Divine Tapestry: Exploring the Diverse Groups of Ancient Egyptian Deities the Ancient Egyptian goddesses & gods were not a single unified group, but rather a complex and diverse collection of gods and goddesses with different roles, attributes, and cults. Some deities were worshipped throughout Egypt, while others were more localized to specific regions, cities, or temples. Some deities were part of larger families or groups such as:

– The Ennead Group the Ennead is a celestial group of nine ancient Egyptian deities who were worshipped in Heliopolis, the city of the sun. The Ennead consists of Atum “The Creator God”, Shu “The God of Air”, Tefnut “The Goddess of Moisture”, Geb “The God of Earth”, Nut “The Goddess of the Sky”, Osiris “The God of the Underworld and Resurrection”, Isis “The Goddess of Magic and Healing”, Set “The God of Chaos and Storms”, and Nephthys “The Goddess of Mourning and Protection”. These gods were believed to be related by blood and marriage, and they played important roles in the creation and maintenance of the world. The Ennead was also associated with other aspects of Egyptian culture, such as kingship, morality, and cosmology.

– The Ogdoad Group the Ogdoad was a group of eight ancient Egyptian goddesses & gods who represented the primordial forces of chaos and creation. They were worshipped in the city of Hermopolis, where they were depicted as four pairs of male and female frogs and snakes. The Ogdoad consisted of Nun and Naunet who are the deities of the primordial waters, Amun and Amaunet which are the deities of invisibility and hiddenness; plus Kuk and Kauket who are the deities of darkness and obscurity, and Huh and Hauhet that are the deities of infinity and boundlessness. The members of the Ogdoad were believed to have existed before the creation of the world when only a dark and formless watery abyss existed. They were the source of the life-giving energy that emerged from the waters of BEN-BEN and gave rise to the sun god Ra. According to one myth, the Ogdoad created a lotus flower that opened to reveal Ra, who then created the other gods and the world. According to another myth, the Ogdoad created an egg “The World’s Egg” that contained Ra, who then hatched and began his work of creation. The Ogdoad was also associated with the underworld, where they guarded the entrance to the Duat, the realm of the dead. They were sometimes seen as aspects of Ra or Osiris, or as protectors of the deceased.