Expert: Irulan Serena - 1/3/2012

Question
Hello,
My name is Brenna and I am a freshman at Cypress Bay HIgh School. I am currently doing a research paper on ancient Egyptian Mythology.

What was the relationship between most of the Egyptian Gods and the Egyptian people?

Thank you so much,

Brenna

Answer
To ancient Egyptians, the term "religion" as we think of it did not exist. Worship was the primary focus of everyday life, and was characterized by three main aspects:

Animistic: the belief that gods were representative of natural forces such as floods, the moon, and the sun.
  
Anthropomorphic: gods took on human-like characteristics when they visited earth; some were represented with animal heads and human bodies.
  
Polytheistic: they believed in more than one god or goddess. The Egyptian gods were very sacred and plentiful. The Egyptians worshiped at least eighty different gods.
Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals which were an integral part of ancient Egyptian society. It centered on the Egyptians' interaction with a multitude of deities who were believed to be present in, and in control of, the forces and elements of nature. The myths about these gods were meant to explain the origins and behavior of the forces they represented. The practices of Egyptian religion were efforts to provide for the gods and gain their favor.


Formal religious practice centered on the pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Although he was a human, the pharaoh was believed to be descended from the gods. He acted as the intermediary between his people and the gods, and was obligated to sustain the gods through rituals and offerings so that they could maintain order in the universe.


The worship of their gods and goddesses was part of everyday life in ancient Egypt and they interpreted every event in their lives in terms of the relationship between natural and supernatural forces. They believed in life after death, which they termed the "afterlife." They had to obey their gods because after their death, the gods would judge them according to how well their commands were obeyed. The Egyptian people believed that the afterlife was similar to life on earth, only better. They also believed that the spirits of the dead could eat, drink, and move around after death, and their spirit only needed a body to live in.   Mummification was an integral part of the religious ritual because  they believed that life continued even unto death…there was no end in the wheel of life.
  
On a personal basis the relationship was a mixture of  love + duty + awe + fear + worship.