Egyptian Heroes and Characters from Myths and Legends

Egyptian Heroes and Characters from Myths and Legends

Egyptian mythology revolves primarily around the gods and their interactions with one another. Very little attention is given to individual people—or humanity in general. This is largely due to the rigid class hierarchy that existed in ancient Egyptian society, where myths and legends were primarily focused on the glorification of pharaohs.

The pharaoh ruled the entire land. Everyone else was considered his servant—this applied to commoners, nobles, royal officials, and military leaders alike. All power was centralized in the hands of the pharaoh alone. He alone had the right to govern and to punish his subjects. His whims and commands were not to be questioned. A large number of scribes served under him, tasked with recording events, myths, and legends. In these records, there was no place for the common folk. Only the gods and the pharaoh were deemed worthy of being immortalized in writing for the ages.