Thoth

Nationality/Culture

Egyptian

Pronunciation

TOHT

Alternate Names

Djehuty, Sheps, Asten

Appears In

Egyptian Book of the Dead

Lineage

Son of Ra

Character Overview

Thoth was the Egyptian god of wisdom and knowledge. Honored as the inventor of writing and the founder of branches of learning, such as art, astronomy, medicine, law, and magic, he was the god associated with scribes, the official writers who documented ancient Egyptian culture and beliefs. Ancient Egyptians associated Thoth with the moon and identified him as the son of Ra, the supreme sun god. According to legend, Thoth possessed books of wisdom that contained secret information about nature and magic. Although the books were hidden, certain scribes had access to them.

Major Myths

Thoth played a key role in the Egyptian story of the afterlife. Known to be fair and impartial, Thoth judged the souls of the dead by weighing their hearts against a feather that represented truth. After recording the results, he told Osiris (pronounced oh-SYE-ris), ruler of the underworld or land of the dead, whether the individual had led a just life.

Thoth also played an important role in the creation of the Egyptian pantheon, or collection of recognized gods. According to myth, the goddess Nut —who had married her twin brother Geb against the wishes of Ra—was not allowed to have children during any month of the year, which originally consisted of only 360 days. Thoth felt sorry for Nut and gambled with the moon in an effort to win a portion of its light. Thoth won and turned that light into five additional days for each year. During those five days, Nut gave birth to her five children: Osiris, Isis (pronounced EYE-sis), Set (pronounced SET), Nephthys (pronounced NEF-this), and Horus (pronounced HOHR-uhs).

Thoth in Context

The nature of the god Thoth reflects the importance of the moon and calendars in ancient Egypt. Thoth was originally seen as a moon god, with the curve of the beak on his ibis head even resembling a crescent moon. As the observation of the moon became a crucial part of determining the passage of months and seasons—the basis for early Egyptian calendars—Thoth came to be seen as the god of wisdom and knowledge. The Egyptians used these calendars to determine when to plant and harvest crops, and were one the first societies to establish a month and year cycle similar to what is still used today. The first month of the Egyptian year was even named after their god of the moon and wisdom, Thoth.

Key Themes and Symbols

Thoth represented wisdom to the ancient Egyptians. He was also known as the “tongue of Ra,” the tongue symbolizing his eloquence of speech as the speaker for the supreme god. He was seen as a force of levelheadedness and compromise among the gods, as shown in his acquisition of five extra days in each year for Nut.

Thoth in Art, Literature, and Everyday Life

In works of art, Thoth appears as either a human with the head of an ibis—a bird with a long, curved bill—or a baboon that supports the moon on its head. In modern times, Thoth was popularized by occult author Aleister Crowley in The Book of Thoth, which oudined the proper use of a deck of Tarot cards he created known as the Thoth Tarot. The Thoth Tarot has gone on to become one of the most popular decks of Tarot cards ever created.

Read, Write, Think, Discuss

Calendars played a crucial role in ancient societies. Nearly all important tasks, including religious rituals and agricultural tasks, relied upon knowledge of dates and seasons. Using your library, the Internet, or other available resources, research the ancient Egyptian calendar. How does it differ from the calendar we use today? Does it have any advantages over our modern calendar? Does it have any disadvantages? Does the Egyptian calendar reflect ancient Egyptian beliefs? If so, how?

SEE ALSO Afterlife; Egyptian Mythology; Osiris; Ra; Underworld