Thoth

Thoth (or Thoth, Tehut, Tahuti, Djehuti ) is in Egyptian mythology, the ibis-headed or pavia multiform god of the moon, magic, science, the writer of the wisdom and of the calendar. In the Pyramid Texts Thoth was the god of the West.

Meaning in Ancient Egypt

The worship of Thoth is one of the oldest gods cults of ancient Egypt and the cult center was Hermopolis. Its importance is well documented by inscriptions in buildings and papyrus records. During the Pyramid Age ( Old Kingdom) Thoth was known as the Moon-god; in the late period, he received the epithet "Silver Aton ". His sacred animals are sacred ibis and hamadryas baboon. Writing tablet and stylus are usually his attributes and he is regarded as Secretary of the gods, and as the inventor of the hieroglyphs. In the Osiris myth he was the scribe and vizier of Osiris. Thoth was the successor of Horus and ruled for 3000 years peacefully over Egypt. Then he climbed up to the sky as the moon, but a demon seizure resistant from him, so that he was affected by a periodic depletion (different phases of the moon ).

Thoth is the latest from the New Kingdom and the first month of the season Akhet in ancient Egypt. As a moon-god, he is also the god of time and the time periods, as these depend on the moon run. This also makes him the measurement ends, the God of measurement. He represents the uniform order of the world, he is the inherent spirit of order and regularity. He is the representative of the spirit in general, and in particular the protection God of all earthly laws. At the same time he is the god of intelligence, the arranger of liturgical rites, the teacher of Arts and Sciences, the inventor of language and writing, the patron of libraries.

Finally, Thoth has a meaning in the afterlife of the Egyptian mythology. He is the secretary of the dead court and noted whether the deceased are worthy to be received into the kingdom of recurrence or in the realm of the dead.

Importance in Greece

Thoth was equated with Hermes in Greek mythology and later merged with him to Hermes Trismegistus.

Modern reception

Aleister Crowley wrote The Book of Thoth, in which he explained the divination by means of which he designed and drawn by Frieda Harris Thoth Tarot card decks and its mythological backgrounds.

The sacred tree of Heliopolis with Thoth and Seshat