1. The letter “h” is silent in Thoth’s name. Thoth is pronounced Tot, or sometimes Tet or Teut. Because hieroglyphics contain no vowels, the vowels in Egyptian writing are often uncertain.
2. Thoth is the god of weights and measures who invented the 365 day calendar. The moon herself is one of the important ways that mankind measures the passing of time through the division of night from day. Thoth’s depiction with an ibis head is thought to be associated with the moon, as the shape of the bird’s beak is similar to the crescent moon. Thoth got the 365 days he wanted for the calendar, instead of the old version of 360 days, by playing a dice game with the moon – and winning.
3. Since Thoth’s realm of concern included that of balance, he is the perfect god to consider during this Libran time of year. His epithet is “He Who Balances,” as a result of his function in the afterlife. As the scribe of the underworld, Thoth had to write down the judgment decreed upon each human soul after the soul had been weighed by Anubis in the Weighing of the Heart ceremony. Lighter was better, and souls not weighed down with evil were blessed. Those souls heavier than the feather of Maat, however, were fed to the fearsome demon Ammi, who was part lion, part hippopotamus, and part crocodile.
4. Not only was Thoth the scribe of the gods, he was also the librarian of the gods. He maintained their entire library of sacred texts. I guess I not only owe Thoth for my current career as author, but also for my previous career as library director! This guy had a hand in everything.
5. Thoth helped the god Anubis create the method of embalming and mummification enabling the personality of a person, or that which makes a person uniquely himself, to be reunited with his spirit form and what I think of as his “shining body,” after death. Thus, the person would not be assimilated into the great cauldron of creation but would continue his life from the perspective of where he left off before exiting the earth plane.
6. Thoth authored the spells in what is commonly called The Book of the Dead, a compilation of priestly writings over many centuries. The version I have read is the translation by E.A. Wallis Budge. The feat of Thoth sharing his magic with mankind cannot be overestimated, since the writings contained the sacramental spells necessary to assist a person in the journey through the underworld and to a prosperous afterlife. On the funerary papyri containing the spells, the words “Coming Forth by Day” were usually written, and this may be how the writings were referred to by the ancient Egyptians.
7. Thoth is renowned for his wisdom and powers of magic. It was his magic that helped Isis regenerate her husband Osiris after he had been murdered by his brother Set. She had the burning passion and commitment to restore her husband, and Thoth had the know-how. I was right when I said he had a hand in everything. A legendary writing called The Book of Thoth is said to contain powerful spells and knowledge of the secret workings of the universe. People have contemplated its existence and sought its whereabouts for centuries. Some say it was buried with the Pharaoh Neferkaptah, and some say it is secreted at the foot of the Sphinx. What do you think of the possibility of the existence of The Book of Thoth? Could it be?
This is the Libran part of the year, when nature balances light and dark at the Autumn Equinox. It is followed by the world’s descent into the growing darkness of fall and winter, which will be a time to hunker down and reflect upon our past actions and new aspirations. Let’s take a moment now to think of Thoth and all the energy he put into helping the ancient Egyptian culture rise and thrive.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about Thoth and ancient Egypt.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Paranormal Fantasy Romance
Ancient Egypt, this mysterious civilization, with its multitude of gods, goddesses and the amazing pyramids captures the imagination. I strongly believe that many of their gods, like the one you so detailed describe in your awesome post had an extraterrestrial origin. ( My “bee in my bonnet” as you English speaking people say! Grin) The aliens helped the people of those times erect the, still keeping unbelievable secrets, Pyramids. This god may well be a character in a fantasy book. The only thing I knew about Thoth was that he was the god of writing or knowledge. Thanks for sharing!
I am very open to your idea on aliens– it’s either that or some of these beings originate from some inner parallel dimension or are a remnant of a long lost civilization that suffered a major catastrophe, leaving only a few survivors. Long ago I enjoyed Von Daniken’s books. David Icke and Stuart Wilde are two other authors who have written about aliens and other dimensions. Have you read any of those three writers?
My knowledge of Egyptian mythology is limited, but I’m reminded of the movie (and TV series) Stargate which played upon it a lot, using the Sun God Ra in the movie and twining it with aliens. I’ve also read an intriguing book recently that involved an archaeological dig at an Egyptian tomb, weaving the plot with near death experiences. It was called The Third Gate, written by one of my favorite authors, Lincoln Child. I loved the Egyptian references and history in it!
Oh, and have you seen you can now use Google Earth to look at the Great Pyramid?
I loved the movie Stargate. I never got into the series much, but I bet it was good too. I’ll have to keep an eye out for that book and also check out the Great Pyramid on google earth– no, I didn’t know that. Thanks for sharing.
P.S…. I never knew that second “h” in Thoth’s name was silent, Flossie.Thanks for the education!
Now if we just knew if they said Tot, Tut, or Tet!