Egyptian religion had ancient origins and lasted for at least 3,500 years. The Egyptians saw divinity in everything—in river, desert, and vegetation; in the sun, moon, and stars; in animals and kings; in birth and death. They created a vast and confusing multitude of gods.
There are literally hundreds of deities, some having animal form, some depicted with human bodies and animal heads, and some of human form. A god like Ra had dozens of names, and often gods had two or more shapes apiece. Political and priestly pressures sometimes brought in new gods and swept the old ones aside. Furthermore, Egyptian religion was local, with different religious centers having different gods and cosmogonies. After listing a few of the major gods, we will give the account of the creation according to the priests at Heliopolis.
Of myths proper there is only one of which we have a complete account—the story of Osiris. The Egyptians took their myths for granted, passing them down by word of mouth without ever fully recording them. The reason we have the myth of Osiris is that Plutarch, the Greco-Roman historian wrote it down.
