Ra was the great sun god at Heliopolis. A child in the early morning, a man in his prime at noon, and an old man in the evenings Ra journeyed through the underworld at night to be reborn at dawn. His head was crowned with a solar disk upon which rested the sacred asp, destroyer of the god's enemies.
Shu and Tefnut, were Ra's children. Shu, the god of air, held up the sky and was represented with an ostrich feather on his head. His sister and wife, Tefnut, was a goddess of dew and rain. She was represented as a lioness or as a woman with the head of a lioness.
Geb and Nut were the offspring of Shu and Tefnut. Geb was the god of earth, while Nut was the sky goddess. Geb was usually shown as a prostrate man, and Nut arched over him as a woman or a cow. They were separated by their father, Shu.
Osiris was the first child of Geb and Nut, a god of nature and vegetation but also the judge of the dead in the underworld. He was instrumental in civilizing the world, yet was murdered by his envious brother, Set. Osiris was shown as a man in mummy wrappings, crowned with a miter and two ostrich feathers.
Isis, a daughter of Geb and Nut, was the faithful wife of Osiris and a beneficent sorceress. She enjoyed a large cult in antiquity and was represented with a throne on her head.
Set was Osiris' evil brother, the incarnation of wickedness and sterility. He was depicted with a beastly head and tail.
Nephthys was Set's sister and consort, but she loved Osiris and, through cunning, had a child by him. She wore a basket on her head.
Horus, the falcon-headed son of Osiris and Isis, was dedicated to avenging his father's murder.
Anubis, the jackal-headed son of Osiris and Nephthys, prepared the dead and ushered them into the underworld.
