| Chronology | xi |
1 | Introduction | 1 |
| What Is a Myth? | 1 |
| Myth and Geography | 2 |
| History and the Sources of Egyptian Myth | 4 |
| Protodynastic (Dynasty 0) and Early Dynastic Periods (Dynasties 1-2): c. 3200-2686 BCE | 5 |
| Early Kings | 5 |
| The King and the Gods | 6 |
| Old Kingdom (Dynasties 3-6) and First Intermediate Period (Dynasties 7-11): c. 2686-2055 BCE | 8 |
| The Pyramid Builders | 8 |
| The Pyramid Texts | 9 |
| Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period (Dynasties 11-17): c. 2055-1550 BCE | 12 |
| The Coffin Texts | 13 |
| Literature | 16 |
| Magic and Popular Religion | 17 |
| New Kingdom (Dynasties 18-20) and Third Intermediate Period (Dynasties 21-24): c. 1550-747 BCE | 19 |
| Temples and Kings | 21 |
| Underworld Books | 24 |
| The Book of the Dead | 26 |
| Mythology in Literature | 28 |
| The End of the New Kingdom | 30 |
| Late Period and Ptolemaic Period (Dynasties 25-30 and the Ptolemies): 747-30 BCE | 31 |
| The Memphite Theology | 32 |
| Persians and Greeks | 34 |
| Alexandria and Memphis | 35 |
| Priests and Temples under the Ptolemies | 37 |
| Isis and Horus | 39 |
| Roman Period: 30 BCE-395 CE | 40 |
| Plutarch's Osiris | 41 |
| Demotic Literature | 42 |
| Land of Magicians | 43 |
| Post-Pharaonic Egypt | 45 |
2 | Mythical Time Lines | 57 |
| Linear Time | 57 |
| Chaos | 58 |
| Emergence of the Creator | 59 |
| Creation | 61 |
| Period of Direct Rule by the Creator Sun God | 68 |
| Period of Rule by Other Gods | 76 |
| Period of Rule by Kings | 85 |
| Return to Chaos | 89 |
| Cyclical Time | 89 |
| The Egyptian Year | 90 |
| The Solar Cycle | 91 |
| The Journey of the Soul | 93 |
3 | Deities, Themes, and Concepts | 99 |
| Aker | 99 |
| Akhet | 99 |
| Ammut | 100 |
| Amun (Amon, Ammon, Amen) | 100 |
| Anat (Anath, Anta) | 102 |
| Andjety (Anedjeti) | 102 |
| Anti (Anty) | 103 |
| Anubis (Anpu, Inpw) | 104 |
| Anuket (Anukis) | 105 |
| Apis | 105 |
| Apophis (Apep) | 106 |
| Arsaphes | 108 |
| Ash | 108 |
| Astarte (Ashtarte) | 108 |
| Aten (Aton) | 109 |
| Atum (Atem) | 111 |
| Baal | 112 |
| Babi (Baba) | 112 |
| Baboons | 113 |
| Banebdjedet (Banebdjed) | 114 |
| Bastet (Bast, Boubastis, Pasht) | 115 |
| Bat | 117 |
| Bata | 117 |
| Benu Bird (Phoenix) | 117 |
| Bes and Beset | 118 |
| Birds | 120 |
| Boats | 121 |
| Cattle | 123 |
| Crocodiles | 126 |
| Djed Pillar | 127 |
| Ennead of Heliopolis | 128 |
| Eye of Ra | 128 |
| Eyes of Horus | 131 |
| Feline Deities | 132 |
| Geb | 135 |
| Hand of Atum | 136 |
| Hapy (Hapi) | 136 |
| Hathor (Hwt-hr) | 137 |
| Hatmehyt | 139 |
| Heh Gods | 139 |
| Heka (Hika) | 139 |
| Heqet (Heqat, Hekat) | 139 |
| Heryshef (Arsaphes, Harsaphes) | 141 |
| Hippopotamus Goddesses | 141 |
| Horemakhet (Harmachis) | 143 |
| Horus (Hor) | 143 |
| Horus the Child (Harpokrates, Harpocrates) | 146 |
| Hu | 147 |
| Ihy | 148 |
| Imhotep (Imouthes) | 148 |
| Ipet (Opet) | 149 |
| Isis | 149 |
| Iusaas | 152 |
| Khentamentiu (Khentamenti) | 152 |
| Khenty-Khety | 152 |
| Khepri (Khepry, Khopri) | 152 |
| Khnum (Chnum) | 153 |
| Khonsu (Khons, Chons) | 155 |
| Kings and Princes | 156 |
| Lotus | 158 |
| Maat (Ma'et) | 159 |
| Mafdet | 161 |
| Magicians | 161 |
| Mahes (Mihos) | 163 |
| Mehet-Weret (Mehurit, Methyer) | 163 |
| Mehit (Mehyt, Mekhit) | 164 |
| Meretseger | 164 |
| Meskhenet | 164 |
| Min | 164 |
| Montu (Mont, Month) | 165 |
| Moon | 166 |
| Mut (Mout) | 168 |
| Nefertem (Nefertum) | 169 |
| Nehebkau | 169 |
| Neith (Neit) | 169 |
| Nekhbet | 170 |
| Nemty | 171 |
| Neper (Nepri) | 171 |
| Nephthys | 171 |
| Nun (Noun, Nu) | 172 |
| Nut (Nout) | 173 |
| Ogdoad of Hermopolis | 175 |
| Onuris (Anhur, Inhur, Inhert) | 177 |
| Osiris | 178 |
| Pakhet | 180 |
| Primeval Mound | 180 |
| Primeval Ocean | 181 |
| Ptah | 181 |
| Ra (Re, Pre) | 182 |
| Raet-Tawy (Raiyet) | 185 |
| Ra-Horakhty | 185 |
| Renenutet (Ernutet, Hermouthis, Thermouthis) | 185 |
| Satet (Satis) and Anuket (Anukis) | 186 |
| Sekhmet (Sakhmet) | 187 |
| Serqet (Serket, Selkis) | 189 |
| Seshat (Sechat) | 190 |
| Seth (Set, Sutekh) | 191 |
| Seven Hathors | 194 |
| Shai (Shay) | 194 |
| Shed | 195 |
| Shentayet | 195 |
| Shezmu | 195 |
| Shu (Schu, Chou) and Tefnut (Tefenet) | 195 |
| Sia and Hu (Hw) | 198 |
| Snakes | 198 |
| Sobek (Suchos) | 200 |
| Sokar (Soker, Sokaris) | 202 |
| Sons of Horus | 204 |
| Sopdet (Sothis) | 205 |
| Sopdu (Sopedu, Soped) | 205 |
| Sothis | 206 |
| Souls of Pe and Nekhen | 206 |
| Sphinx | 206 |
| Stars and Planets | 207 |
| Tatjenen (Tatenen) | 209 |
| Taweret (Tweret, Taurt, Thoeris) | 209 |
| Tayet | 209 |
| Tefnut | 209 |
| Thoth | 209 |
| Two Ladies | 211 |
| Wadjyt (Wadjet, Ouadjet, Uto) | 213 |
| Wepwawet (Upwaut) | 213 |
| Weret-Hekau | 214 |
| Wosret | 214 |
4 | Egyptian Myth: Annotated Print and Nonprint Resources | 215 |
| Print Resources | 215 |
| General Works on Egyptian Culture | 215 |
| Egpytian Religion and Myth | 217 |
| Books and Articles on Egyptian Myth in other Languages | 220 |
| English Translations of Ancient Texts | 220 |
| A Selection of Literature Influenced by Egyptian Myth | 222 |
| Nonprint Resources | 224 |
| Videos | 224 |
| Web Sites and CD-Roms | 224 |
| Glossary | 227 |
Appendix | Primary Sources | 233 |
| Index | 239 |
| About the Author | 257 |