kinda an overpowered spell, so that would be my suggestion on what to take. Even if I build for character I also do try to get a strong build.

LEVEL 15 - SORCERER 9

Sorcerers get spells. Spells like Rary’s Telepathic Bond and Telekinesis from Psionic Spells. Sure Telekinesis maybe doesn’t fit (and a spell like Dominate Person or Synaptic Static would perhaps fit better) but it’s still a good spell to have that makes enough sense.

So anyways if you don’t have Dominate Person you should take it. If you do then Animate Objects can help you put on a puppet show.

LEVEL 16 - SORCERER 10

10th level Sorcerers get another Metamagic option: Ash’s mind might be easy to break but if you’re dealing with someone more fear-immune take Heightened Spell to get through their senses.

You can also learn one more spell, and one cantrip too! For your cantrip you have too many, so take Gust I guess I dunno. For your leveled spell Seeming will help you get everyone in proper hospital attire.

(Source.)

LEVEL 17 - SORCERER 11

11th level Sorcerers get 6th level spells. No more Psionic Spells, but Mental Prison is kinda the go-to spell for Ba’al right? Mass Suggestion is alright too but by total level 17 that spell feels kinda redundant.

LEVEL 18 - SORCERER 12

12th level Sorcerers get one last Ability Score or Feat, so take the Tough feat because you mostly have Sorcerer levels and it would be nice if you could take a chainsaw hit or two.

What did you want more spells? What do you think you’re playing: a Wizard?

LEVEL 19 - SORCERER 13

Our final spell level is level 7, and there’s a lot of fun ones at this level but probably the most realistic for you would be Fire Storm. Sure other options might be better but ripping apart the heavens is something that usually only the Dark Ones can do, and now you can do it instead!

LEVEL 20 - SORCERER 14

Hope waiting 20 total levels to jump into someone else’s body wasn’t too long, but to be fair that isn’t something mortals normally do. (And even if you’re imitating Bill you’re still unfortunately mortal.) Regardless Revelation in Flesh is a funky little ability that lets you do a variety of things with your Bonus Action, all for the low low cost of 1 Sorcery point. You can see invisible creatures, fly, swim, and jump into peoples’ bodies! Overall it’s a pretty good capstone for a demon lord such as yourself.

FINAL BUILD

PROS

Darkness revealed - Hey so it turns out 20th level Casters are pretty strong. Warlock slots give you Pact spells to either cast with or turn into Sorcery points, and Eldritch Blast is universally good especially when you have Quickened Spell as backup.

Always waiting in the shadows - Enchantment spells become so much easier when people don’t know where they’re coming from. That’s why Subtle Spell is nice, and Psionic Sorcery is even nicer.

A cut above - Even with just a light dip into Warlock levels Form of Dread gives you a consistent option to both defend yourself and hamper your foes, instilling fear with every attack and giving yourself a bit of Temp HP to keep safe while you concentrate on a more debilitating spell. Helps that your claw is might dangerous up-close too.

CONS

Charmed I’m sure - So it turns out making a character based entirely around mental manipulation means that you’ll struggle against foes who can’t be manipulated. The reason Ba’al manipulates humans (and demons) is because elves are fairly resistant to charms.

Not as tough as Hell - Seeing as the vast majority of your levels are in Sorcerer your health will be subpar for most of the campaign, even with decent Constitution. Klaatu Barada Nikto might be the power words to send you back to hell, but Power Word Kill works well too.

Proud Peacock - Your only good stat is Charisma, leaving you lacking in any role other than a Charismatic leader. Sure you’ve got subordinates to handle the thinking, but your low stats will leave you vulnerable to being out-spelled by other casters and out-witted by a dimwit in a blue shirt.

But you only need to get out of the house if your ex-wife replaced the family cookbook anyways. Manipulate the masses and amass your own army to make sure the Chosen One can’t fight against any evil Hell may bring. Just remember that some dimwitted mortals may be more useful than others, and it’s good to keep those ones close. After all, you may end up being as good as mortal too when put under the claw.

(Artwork by @JasonVoorherios. Check out their Twitter I like their art a lot!)

#dnd #dnd 5e #dnd build #dnd guide #Evil Dead #Ash Vs Evil Dead #Evil Dead Baal #Baal #Evil Dead Ba'al #Ba'al #Evil Dead Bill #kandarian #demon #manipulation #mind control #gaslight #gatekeep #girlboss

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seawolv · 5 years

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A'ah - An early moon god who evolved into Iah (also known as Yah) and, eventually, Khonsu.

Ammit (Ammut) - "Devourer of Souls", a goddess with the head of a crocodile, torso of a leopard, and hindquarters of a hippo. She sat beneath the scales of justice in the Hall of Truth in the afterlife and devoured the hearts of those souls which were not justified by Osiris.

Amun (Amun-Ra) - God of the sun and air. One of the most powerful and popular gods of ancient Egypt, patron of the city of Thebes, where he was worshipped as part of the Theban Triad of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. Supreme king of the gods in some periods, though originally a minor fertility god. By the time of the New Kingdom he was considered the most powerful god in Egypt and his worship bordered on monotheism. Other gods were even considered mere aspects of Amun at this time. His priesthood was the most powerful in Egypt and the position of God's Wife of Amun, given to royal women, almost on par with that of the pharaoh.

Amunhotep (Amenhotep), Son of Hapu - God of healing and wisdom. Along with Hardedef and Imhotep, one of the few human beings deified by the Egyptians. He was the royal architect of Amunhotep III (1386-1353 BCE). He was considered so wise that, after death, he became deified. He had a major temple in western Thebes and a healing center at Deir el-Bahri.

Anat - Goddess of fertility, sexuality, love, and war. She was originally from Syria or Canaan. In some texts she is referred to as the Mother of the Gods while in others she is a virgin and, in still others, sensuous and erotic, described as the most beautiful goddess. In one version of The Contendings of Horus and Set, she is given as a consort to Set at the suggestion of the goddess Neith. Often equated with Aphrodite of Greece, Astarte of Phoenicia, Inanna of Mesopotamia, and Sauska of the Hittites.

Anuke - A war goddess originally and one of the oldest deities of Egypt, sometimes consort of Anhur, god of war. She came to be associated with Nephthys and, to a lesser degree, Isis and is referred to in some texts as their younger sister. Early depictions show her in battledress with bow and arrow but she was transformed into a Mother Goddess and nurturing figure. The Greeks associated her with Hestia.

Apedemak - A war god depicted as a lion, originally thought to be from Nubia.

Apep (Apophis) - Apep, the celestial serpent assaulted the sun barge of Ra every night as it made its way through the underworld toward the dawn. Gods and the justified dead would help Ra fend the serprent off. The ritual known as Overthrowing of Apophis was performed in temples to help the gods and departed souls protect the barge and ensure the coming of day.

Apis - The Divine Bull worshipped at Memphis as an incarnation of the god Ptah. One of the earliest gods of ancient Egypt depicted on the Narmer Palette (c. 3150 BCE). The Apis Cult was one of the most important and long-lived in the history of Egyptian culture.

Arensnuphis - Companion to the goddess Isis and worshipped primarily at her sacred site at Philae. He was depicted as a lion or a man with a feathered headdress. Originally from Nubia.

Asclepius (Aesculapius) - A god of healing of the Greeks also worshipped in Egypt at Saqqara and identified with the deified Imhotep. His symbol, possibly derived from the god Heka, was a staff with a serpent entwined about it, associated in the modern day with healing and the medical profession, known as the Rod of Asclepius.

Ash (As) - God of the Libyan desert, a kindly deity who provided the oasis for travelers.

Astarte - Phoenician goddess of fertility and sexuality, often closely equated with Aphrodite of the Greeks, Inanna/Ishtar of Mesopotamia, and Sauska of the Hittites; referred to as Queen of Heaven. In Egyptian mythology, she is given as a consort to Set, along with Anat, by the goddess Neith.

Aten - The sun disk, originally a sun deity who was elevated by pharaoh Akhenaten (1353-1336 BCE) to the position of sole god, creator of the universe.

Atum (Ra) - The sun god, supreme lord of the gods, first god of the Ennead (tribunal of nine gods), creator of the universe and human beings. Atum (Ra) is the first divine being who stands on the primordial mound in the midst of chaos and draws on the magical forces of Heka to create all the other gods, human beings, and life on earth.

Auf (Efu-Ra) - An aspect of Atum (Ra).

Ba'al - Storm god originally from Phoenicia. His name means "Lord" and his was a major deity in Canaan only worshipped in Egypt in the later period of the New Kingdom (1570-1069 BCE).

Ba'alat Gebal - Phoenician goddess of the city of Byblos, a protector deity, incorporated into Egyptian worship through her association with papyrus, which came from Byblos.

Babi (Baba) - He was a virility god depicted as a baboon and symbolizing male sexuality.

Banebdjedet - A fertility/virility god who appears as a ram or a man with a ram's head, associated with the city of Mendes, eventually another name for Osiris.

Ba-Pef - God of terror, specifically spiritual terror. His name translates as "that soul". He lived in the House of Woe in the afterlife and was known to afflict the king of Egypt. He was never worshipped with a temple but a Cult of Ba-Pef existed to help appease the god and protect the king.

Bastet (Bast) - The beautiful goddess of cats, women's secrets, childbirth, fertility, and protector of the hearth and home from evil or misfortune. She was the daughter of Ra and closely associated with Hathor. Bastet was one of the most popular deities of ancient Egypt. Men and women revered her equally and carried talismans of her cult. She was so universally adored that, in 525 BCE, the Persians used the Egyptian devotion to Bastet to their advantage in winning the Battle of Pelusium. They painted images of Bastet on their shields and drove animals in front of their army knowing the Egyptians would rather surrender than offend their goddess. She is depicted as a cat or a woman with a cat's head, and her major cult center was at Bubastis.

Bat - An early cow goddess associated with fertility and success. She is one of the oldest Egyptian goddesses dating from the early Predynastic Period (c. 6000-3150 BCE). Bat is depicted as a cow or a woman with cow ears and horns and is most probably the image at the top of the Narmer Palette (c. 3150 BCE) as she was associated with the king's success. She blessed people with success owing to her ability to see both past and future. Eventually, she was absorbed by Hathor who took on her characteristics.

Bennu - An avian deity better known as the Bennu Bird, the divine bird of creation and inspiration for the Greek Phoenix. The Bennu Bird was closely associated with Atum, Ra, and Osiris. It was present at the dawn of creation as an aspect of Atum (Ra) which flew over the primordial waters and woke creation with its cry. Afterwards, it determined what would and would not be included in creation. It was associated with Osiris through the imagery of rebirth as the bird was closely connected to the sun which died each night and rose again the next morning.

Beset - The female aspect of Bes invoked in ceremonial magic. As a protective god, Bes also fended off dark magic, ghosts, spirits, and demons. His feminine aspect was called on to combat these forces.

Buchis - Aspect of the Ka (life force/astral self) of the god Montu in the form of a live bull. Depicted as a bull running.

Cavern Deities - A group of nameless gods who lived in caverns in the underworld and punished the wicked and helped the souls of the justified dead. They are mentioned in Spell 168 of the Egyptian Book of the Dead and are represented as serpents or serpent-like. The spell is popularly known as 'Spell of the Twelve Caves' and makes mention of offerings which should be left for them. The people of Egypt would leave bowls of offerings by caves for them.

Celestial Ferryman (Hraf-haf) - "He Who Looks Behind Him", the surly boatman who ferried the souls of the justified dead across Lily Lake to the shores of paradise in the Field of Reeds. Hraf-haf was rude and unpleasant, and the soul had to find some way to be courteous in response in order to reach paradise. Hraf-haf is depicted as a man in a boat with his head facing behind him.

Denwen - A serpent deity in the form of a dragon surrounded by flames. He held power over fire and was strong enough to destroy the gods. In the Pyramid Texts, he attempts to kill all the gods with his breath of fire but is overpowered by the spirit of the dead king who saves creation.

Ennead - The nine gods worshipped at Heliopolis who formed the tribunal in the Osiris Myth: Atum, Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Nephthys, and Set. These nine gods decide whether Set or Horus should rule in the story The Contendings of Horus and Set. They were known as The Great Ennead. There was also a Little Ennead venerated at Heliopolis of minor deities.

Fetket - The butler of the sun god Ra who served him his drinks, patron god of bartenders.

Field of Offerings - A region of the afterlife devoted to Osiris, located to the west. In some inscriptions it is synonymous with the Field of Reeds.

Field of Reeds - The Egyptian paradise in the afterlife which the soul was admitted to after passing successfully through judgment and being justified by Osiris. It was a direct reflection of one's life on earth where one continued to enjoy everything as before but without sickness, disappointment, or the threat of death.

Forty-Two Judges - The Forty-two deities who presided with Osiris, Thoth, and Anubis over the judgment of the soul in the afterlife. Once the soul had made the Negative Confessions (Declaration of Innocence) the Forty-Two Judges advised Osiris on whether the confession should be accepted. They had names like Far-Strider, Fire-Embracer, Demolisher, Disturber, Owner of Faces, and Serpent Who Brings and Gives, among others.

Four Sons of Horus - Four deities, Duamutef, Hapy, Imset, and Qebehsenuef, who watched over the viscera or the dead in the four canopic jars placed in the tomb. Each had his own cardinal point to guard, his own internal organ to protect, and was watched over by a specific goddess.

Geb - God of the earth and growing things. Geb is the son of Shu and Tefnut, husband of Nut, the sky.

Gengen Wer - The celestial goose whose name means "Great Honker". He was present at the dawn of creation and guarded (or laid) the celestial egg containing the life force. He is a protector god who was worshipped very early in Egypt's history. Followers of Gengen Wer identified themselves with his protective attributes and wore talismans reminding them to respect life and honor the earth.

Ha - A protector god, Lord of the Western Deserts also known as Lord of the Libyans. He was god of the desert to the west of Egypt, son of the god Iaaw who was probably also a desert god. Ha provided protection from the Libyans and opened oases for travelers in the desert. Depicted as a strong young man with the sign of the desert over his head.

Hapi - A fertility god, god of the Nile silt and associated with the inundation which caused the river to overflow its banks and deposit the rich earth which the farmers relied on for their crops. Hapi was a very ancient god whose name may have originally been derived from the river and who was a personification of the river at flood. He is depicted as a man with large breasts and belly signifying fertility and success.

Hardedef - The son of King Khufu (also known as Cheops, 2589-2566 BCE) who wrote a book known as Instruction in Wisdom. The work was so brilliant it was considered the work of a god and he was deified after death.

Haroeris - The Greek name for the sky aspect of Horus the Elder (also known as Horus the Great who appeared in the earthly realm as a falcon.

Harpocrates - The Greek and Roman name for Horus the Child, son of Osiris and Isis. Depicted as a young winged boy with his finger to his lips. He was venerated in Greece as the god of secrets, silence, and confidentiality.

Hathor - One of the best known, most popular, and most important deities of ancient Egypt. She was the daughter of Ra and, in some stories, wife of Horus the Elder. A very ancient goddess, she was sent by Ra to destroy humanity for their sins. The other gods implored Ra to stop her destruction before no humans were left to benefit from the lesson. Ra then had a vat of beer dyed red, to resemble blood, and placed at Dendera which Hathor, in her blood lust, drank. She fell asleep and woke as the benevolent goddess who was a friend to all. She was the patron goddess of joy, inspiration, celebration, love, women, women's health, childbirth, and drunkenness. One of her names is "The Lady of Drunkenness". She was thought to live in sycamore trees and so was also known as 'The Lady of the Sycamore." In the afterlife she helped guide the souls of the dead toward paradise and was one of the deities aboard the sun barge of Ra who defended it from Apep. She is further associated with gratitude and a thankful heart. The Greeks associated her with Aphrodite. She is depicted as a cow or a woman with a cow's head and evolved from the earlier goddess Bat. Her characteristics were later largely absorbed by Isis.

Hathor-Nebet-Hetepet - A Mother Goddess aspect of Hathor worshipped at Heliopolis. She represented the hand, the active part, of the supreme god Atum (Ra).

Haurun - A protector god associated with the Great Sphinx of Giza. He was originally a Canaanite god associated with destruction who planted a tree of death. When he was brought to Egypt by Canaanite and Syrian workers and merchants, he was transformed into a god of healing. His association with the Sphinx of Giza comes from these foreign workers who believed the Sphinx represented Haurun and built a shrine to their god in front of the statue. He is known as "The Victorious Herdsman" for a popular spell recited in his name for protection before going hunting.

Heh and Hauhet - God and goddess of infinity and eternity. Heh was depicted as a frog and Hauhet as a serpent. Their names mean "endlessness" and they were among the original gods of the Ogdoad.

Heka - One of the oldest and most important gods in ancient Egypt. He was the patron god of magic and medicine but was also the primordial source of power in the universe. He existed before the gods and was present in the act of creation although, in later myths, he is seen as the son of Menhet and Khnum and part of the triad of Latopolis. He is depicted as a man carrying a staff and knife, and physicians were known as Priests of Heka. Magic was an integral part of medical practice in ancient Egypt, and so Heka became an important deity for doctors. He was said to have killed two serpents and entwined them on a staff as a symbol of his power; this image (borrowed from the Sumerians, actually) was passed on to the Greeks who associated it with their god Hermes and called it the caduceus. In the modern day, the caduceus is frequently confused with the Rod of Asclepius in iconography related to the medical profession.

Horus - An early avian god who became one of the most important deities in ancient Egypt. Associated with the sun, sky, and power, Horus became linked with the king of Egypt as early as the First Dynasty (c. 3150-2890 BCE). Although the name 'Horus' might refer to a number of avian deities it principally designates two: Horus the Elder, one of the first five gods born at the beginning of creation, and Horus the Younger who was the son of Osiris and Isis. Following the rise in popularity of the Osiris Myth, Horus the Younger became one of the most important gods in Egypt. In the story, after Osiris is murdered by his brother Set, Horus is raised by his mother in the Delta swamps. When he comes of age he battles his uncle for the kingdom and wins, restoring order to the land. The kings of Egypt, with some exceptions, all linked themselves with Horus in life and with Osiris in death. The king was thought to be the living incarnation of Horus and, through him, the god gave all good things to his people. He is usually depicted as a man with the head of a hawk but is represented by many different images. His symbols are the Eye of Horus and the hawk.

Hu - God of the spoken word, personification of the first word spoken by Atum (Ra) at the dawn of creation which brought all into being. Linked with Sia and Heka. Sia represented the heart, Hu the tongue, and Heka their underlying force which gave them their power. Hu is often seen as a representation of the power of Heka or Atum and is depicted in funerary texts guiding the soul to the afterlife.

Iah (Yah) - A god of the moon who figures prominently in the Egyptian calendar. In the story of the creation of the world, Atum is angered by the intimate relationship between Geb (earth) and Nut (sky) and so separates them, declaring that Nut may not give birth to her children on any day of the year. The god Thoth appeared and gambled with Iah for five days worth of moonlight. He won and divided the moonlight hours into days which, because they were not part of the days of the year decreed by Atum, Nut could give birth in. She then gave birth to the first five gods: Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys, and Horus the Elder in July. The Egyptians regulated their calendar with these five magical days. Iah was eventually absorbed into the god Khonsu.

Iabet - Goddess of fertility and rebirth, known as "She of the East" and sometimes associated with Amenet ("She of the West"). Iabet presided over the eastern deserts and, in time, came to personify them. She was also known as "Cleanser of Ra" who bathed the sun before it appeared in the dawn sky and personified the freshness of the morning sun. She was eventually absorbed into Isis.

Ihy - God of music and joy, specifically the music of the sistrum. Son of Hathor and Horus the Elder. He was worshipped with Hathor at Dendera and invoked at festivals. His birth is honored in wall inscriptions at birth houses in Dendera in the belief that joy and music should welcome children to earth at their birth. Depicted as a child with a sistrum.

Imhotep - The vizier of king Djoser (c. 2670 BCE) who designed and built the Step Pyramid. He lived c. 2667-2600 BCE and was a polymath expert in many fields of study. His name means "He Who Comes in Peace" and, after his death, he was deified as a god of wisdom and medicine. He was identified by the Greeks with Aesculapius and was invoked in spells for healing. His medical treatises claimed, against convential belief, that disease was natural in origin and not a punishment from the gods.

Imsety - A protector god, one of the Four Sons of Horus who protected the canopic jar holding the liver. He presided over the south, had the form of a human male, and was watched over by Isis.

Ishtar - The Mesopotamian goddess of love, sexuality, and war. She was originally Inanna of the Sumerians and Akkadians, who became Ishtar to the Assyrians and influenced the development of other similar goddesses such as Aphrodite of the Greeks, Astarte of the Phoenicians, Hathor of the Egyptians, and Sauska of the Hittites, among others. She was probably first introduced to Egypt through trade in the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-2613 BCE) but definitely gained prominent standing after the Assyrian conquest of Egypt by Ashurbanipal in 666 BCE.

Isis - The most powerful and popular goddess in Egyptian history. She was associated with virtually every aspect of human life and, in time, became elevated to the position of supreme deity, "Mother of the Gods", who cared for her fellow deities as she did for human beings. She is the second-born of the First Five Gods (Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys, and Horus the Elder), sister-wife of Osiris, mother of Horus the Younger, and symbolically understood as the mother of every king. Her Egyptian name, Eset, means "Goddess of the Throne" because of her association with the monarch. She was also known as Weret-Kekau, "The Great Magic", because of her incredible powers. She cared for people in life and appeared to them after death to help guide them safely to paradise. After the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE, her worship traveled to Greece and then to Rome. During the time of the Roman Empire, she was worshipped in every corner of their realm from Britain through Europe to Anatolia. The Cult of Isis was the strongest opponent of the new religion of Christianity between the 4th-6th centuries CE, and iconography, as well as tenets of belief, of the Isis cult were incorporated into the new faith. Imagery of the Virgin Mary holding her son Jesus comes directly from Isis cradling her son Horus and the Dying and Reviving God figure of Jesus himself is a version of Osiris.

Isis-Eutheria - A later Greek version of Isis worshipped in Egypt whose tears, when she mourned for Osiris, were thought to cause the inundation of the Nile River.

Iusaaset - A very early Mother Goddess referred to as "Grandmother of the Gods" and linked to Atum at the creation of the world. She is depicted in the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-2613 BCE) as a woman with the uraeus and solar disc on her head holding a scepter and the ankh, symbol of life, and was associated with the acacia tree, the Tree of Life, considered the oldest tree in Egypt. She was known as "Lady of the Acacia", an epithet later attributed to Hathor. She was known to the Greeks as Saosis.

Iw - A creation goddess worshipped at Heliopolis associated with Hathor and Atum, combining the qualities of Hathor, Nebet, and Hetepet.

Judgement Deities - See Forty-Two Judges

Jupiter-Amun - The Roman version of Zeus-Amun, king of the gods, worshipped at the Siwa Oasis in Egypt.

Kabechet (Kebehwet or Qebhet) - She was originally a celestial serpent deity who became known as the daughter of Anubis and a funerary deity. She provided pure, cool water to the souls of the deceased as they awaited judgment in the Hall of Truth. She was associated with Nephthys as a friend of the dead.

Kagemni - A vizier to the king Sneferu (c. 2613-2589 BCE) who wrote the wisdom text known as Instructions of Kagemni. The book was considered so important it was required instruction for children of the monarchy. He was deified after death and worshipped as a god of wisdom.

Kek and Kauket - Gods of obscurity and night, members of the original Ogdoad of Hermopolis. Kek and Kauket were the male/female aspects of darkness but not in any way associated with evil. Kek was the god of the hours before dawn and was known as "Bringer-in-of-the-Light" as he guided the sun barge of the god Ra toward the sky from the underworld. Kauket, his feminine balance, was depicted as a woman with the head of a serpent also called "Bringer-in-of-the-Darkness" who presided over the hours of twilight when the sun was setting and guided the sun barge into the underworld.

Khenmu (Khnum) - Also known as "The Great Potter", Khenmu was an early god of Upper Egypt most probably from Nubia originally. In early myths, he was the god who fashioned human beings from the clay of the Nile River and then held them high so the light of Ra could shine upon them and give them life. Humans were then placed in a womb from which they were born on earth. Khenmu is depicted as a ram-headed god symbolizing virility and fertility. He formed a triad with the gods Anuket and Satis at Elephantine on the Egyptian border of Nubia. Linked to the god Kherty, another ram-headed god, though a completely different entity. He is the patron god of potters and those who work in ceramics.

Khonsu (Kons, Chonsu, Khensu, or Chons) - His name means "The Traveler" and he was god of the moon. He formed one of the most important and influential triads at Thebes along with his father Amun and mother Mut. He is depicted as a mummy holding the crook and flail with a uraeus and moon disc on his head. Khonsu replaced the earlier god Montu as son of Mut and also took on his protective qualities. By the time of the New Kingdom (1570-1069 BCE) he was extremely popular and worshipped as the greatest among the gods after Amun. He was associated with healing and images of Khonsu were believed to have miraculous abilities to heal the sick instantly.

Maahes (Mahes, Mihos, or Mysis) - He was a powerful solar god and protector of the innocent depicted as a lion-headed man carrying a long knife or a lion. His name is linked to the goddess of harmony and truth, Ma'at, and may mean "True Before Ma'at". This interpretation is likely as his other names include "Lord of Slaughter" and "The Scarlet Lord" referring to his punishment of those who violated the sacred order life presided over by the goddess. He was commonly understood to be the son of Bastet but is also referred to as son of Sekhmet, only natural since both were associated with cats/lions. He possibly an aspect of the god Nefertum, also a son of Bastet, and formed a triad with Nefertum and Imhotep at Memphis. Linked by the Greeks with the Furies because of his vengeful nature.

Ma'at - Goddess of truth, justice, and harmony, one of the most important deities in the Egyptian pantheon. She set the stars in the sky and regulated the seasons. Ma'at embodied the principle of ma'at (harmony) which was central to the culture of ancient Egypt. Ma'at walked with one through life, was present in the form of the Feather of Truth at the soul's judgment after death, and continued as a presence in the paradise of the Field of Reeds. She is depicted as a woman wearing a crown with an ostrich feather. The word means "that which is straight" and the concept of harmony infused every aspect of an Egyptian's life. There is a time for every action and aspect of existence within ma'at but all must be recognized and acted upon at appropriate times.

Mafdet (Mefdet) - She was an early goddess of justice who pronounced judgment and meted out execution swiftly. Her name means "She Who Runs" for the speed with which she dispensed justice. She is the earliest feline deity in Egypt, pre-dating both Bastet and Sekhmet. She protected people from venomous bites, especially from scorpions, and predates Serket who later took on that role. All of Mafdet's qualities were later assumed by other female deities but Mafdet remained a popular goddess from the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-2613 BCE) through the New Kingdom (1570-1069 BCE) when she appears as a judge in the afterlife. She is depicted as a woman with the head of a cat, cheetah, leopard, or lynx holding the rope and executioner's blade.

Mau - The divine cat who, in some stories, is present at the dawn of creation as an aspect of Ra. Mau protected the Tree of Life, which held the secrets of eternal life and divine knowledge, from the evil serprent Apep. The story of Mau and the tree is told in Spell 17 of the Egyptian Book of the Dead where it is clear the cat is Ra personified. Spell 17 also claims that this is the origin of cats on earth.

Mehet-Weret - An ancient sky goddess and one of the oldest deities of Egypt. She is the celestial cow goddess who rose from the primordial waters of chaos to give birth to the sun god Ra at the beginning of time. Her name means "Great Flood" and she is associated with fertility and abundance. After giving birth to the sun, she placed it between her horns and every morning lifted it into the sky. Her qualities were later absorbed by Hathor.

Menhit (Menhyt) - She was a solar deity who represented the brow of the sun god Ra, depicted as a reclining lioness. She was worshipped in the Delta region and associated with Neith and Wadjet as a protective goddess.

Meskhenet - Goddess of childbirth and one of the oldest deities of Egypt. Meskhenet was present at one's birth, created one's ka (aspect of the soul) and breathed it into one's body. In doing so, she provided the person's destiny through their character. She was also present at the judgment of the soul in the afterlife as a comforter and so was with an individual at birth, through life, and after death. She is depicted as a birthing brick (the stone women would squat on to give birth) with the head of a woman or a seated woman with a birthing brick on her head. Her role of providing one's destiny was eventually taken over by the Seven Hathors but she continued to be venerated in homes throughout Egypt's history.

Min - An ancient fertility god from the Predynastic Period (c. 6000-3150 BCE). Min was god of the eastern deserts who watched over travelers but was also associated with the black fertile mud of the Egyptian Delta. He is shown as the husband of Isis and father of Horus in early inscriptions and so is associated with Osiris. Min is depicted as a man holding his erect penis in one hand with the flail of authority in the other.

Mnevis (Mer-Wer or Nem-Wer) - Mnevis was the sacred bull of Heliopolis considered an aspect of the sun god Ra. He was a live bull selected from a herd for his completely black coat. Only one Mnevis bull could exist at any one time and another was chosen only after the first died. He was eventually absorbed into Apis.

Mut - An early mother goddess who most likely had a minor role during the Predynastic Period (c. 6000-3150 BCE) but who later became prominent as the wife of Amun and mother of Khonsu, part of the Theban Triad. Mut was a protector deity associated with Bastet and Sekhmet. She guarded over people in life and, in Spell 164 of the Book of the Dead, is depicted as a savior of souls trapped by demons in the afterlife. She was also the divine protector of the king and state who roasted conspirators and traitors in her flaming brazier.

Nebethetpet - A goddess worshipped at Heliopolis as the personification of the hand of Atum, the active, feminine principle of the god.

Nefertum (Nefertem) - God of perfume and sweet aromas. Nefertum was born from the bud of the blue lotus flower at the dawn of creation and was originally an aspect of Atum. His name means "Beautiful Atum". He was later considered his own deity and became associated with sweet-smelling flowers. He is associated with rebirth and transformation through his link to the sun god and flowers. In Egyptian medicine he was called upon for healing aromas to cure disease and associated with incense.

Nehebkau (Nehebu-Kau) - "He Who Unites the Ka", was a protector god who joined the ka (aspect of the soul) to the body at birth and united the ka with the ba (winged aspect of the soul) after death. He is depicted as a serpent and, like Heka, has always existed. Nehebkau swam in the primordial waters at the dawn of creation before Atum rose from the chaos to impose order.

Neith - One of the oldest and most enduring deities of ancient Egypt, worshipped from the Predynastic Period (c. 6000-3150 BCE) through the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323-30 BCE), the last to rule Egypt before it was taken by Rome. Neith was a war goddess, creator goddess, mother goddess, and funerary goddess in her time and patron of the city of Sais in the Nile Delta. She was the most important goddess of Lower Egypt in early history and continued to hold a prominent position in worship for millenia. In early depictions she is seen with a bow and arrows and one of her epithets was "Mistress of the Bow". As a creator goddess she was identified with the waters of chaos (Nun) prior to creation and, in this role, she is called "Grandmother of the Gods" or "Mother of the Gods". She was thought to have invented birth and was closely associated with living and growing things. As a mother goddess, she is the mediator of the gods' disputes, most famously as the goddess who settles the question of whether Horus or Set should rule Egypt when the tribunal of the gods cannot decide. She also became prominent as a funerary goddess who watched over the dead. Her statue appears with those of Isis, Nephthys, and Serket in Tutankhamun's tomb. She is the guardian goddess over Duamutef, one of the Four Sons of Horus who watch over the canopic jars in the tombs and is also depicted as a just judge of the dead in the Hall of Truth.

Nephthys - A funerary goddess, one of the first five gods born of Geb and Nut after the creation of the world, wife of Set, twin sister of Isis, and mother of Anubis. Her name means "Mistress of the Temple Enclosure" or "Mistress of the House" referring to a heavenly house or temple. She is depicted as a woman with a house on her head. Nephthys is widely, and incorrectly, regarded as a minor deity when actually she was worshipped throughout Egypt from the earliest periods to the last dynasty to rule Egypt. She was considered the dark goddess to the light of Isis but this carried no negative connotation, only balance. Nephthys features prominently in the Osiris myth when she transforms herself into the form of Isis to seduce Osiris, when she betrays the location of Osiris' body to Set, and when she helps her sister revive the dead king. She was known as "Friend of the Dead" for her care of the souls in the afterlife and professional mourners at funerals, who encouraged the open expression of grief, were known as the "Kites of Nephthys". In the text The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys she calls the soul of Osiris back from the dead. This text was recited regularly at festivals, services, and funerals throughout Egypt.

Nu (Nun) and Naunet - Nu was the personification of the primordial chaos from which the world arose. Naunet is his female aspect and consort. Nu is commonly regarded as "Father of the Gods" while Naunet is only referenced regarding the Ogdoad, the grouping of eight primordial gods, four males matching four females, who represent the original elements of creation. In some later myths, the goddess Neith is associated with Nu.

Nut - The primordial sky goddess who personified the canopy of the heavens, wife of Geb (earth), mother of Osiris, Isis, Set, Nepththys, and Horus the Elder. After the primordial mound rose from the waters of chaos at creation, Atum (Ra) sent his children Shu and Tefnut out to create the world. When they returned, he was so happy he shed tears of joy which became human beings. These creatures had nowhere to live and so Shu and Tefnut mated to give birth to Geb (earth) and Nut (sky). Their relationship was so intimate that it disturbed Atum who pushed Nut high above Geb and fixed her there. He also decreed that she could not give birth on any day of the year. Thoth, the god of wisdom, gambled with Iah, god of the moon, and won five days worth of moonlight which he transformed into days. Nut was able to then give birth to her five children on five consecutive days in July which were not part of Atum's original. In some versions of the story it is Khonsu who loses the gamble with Thoth.

Osiris - Lord and judge of the dead, one of the First Five gods born of Nut at the dawn of creation, and one of the most popular and enduring gods of Egypt. His name means "Powerful" or "Mighty". Osiris was originally a fertility god who grew in popularity and influence through the Osiris Myth in which he is killed by his brother, Set, brought back to life by his wife Isis, fathers sky god Horus, and descends to the underworld as Judge of the Dead. In the Egyptian Book of the Dead he is mentioned frequently as the just judge in the Hall of Truth who weighs the hearts of the souls of the dead against the white feather of ma'at. He is an early example of the Dying and Reviving God figure in mythology who leant himself to the later version of this figure, Jesus Christ. Egyptian kings identified themselves with Osiris in death and he is usually depicted as a mummy (symbolizing death) and with green or black skin (symbolizing the fertility of the Nile region and life). He was so popular that people in ancient Egypt paid to have their bodies buried at Abydos near his cult center and those who could not afford that would pay for memorials to be erected to them or their loved ones at Abydos believing that proximity to Osiris on earth guaranteed easier access to paradise after death. His cult naturally merged with that of his wife and the Cult of Isis, with its symbolism of salvation, eternal life, the dying and reviving god, and the divine son born of a virgin mother, would later influence the development of early Christianity.

Osiris-Apis - The Apis bull, traditionally associated with the god Ptah, became linked to Osiris as the latter god grew more popular. At Saqqara, the priests began to worship a hybrid god they called Osiris-Apis who was the god in bull form. As with the traditional Apis bull, a live bull was considered an incarnation of the god. When the sacred bull died it was mummified with the same care given a king.

Pakhet - A hunting goddess in lioness form, her name means "She Who Scratches" or "Tearer". She was a consort of Horus and associated with the vengeful aspects of Sekhmet and the justice of Isis. She was thought to hunt at night and terrify her enemies.

Ptah - One of the oldest Egyptian gods who appears in the First Dynastic Period (c. 3150-2613 BCE) but most likely dates from the Predynastic Period (c. 6000-3150 BCE). Ptah was the great god of Memphis, creator of the world, lord of truth, and chief god of the city of Memphis and its surrounding area c. 3000 BCE. Ptah was originally the figure who stood on the primordial mound of the ben-ben at the creation of the world. He was probably an early fertility god and is associated with the moringa tree which, in an early myth, he liked to rest beneath. He was the patron god of sculptors and craftsmen as well as builders of monuments as he was thought to have sculpted the earth. He was sometimes known as Ptah-Nun or Ptah-Naunet in his creative aspect, linking him with the primordial substances of the Ogdoad. He is depicted as a mummified man wearing a skull cap holding the Was scepter of authority with the ankh and djed symbols at the top.

Ptah-hotep - Author of one the more famous Wisdom Texts, who was deified after his death and honored with his own cult.

Ptah-Sokar-Osiris - A hybrid god of these three associated with creation, death, and rebirth. Worshipped in the period of the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BCE).

Qebhet - See Kabechet

Qudshu (Qadesh) - Syrian goddess of love, consort of the war god Reshep, assimilated into Egyptian worship during the New Kingdom (1570-1069 BCE). She was the goddess of sexual pleasure and sacred ecstasy who was associated with Hathor, Anat, and Astarte. Her name means "Holy" and she is always depicted as a slim naked woman holding the symbols of eroticism and fertility; lotus blossoms in her right hand and snakes or papyrus stems in her left. She was widely venerated throughout Egypt. Her cult reenacted the sacred marriage between Qudshu and Reshep, a ritual long associated with the Cult of Ishtar/Inanna in Mesopotamia and Astarte in Phoenicia.

Raettawy (Raet or Raet-Tawy) - She was the female aspect of Ra. She is associated with Hathor and is depicted as closely resembling Hathor with the uraeus on her head holding the solar disk, sometimes with two feathers over the disk.

Renpet - A goddess who personified the year. She is represented in inscriptions by a notched palm branch signifying the passing of time, the heiroglyphic image for 'year'. She had no formal cult or temple but was an integral part of the Egyptian's understanding of time: that it was imbued, like everything else, with personality and vitality.

Renenutet (Renenet or Ernutet) - A very important goddess depicted as a cobra or a rearing cobra with the head of a woman. Her name means "Snake Who Nourishes" and she was goddess of nursing and rearing children. In time, she became closely associated with Meskhenet, goddess of childbirth and destiny, and even superceded her to determine the length of a person's life and significant events which would befall them. Along with Meskhenet, she was also associated with Neith and sometimes portrayed as the mother of Osiris, with Isis as the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus, as Atum's wife or consort. In the afterlife she appeared as the "Lady of Justification" linking her with the goddess Ma'at. She was thought to protect the clothing worn by the king in the afterlife and so was also known as "Lady of the Robes". In this capacity, she appeared as a fire-breathing cobra who drove away the enemies of the king. She was also a grain goddess known as "Lady of the Fertile Fields" and "Lady of the Granaries" who protected the harvest and was the mother of Nepri, god of grain. As a fertility goddess, she was further linked to the Nile River and the inundation and so with Hapi, the god of the fertile mud of the Nile.

Reshep - A Syrian war god assimilated into Egyptian worship during the period of the New Kingdom (1570-1069 BCE). He was the consort of the goddess of sexual pleasure and sacred ecstasy Qudshu (Qadesh) and was worshipped with her in a triad which included the fertility god Min. The sacred marriage of Qudshu and Reshep was reenacted by their followers linking the cult to that of Inanna/Ishtar of Mesopotamia which had long practiced the same ritual. Reshep is further linked to Mesopotamia through his identification in iconography with the Mesopotamian war god Nergal. As a god of pestilence, he is also linked to Set, god of chaos and the arid wastes. Reshep is uniformly depicted as a strong warrior holding a raised war club and wearing a skirt and long Mesopotamian-styled beard.

Sah - An astral god, personification of the constellation Orion, usually paired with Sothis (Sopdet) as representations of the astral forms of Osiris and Isis. He is referred to as "Father of the gods" in the Pyramid Texts and was an important aspect of funerary rites where he welcomed the king to the afterlife. Known also as the "Dweller in Orion", Pyramid Text chapter 186 welcomes the soul, "In the name of the Dweller in Orion, with a season in the sky and a season on earth" which can be understood as, "with a season in the sky after a season on earth". He is depicted as a man holding the ankh and was sceptre standing in a boat surrounded by stars in a night sky.

Sekhmet - One of the most significant goddesses of ancient Egypt. Sekhmet was a leonine deity usually depicted as a woman with the head of a lion. Her name means "Powerful" and is usually interpreted as "The Female Powerful One". She was a goddess of destruction and healing, of desert winds and cool breezes. She was the daughter of Ra who appears in one of the most important stories concerning the Eye of Ra/Distant Goddess motif. When Ra became tired of the sins of humanity, he sent Sekhmet to destroy them. She ravaged the land until the other gods implored Ra to stop her before humans were destroyed completely. Ra had a vat of beer dyed red to attract Sekhmet's blood lust and left it at Dendera where she drank it and fell into a deep sleep; when she woke she was the benevolent Hathor. Sekhmet continued to exist in her leonine form, however, and was the patron deity of the military for her powers of destruction and vengeance. She was known as "Smiter of the Nubians" in this regard but she also brought natural disaster. Plagues were known as "Messengers of Sekhmet" or "Slaughterers of Sekhmet". In the same way that she could bring the desert winds, she could deflect them, and the same with pestilence; just as she had brought the plague, she could cure it and was known as "Mistress of Life" in this capacity (and so was frequently invoked in healing spells and incantations by ancient doctors). She was closely associated with other leonine deities such as Bastet and Pakhet and was thought to be the aggressive, violent aspect of the goddess Mut.

Seret - A leonine protective goddess probably from Libya. She is only mentioned in a Fifth Dynasty (2498-2345 BCE) inscription as a goddess of a region of Egypt inhabited mainly by Libyans - the 3rd Lower Egypt nome (province). Like the other leonine deities, she is a fierce protector of her followers and avenges wrongs done to them.

Serket (Selket, Serqet or Serkis) - She was a protective and also an important funerary goddess probably originating in the Predynastic Period (c. 6000-3150 BCE) and first mentioned during the First Dynasty of Egypt (c. 3150-2890 BCE). She is best known from her golden statue found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. Serket was a scorpion goddess depicted as a woman with a scorpion on her head and arms outstretched in a protective pose. She may have been an early Mother Goddess who evolved into a deity who protected people (especially children) from scorpion venom and then to one who protected from all venom. A story known as Isis and the Seven Scorpions tells of how Isis was insulted by a rich woman once and Serket, who had sent her seven scorpions along as Isis' bodyguards, instructed one of them to sting the woman's son. The boy was going to die from the venom but Isis saved him and forgave the woman. Afterwards, Serket followed Isis' example of forgiveness and protected other children from scorpions. Her priests were largely physicians who invoked her name in healing. In the afterlife she helped guide the souls of the dead to paradise and protected a certain dangerous section of travel. Along with Isis, Neith, and Nephthys, she watches over the Four Sons of Horus as they guard the viscera of the dead in tombs.

Set (Seth) - God of war, chaos, storms, and pestilence. His name is translated as "Instigator of Confusion" and "Destroyer". He is depicted as a red beast with cloven hooves and a forked tale and is the prototype for the later iconography of the Christian Devil. Set was originally a hero-god who drove away the serpent Apep (Apophis) from the barge of the sun god and killed it nightly. He was a desert god who brought the evil winds of the dry lands to the lush Nile Valley and was associated with foreign lands and people. His consorts were Anat and Astarte, both goddesses associated with war and both from foreign countries, as well as Taweret, the benign protective goddess of childbirth and fertility. Set is often characterized as "evil", and did manifest many evil qualities, but was not regarded by the ancient Egyptians as an embodiment of evil or darkness. He was rather seen as a necessary balance to gods like Osiris and Horus who represented all things noble and good, fertility, vitality, and eternity. Set is best known as the world's first murderer in the Myth of Osiris where he kills his brother to usurp the throne. Isis returns Osiris to life but, because he is incomplete, descends to the underworld as Lord of the Dead. Isis gives birth to Osiris' son, Horus, who grows up to challenge set for the throne. Their battles, which lasted for eighty years, are described in the text The Contendings of Horus and Set and were resolved in one version by Isis while, in another, by Neith with Horus declared rightful king and Set banished to the desert lands.

Shay (Shai) - The personification of fate. Shay presided over one's personal destiny and so was associated with goddesses like Meskhenet and Renenutet. Similar to The Fates of the ancient Greeks, no one could resist or alter Shay's decisions. The scholar Wilkinson cites a text known as Instructions of Amenemopet which states, "None can ignore Shay" (128). This statement epitomizes Shay's chief characteristic: inevitability. He is depicted as being present at the weighing of the heart of the soul in the afterlife or as a man standing in a posture of patience. During the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323-30 BCE), when Egyptian gods were hellenized, he was known as Agathadaimon, the serpent deity who could tell one's future.

Shentayet - An obscure protective goddess whose name means "Widow" and who was associated with that aspect of Isis who lost her husband and then brought him back to life. This aspect was referred to as Isis-Shentayet. Quite likely invoked as a protectress of widows but references to her are rare and Isis fulfilled that role as she did so many others.

Shesmetet - A protective leonine goddess known as "Lady of Punt" and most likely an important goddess brought to Egypt through trade with Punt. She is generally regarded as an aspect of Bastet or Sekhmet but quite possibly she was a much older deity whose attributes were absorbed by later leonine goddesses. Her name is mentioned as early as the First Dynasty (c. 3150-2890 BCE) and leant itself to the Shesmetet girdle, a belt of beads, worn by the kings of that time. She is depicted as a woman with the head of a lion.

Shezmu - God of wine and, later, of perfume and plenty who personified the positive and negative aspects of drunkenness. Shezmu is depicted in the Pyramid Text 403 killing and cooking the gods for the king's pleasure and, by the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BCE) was seen tormenting the souls of the dead as he "lassoes the damned and corrals them for slaughter, squeezing their heads like grapes in a bloody image of destruction" (Wilkinson, 129). His image was softened by others showing his benign and peaceful side as lord of the wine press and this was softened further as he became associated with oils and perfumes.

Shu - The primordial god of the air whose name means "Emptiness". He was born at the beginning of creation of Atum (Ra) and sent to create the world with his sister Tefnut (goddess of moisture). The two were gone so long that Atum came to miss them and sent his eye (the Eye of Ra) in search of them. When the eye returned with them, Atum was so happy he cried and his tears created human beings. She and Tefnut then mated and gave birth to Geb (earth) and Nut (sky) who Atum pushed high apart from each other, providing a place for humans to live. Mist was attributed to him as "Lakes of Shu" and the clouds as "Bones of Shu" and he was also associated with light and brightness. In this regard he came to be linked to Thoth and Khonsu, both associated with the moon, because of moonlight.

Sia - The personification of perception and thoughtfulness who represented the heart (seat of emotion, thought, and character). Sia formed a dyad with Hu (representing the tongue), personification of the authority of the spoken word, and a triad with Hu and Heka, god of magic and medicine but also the primordial force in the universe which empowered life and sustained ma'at. Sia represented the intellect while Hu symbolized the word of Ptah (or Atum) which brought thought into reality and Heka was the underlying force which gave them power. Sia is depicted as a man standing at the right side of Ptah (later, Atum/Ra) and held his papyrus scroll. In the Valley of the Kings he is seen in paintings as a member of the crew aboard Ra's sun barge.

Sky Bull - The deity who presided over the heavens and the afterlife as a protector, also known as "Bull of the West" for his association with the afterlife. Commonly understood to be the husband of the seven cows which are seen with him.

Sokar (Seker) - A protective falcon god of Memphis who was originally an agricultural deity and one of the oldest in Egypt. His festival was one of the earliest observed and, merged with the Khoiak Festival of Osiris, continued to be celebrated throughout Egypt's history. He evolved from a god of agriculture and growth to the god of craftsmen and guardian of the Memphis necropolis after Osiris became more popular. Sokar is often depicted as a funerary mound surrounded by falcon heads, as a falcon, or as a falcon-headed man. He is associated with the afterlife as guardian of the entrance to the underworld and the god who carries the deceased king's soul in his barge to paradise. In time, he became associated with Ptah and then Osiris to eventually combine by the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BCE) into Ptah-Sokar-Osiris who was a hybrid funerary deity presiding over the afterlife.

Sothis - The personification of the star Sirius (the "dog star") whose appearance heralded the annual inundation of the Nile. She was worshipped as a cow-goddess in the Predynastic Period (c. 6000-3150 BCE) associated with Sirius. She was the consort of Sah, who personified the constellation Orion, and the two were associated with Osiris and Isis. In this role, she was the mother of Sopdu and so appealed to as a protective influence. She was also associated with Satis who was linked to the inundation of the Nile as consort of Khnum. Early depictions of Sothis represent her as a cow with a plant between her horns while later images show her as a woman wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt with horns on her head or feathers with a five-pointed star above her. She became increasingly identified with Isis and was eventually absorbed into that goddess completely. Isis refers to herself as Sothis in a copy of the text of The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys from the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323-30 BCE) showing how the assimilation was almost complete by that time.

Star Deities - Gods and goddesses identified with the night sky. By the time of the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BCE) the Egyptians had identified five of the planets which they referred to as "Stars That Know No Rest" and associated with gods: the called Mercury 'Sebegu' (a form of the god Set); Venus ("The One Who Crosses" and "God of the Morning"); Mars ("Horus of the Horizon" and "Horus the Red"); Jupiter ("Horus Who Limits the Two Lands"); Saturn ("Horus Bull of the Heavens"). Further, the star Sirius was associated with Sothis and then Isis while Orion represented the god Sah, "Father of the Gods". The appearance of Sirius heralded the inundation of the Nile, the promise of fertility, and represented the cyclical nature of existence and so came to be linked to Osiris, the dying and reviving god, and Isis, the one who revived him. The stars then were called "Followers of Osiris" who sailed across the night sky in accordance with divine pattern. Sah and Sothis in the heavens reflected the divine couple Osiris and Isis and the god Sopdu, (son of Sothis), the astral form of Horus. Thus the night sky told the stories of the most meaningful stories of the Egyptian culture and assured the people of an eternity in the gods' presence when they looked up at the stars.

Sutekh - The Semitic name for the god Set (Seth) which the people known as the Hyksosintroduced during the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1782-1570 BCE). The Hyksos identified Set with the warlike aspect of their god Baal. Set was referred to as Sutekh through the reign of Ramesses II (1279-1213 BCE) and invoked as a vanguard in war.

Tatenen - An earth god who personified the primordial mound at creation and symbolized the land of Egypt. He is most likely the same god referred to as Khenty-Tjenenet in the period of the Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 BCE). He was worshipped at Memphis during the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BCE) and continued to be venerated primarily in that region through the rest of Egypt's history. His association with the primordial mound linked him with Ptah and, through Ptah, with Atum and Ra, the other names for the creator god/sun god. Tatenen was a bisexual god, referred to as "Mother of All the Gods" in one text.

Thoth - God of writing and wisdom, truth and integrity, one of the most important deities in the Egyptian pantheon worshipped from the Predynastic Period (c. 6000-3150 BCE) on to the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323-30 BCE), the last to rule Egypt. He was probably originally a lunar god, son of Atum (Ra) but later texts represent him as the son of Horus. Thoth is depicted in some texts as a baboon but mostly as a man with the head of an ibis holding a writing implement. He is credited with inventing writing and was the record-keeper of the gods. He was known as "Lord of Time" and "Reckoner of Years" because he marked the passage of time and, through the powerful magic of his divine knowledge of words, gave the king a long reign so he could maintain order on earth. He was the patron god of libraries and of scribes. In every story told of him, Thoth is the divine friend and benefactor of humanity who gave people understanding through the gift of the written word. He appears in one story as gambling for the five days required for Nut to give birth to the First Five Gods and in others as mediating between the gods and delivering messages. In the afterlife he stands with Osiris and keeps records in the Hall of Truth at the ritual of the Weighing of the Heart. His consort was Seshat, his daughter or his wife, who was his female counterpart and also patron deity of libraries and books.

Tjenenyet - A protective goddess from the 12th Dynasty (1991-1802 BCE) who was most likely worshipped earlier. She was consort of the god Montu and was primarily worshipped at Hermonthis (Armant) near Thebes.

Tree Goddesses - A number of well-known Egyptian goddesses were associated with trees, most notably Isis, Hathor, and Nut. Male gods were sometimes linked to a certain tree but it seems only in specific myths or imagery. Hathor was famously associated with the sycamore tree and known as "Lady of the Sycamore" but Isis was also linked to this tree. The practice of burying a body in a wooden casket was thought to be a return of the deceased to the womb of the Mother Goddess.

Triads - Important groupings of three deities, usually a father-god, mother-god, and child-god, the two best known being the Theban Triad of Amun, Mut, and Khons and the Abydos Triad of Osiris, Isis, and Horus. There are examples of other triads, however, which did not follow this pattern such as the Amun-Ra-Ptah Triad where all three gods represented the same celestial power (the sun). Triads are also seen in depictions of the afterlife where ram, lion, and jackal-headed gods are grouped together.

Tutu - A protective god known as "He Who Keeps Enemies at a Distance", worshipped during the latter part of Egypt's history. He warded off demons and black magic and was depicted as a striding lion with the head of a man, large wings, and a snake for a tail.

Unut (Wenet or Wenut) - A protective goddess worshipped at Hermopolis and known as "The Swift One". She was depicted as a woman with a rabbit's head or a serpent with a rabbit's head and is often referred to as "the rabbit goddess". She was associated with the god Wenenu, depicted as a man with a rabbit's head, who was an aspect of Osiris or sometimes Ra. She is known primarily from amulets showing her image.

Wadjet - A great protective goddess and patroness of Lower Egypt, one of the oldest deities in the Egyptian pantheon, represented as the rearing cobra which became the king's insignia (the uraeus). She was also referred to as Uajyt in her aggressive form and was the counter-balance to the more motherly Nekhbet, her sister. Wadjet was worshipped as an important goddess in the Predynastic Period (c. 6000-3150 BCE) and by the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-2613 BCE) was the supreme deity of Lower Egypt represented frequently with Nekhbet who symbolized Upper Egypt. She was the daughter of Ra and one of the goddesses featured in stories about the Eye of Ra. At the dawn of creation she was sent forth by Ra as his eye to find Shu and Tefnut when they had gone off to create the world. She planted the first papyrus plants, laid out the papyrus fields in the swamps of the Nile Delta, and helped Isis raise Horus there when they were hiding from Set. Among her titles is Weret-Hekau, meaning "Great of Magic" and she was regularly invoked for protection against demons, bad luck, or ghosts.

Wadj-Wer (Uat-Ur) - The personification of the Mediterranean Sea whose name means "The Great Green". Recent scholarship has changed the traditional view of this god and he is now believed to have personified the lakes, swamps, and lagoons of the Delta region near to the Mediterranean. Wilkinson notes inscriptions which reference "crossing the great green" by foot which would indicate a land-crossing through the Delta region instead of the sea. He was worshipped as early as the Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 BCE) and continues to be referenced through the rest of Egypt's history, especially through protective amulets and tomb inscriptions.

Wepset - A protective goddess whose name means "She Who Burns" who destroys the enemies of Osiris. She is usually represented as a serpent but later as a woman wearing the uraeus with horns and the sun disk overhead. She features in stories concerning the Eye of Ra and is one of the personifications of the Distant Goddess motif where the Eye of Ra departs from the god and is returned, or returns itself, bringing transformation.

Wepwawet (Wepiu or Wepuaut) - One of the most ancient gods of Egypt and the oldest depiction of a jackal god, pre-dating Anubis, with whom he is often confused. His name means "Opener of the Ways" and this has been interpreted as opening the way for king in battle, opening the way to the afterlife, and opening the way at one's birth. He is depicted on the Narmer Palette (c. 3150 BCE) and associated with Wadjet. He eventually became closely associated with Horus and, as Wepwawet-Ra, with the sun god Ra. He is depicted as a jackal, sometimes wearing a scarf with a falcon before him.

Yam - The Phoenician god of the sea who battled the Lord Baal for control of the world. He entered the Egyptian pantheon through trade and made his way into Egyptian mythology through stories of his battles with Set. He was the personification of the raging sea and greatly feared. No temples were ever raised to him but he is referenced in some manuscripts which indicate he was a concern to seafarers who may have worn amulets with his image for protection.

#gods

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