Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends The most well-known African myths and legends are probably those from ancient Egypt These myths explained the origins of the Egyptian people and culture as well as explaining natural phenomenon The sun and the Nile River are the two major natural features that impacted their lives most so the Sun God Ra was a prominent figure in Egyptian myth as was Osiris the god of death and rebirth For the Egyptians Osiris is the Nile wrote Plutarch a Greek historian who lived from around 46 to 122 CE Other African cultures had their own myths Like Egypt’s mythology these other African myths often helped ancient people make sense of their lives their environment and natural phenomenon Let’s take a look at some ancient Egyptian and African myths Opposite Egyptian pyramids were built to house the dead and help their souls reach the afterlife They were mostly built for the ruling people called pharaohs Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends 5 1
Death and Rebirth The god of death and resurrection Osiris was one of the most important deities the Egyptians associated with the Nile Because they believed he was killed and brought back to life they saw a connection between him and vegetation They knew that plants died or were cut at harvest time and then returned again a few months later springing out of the soil The Egyptians also connected Osiris with the power of the Nile as the source of plant growth Just as vegetation died and was reborn so did the Nile seem to die every year and then return again with the annual flooding and receding of the waters Thus it was only fitting that the Egyptians celebrated festivals highlighting the importance of Osiris and the Nile They also told many tales of the Nile Plutarch in his writings recorded the version of the myth that follows Geb the god of the earth married Nut the goddess of the sky and according to the ancient Egyptians had four children Osiris the god of death and resurrection Isis the goddess of motherhood magic and fertility Seth the god of storms darkness and chaos Nephthys the goddess of the air sky and mourning 6 The Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt and Africa
Seth’s Plot According to the Egyptians Isis married Osiris and Seth married Nephthys Soon after Osiris became the first king of Egypt and established laws and taught the people how to grow crops Osiris’s success irritated Seth who envied his brother’s power and formed a plan to murder him With Osiris dead Seth could claim the right to rule the country Determined to destroy Osiris Seth constructed a coffin of gold inlaid with semiprecious stones and then hosted a party Whoever can fit into this coffin may have it as his or her own he said loudly so that everyone could hear him All the guests approached each eager to be the perfect fit One by one the guests eagerly stepped into the coffin hoping to claim ownership of the coffin Finally there remained only King Osiris who had not tried his luck As he bent to lie down inside it Seth slammed down the lid sealed it and threw the coffin into the Nile Unable to escape Osiris died as the coffin made its way down the river and out to sea When Isis heard what had happened to her husband she was overwhelmed with grief Tearfully she searched the world for him On her travels she heard that a casket fashioned of gold had become entangled in the roots of a Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends 7
