← All chapters

Bulfinch’s Mythology · Chapter

Egyptian Deities explained

This chapter introduces the principal Egyptian deities, beginning with Amun (later identified with Zeus or Jupiter Ammon), who manifests through his word or will to create Kneph and Athor.

What happens

This chapter introduces the principal Egyptian deities, beginning with Amun (later identified with Zeus or Jupiter Ammon), who manifests through his word or will to create Kneph and Athor. From them proceed Osiris and Isis, with Osiris worshipped as the sun god and god of the Nile, annually visiting Isis (the Earth) through inundation. The chapter also describes Serapis or Hermes as a ruler of Tartarus and god of medicine, Anubis as the guardian god with a dog's head, and Horus (Harpocrates) as the god of Silence, seated on a lotus with his finger on his lips.

Read this chapter freeBook page

Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupEscalationAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional peak of Tristram’s brief reunion with…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

Themes in this chapter

  • Mortality and Immortality

    Osiris as a dying and resurrecting god associated with the annual Nile flood, symbolizing life, death, and renewal.

Characters to notice

  • Osiris

    Worshipped as the god of the sun, warmth, life, fruitfulness, and the Nile; annually visits Isis through inundation.

  • Isis

    Goddess of the Earth, wife of Osiris, visited annually by the Nile inundation.

  • Jupiter

    Identified with Amun as Jupiter Ammon, the highest deity acknowledged by the Egyptians.

Key passages

  • “Osiris was worshipped as the god of the sun, the source of warmth, life, and fruitfulness, in addition to which he was also regarded as the god of the Nile, who annually visited his wife, Isis (the Earth), by means of an inundation.”

    Osiris was revered as both the sun god, providing heat and fertility, and the Nile god, who each year flooded the land to reunite with his wife Isis, the Earth.

    Explains the dual role of Osiris in Egyptian religion.

  • “Anubis is the guardian god, represented with a dog’s head, emblematic of his character of fidelity and watchfulness.”

    Anubis, the protector god, is depicted with a canine head to symbolize his loyalty and vigilance.

    Describes the iconography and symbolism of Anubis.

Continue in the readerAll chapters