Thoth

God of Writing and Knowledge

Thoth was the Egyptian god of writing, knowledge, calculation, the Moon and wise judgement. His Egyptian name was Djehuty, and he was usually shown as a man with the head of an ibis. He could also appear as a baboon. Both animals were sacred to him. His main centre of worship was Khemenu, later called Hermopolis by the Greeks. Scribes treated Thoth as the master of hieroglyphs and learning, which made him extremely important in a civilisation that depended on written records for taxes, temples, laws, stories and royal commands.

Thoth's connection with the Moon also made him useful for measuring time. The changing Moon helped divide months and organise festivals. In one story, the sky goddess Nut was forbidden to give birth on any day of the year. Thoth cleverly gambled with the Moon and won enough extra light to create five new days. Nut could then give birth to Osiris, Horus the Elder, Set, Isis and Nephthys. It is a very Thoth solution. He does not punch anyone or fire a magical weapon. He wins by thinking.

Thoth also helps during the enormous argument between Horus and Set. He carries messages, helps heal Horus's damaged eye and records decisions made by the gods. His writing skills become even more important in the afterlife. When a dead person's heart is weighed against Ma'at's feather, Anubis checks the scales while Thoth stands nearby recording the result. Egyptian scribes used reed pens, palettes and black and red ink to copy everything from accounts to sacred texts. They could honour Thoth because one wrong number or badly written word might cause real problems. Later Greeks connected him with their clever god Hermes. I think Thoth is brilliant because his stories give knowledge a proper place beside physical strength. Lots of gods can win a fight. Thoth can work out a calendar, heal an eye, settle an argument and make sure the final result is written down correctly. Every mythology needs somebody who remembers to take notes.

⬅   Back