Oh My Gods! 5 Online Guides to Egyptian Gods and Religion

Back in March, I compiled a little list of online resources on Aztec mythology for those who wanted to learn more about Xolotl and the other gods mentioned in the popular co-op game, Lara Croft & the Guardian of Light. And now that the Egypt-centric Lara Croft & the Temple of Osiris is heading our way later this year, I thought it fitting to put together a list of some of my favourite online guides to Ancient Egyptian gods, goddesses, and religion.

So here are my top 5 suggestions in no particular order!

1) Tour Egypt’s Overview of Ancient Egyptian Religion – While not the easiest page to browse, Tour Egypt’s section on Egyptian religion is quite comprehensive and has links to dozens of short articles on specific aspects of Egyptian religion and mythology, such as The Animal Cults of Ancient Egypt, Tree Goddesses, and Creation Myths as well as pages devoted to each individual deity. Many of the articles also include suggestions for further reading for those who want to learn more about a particular topic.

2) Ancient Egypt Online’s Religion in Ancient Egypt – Though not as comprehensive as some of the other entries on this list, Ancient Egypt Online has a well-organized and user-friendly index of gods and goddesses as well as information about some of Egypt’s key religious texts and iconography.

3) GodChecker’s The Gods of Egypt – For a more light-hearted and far less academic approach to Egyptian mythology, there’s no better place to learn about the gods than over at GodChecker. I mean, where else would you hear Osiris being referred to as the “Mr Big of the Egyptian Underworld”?

4) The Mythology of Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses for Kids – As its title suggests, this website is aimed at a younger audience but it’s still a handy resource for those who want to get a grasp on the basics of Egyptian mythology or for teachers looking for material to use in class. Their A-Z of Egyptian gods contains fact sheets for almost 100 deities, which are well illustrated and remarkably informative.

5) Wikipedia’s Egyptian Mythology Section – It’s hard to go wrong with Wikipedia, really. One could easily spend hours browsing through the hundreds of entries categorized under “Egyptian Mythology” or checking out the external sources they link to. If you’re short on time and just want a quick overview of each of the major gods, check out this list of Egyptian deities. And if you have a bit more time to spare, why not learn a little about the history and role of religion in Egyptian culture?

Now, for those of you who prefer your information in hard copy, you might find the following books helpful:

• The Complete Gods & Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by Richard H. Wilkinson, Thames & Hudson (2003) [Buy this on Amazon/Amazon UK]
• Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses & Traditions of Ancient Egypt by Geraldine Pinch, Oxford Uni Press (2004) [Buy this on Amazon/Amazon UK]
• The Penguin Book of Myths & Legends of Ancient Egypt by Joyce Tyldesley, Penguin (2011) [Buy this on Amazon/Amazon UK]

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Have I missed out any useful websites? Or are there any other books you’d like to recommend to fellow readers? If so, please leave your feedback in the comments section below!

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• Lara Croft Heads Back to Egypt in “Lara Croft & the Temple of Osiris”
• 7 Egyptology Blogs You Should Be Following
• 10 Fantastic Free Resources for Learning Egyptian Hieroglyphs