I. INTRODUCTORY II. EXPLORATION, HISTORY, AND CUSTOMS III. THE PRIESTHOOD: MYSTERIES AND TEMPLES IV. THE CULT OF OSIRIS V. THE GREAT GODS VI. EGYPTIAN LITERATURE VII. MAGIC VIII. FOREIGN AND ANIMAL GODS: THE LATE PERIOD GLOSSARY AND INDEX LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS The Presentation of Ani to Osiris _Frontispiece_ The Egyptian Symbol of the Soul Pylon, Karnak The Pyramids of Gizeh Model of a Funeral Boat Canopic Jars representing the Four Sons of Horus Temple of Horus at Edfû Scene representing the driving of a Herd of Cattle Rāhetep, a Priest Osiris Osiris beguiled into the Chest Isis and the Baby Prince The Departure of Isis from Byblos A Shrine of Osiris Isis Winged Isis Cippus of Horus Horus in Battle Nephthys Set Anubis Thoth and Maāt The Weighing of the Heart Ra Isis and Ra Amen-Ra Mut and Ptah Sekhmet and Bast Khnemu, I-em-hetep and Nefer-Tem Aten Hathor Hapi Taurt and Khonsu The Maiden of Bekhten The Goddesses as Dancing-girls Thoth and the Chief Magician "Who are you?" The Treasure-Chamber of Rhampsinites Isis conjured Ra to tell his Name Amulet of Hathor Bes Procession of the Sacred Bull Sebek Rameses II accompanied by a Lion Mummied Cats Horus the Child Hauling Blocks of Stone for the Pyramids Head-rest Temple of Isis at Philæ CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTORY The group of beliefs which constituted what for convenience' sake is called the Egyptian religion in an existence of some thousands of years passed through nearly every phase known to the student of comparative mythology. If the theologians of ancient Egypt found it impossible to form a pantheon of deities with any hope of consistency, assigning to each god or goddess his or her proper position in the divine galaxy as ruling over a definite sphere, cosmic or psychical, it may be asked in what manner the modern mythologist is better equipped to reduce to order elements so recondite and difficult of elucidation as the mythic shapes of the divinities worshipped in the Nile Valley. But the answer is ready. The modern science of comparative religion is extending year by year, and its light is slowly but certainly becoming diffused among the dark places of the ancient faiths. By the gleam of this magic lamp, then--more wonderful than any dreamt of by the makers of Eastern fable--let us walk in the gloom of the pyramids, in the cool shadows of ruined temples, aye, through the tortuous labyrinth of the Egyptian mind itself, trusting that by virtue of the light we carry we shall succeed in unravelling to some extent the age-long enigma of this mystic land.