One of the first civilizations to employ constellations was the Egyptians. Each constellation was given a name and a narrative. However, ancient Egyptian astronomy is more than simply a few constellations or a planet’s name.
It is one of the most important contributions of ancient Egypt to world civilization and was an integral part of their culture.
The earliest known star catalog in the world was compiled by ancient Egyptians during Senusret I and II’s reign around 1880 BC.
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Egyptian Constellation Names
Egyptian Name | English Translation | Location |
Spdt | Triangle | Sirius and accompanying stars |
s3ḥ | Sah | Orion – head at the belt ; Lepus |
Ꜥrt | Jaw | Hyades with Aldebaran |
ḫ3w | Myriad or Flock | Pleiades |
ḳd | Circle or Sheepfold | Head of Cetus |
sb3 n sꜤr | Star of Fire | Capella |
3pd | The Bird | Triangulum ; Perseus |
Ꜥryt | The Two Jaws | Cassiopeia |
nḫt | The Giant | Aquila to Pegasus (in the square) |
ṯms n hntt | The Red One of the Prow | Antares |
srt | Sheep or Goat | Capricornus |
wi3 | The Boat | Sagittarius |
sb3w Ꜥš3w | Many Stars | Coma Berenices |
rrt | The Female Hippopotamus | The Female Hippopotamus |
3st d3mt | Crocodile | Serpens Caput |
ṯ3 nfr | Beautiful Child | Spica |
mnit | Mooring Post | Bootes + Arcturus |
msḫtyw | The Bull’s Foreleg | The Plough |
3n(w) | Anu (avatar of the god Horus) | From Lynx to Canes Venatici |
ipds | Its Own Count or Bright Star | Beta Centauri (Hadar) |
Sbšsn | Sage’s Star | Alpha Centauri (Rigil Kent or Toliman) |
wš3ty bk3ty | Twins and Two Ladies | Southern Cross |
d3t | The Ferryboat | Area around Argo Navis |
ḥtp rdwy | Lying on His Feet | Hydra |
m3i | The Divine Lion | Leo |
ḥḳw n sꜤḳ | The Plunderer | Leo Minor |
sb3w nw mw | Stars of Water | Praesepe (M44) |
tpy-Ꜥ sb3wy | Predecessor of the Two Stars | Alhena in Gemini |
sb3wy | Pair of Stars | Castor ; Pollux |
Štwy | The Two Tortoises | Gomeisa ; Procyon |
knmt | Cow (?) | Puppis ; Canis Major |
nwt | Nut, goddess | Milky Way |
Egyptian Constellations and Their Meanings
The ancient Egyptians believed that the stars were gods. They named them to honor their deities and to help them navigate the night sky.
We can still see some of these names in modern astronomy, but many of them have been lost. The Egyptians didn’t write down the names of constellations, so we don’t know exactly what they looked like.
We can see that the constellations have changed over time. For example, some names have been translated from Ancient Egyptian to English, and others have been renamed to make them easier for people to remember.
List Of All Egyptian Goods
Egyptian Goods
- Aker: God of the Earth and horizon, protection
- Anhur: God of war and hunting
- Anubis: God of the dead, conductor of souls, has the head of a jackal
- Bennu: God of the sun, rebirth, and creation
- Geb: God of the Earth, physically support the world
- Horus: God of the sky, sun, protection, kingship, and healing
- Khepri: God of the morning/rising sun, has a scarab beetle as a face
- Montu: God of war and the sun
- Nefertum: God of the lotus flower and youth
- Name: Falcon god, Ferryman for the gods
- Osiris: God of death, resurrection, rebirth, ruler of the Underworld
- Ptah: God of craftsmen and creation
- Ra: Ruler of all Gods, god of the sun, god of creation and afterlife
- Set: God of deserts, storms, violence, disorder, and foreigners
- Shu: God of the air, wind, and supporter of the sky
- Thoth: God of the moon, writing, and scribes, master of the physical and moral law
- Wadj-We’s: God of the sea and fertility
Egyptian Goddesses
- Bastet: Goddess of protection, takes the form of a cat or lioness
- Bat: Cow goddess of the sky
- Hathor: Goddess of the sky, sun, sexuality, motherhood, music and dance, the afterlife
- Imentet: Goddess of the afterlife, friend of the dead
- Isis: Goddess of motherhood, protection, and magic
- Kauket: Goddess of chaos and darkness
- Maat: Goddess of truth, justice, and order
- Men hit: Goddess of war, foreign war, took the form of a lioness
- Neith: Goddess of creation and hunting, patron of the city Sais
- Nekhbet: Vulture goddess, goddess of protection
- Nephi: Goddess of grain, counterpart to Neper
- Nut: Sky goddess arched over the heavens
- Paket: Lioness goddess, goddess of war
- Sekhmet: Goddess of destruction and violence, warder of disease, protector of pharaohs, consort of Ptah
- Wadjet: Cobra goddess, protective of the earth and pharaohs
