Thoth
| Thoth | ||
|---|---|---|
 Ibis |
||
| Aliases | Keeper of Knowledge | |
| Alignment | True Neutral | |
| Divine Rank | 2E: Lesser God 3E: Intermediate God |
|
| Pantheon | Egyptian, Mulhorandi | |
| Portfolio | Knowledge, learning, wisdom | |
| Domains | 3E: Knowledge, Magic, Rune 5E: Knowledge |
|
| Home Plane | Great Wheel: Thoth's Estate (Outlands) World Tree: Heliopolis |
|
| Worshippers | Bards, sages, scholars, scribes, sorcerers, wizards | |
| Favoured Weapon | Quarterstaff | |
Thoth, is an ancient Egyptian deity. The name translates to "He is like the Ibis". Originally a moon god he gradually became seen as a god of wisdom, magic, and the measurement and regulation of events and of time. He was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a baboon; both animals sacred to him. It's thought the curve of the ibis beak reflects the curve of the crescent moon. His feminine counterpart was Seshat, and his wife was Ma'at or Nehmetawy. He was the god of wisdom, writing, hieroglyphs, science, magic, art, nerds, judgment, and the dead.
Thoth's temple is located in Hermopolis, there Thoth led "the Ogdoad", a pantheon of eight principal deities. He also had numerous shrines in other cities.
Thoth played many vital and prominent roles in Egyptian mythology, such as maintaining the universe, and being one of the two deities (the other being Ma'at) who stood on either side of Ra's solar-powered barge. In the later history of ancient Egypt, Thoth became heavily associated with the arbitration of godly disputes, the arts of magic, the system of writing, the development of science, and the judgment of the dead.
Historical rites and rituals[edit | edit source]
Thoth's chief temple was located in the city of Hermopolis and was partially destroyed in 1826.
Thoth is present at the measuring of the Heart ceremony in the Book of the dead. He records the weight of the Heart against the feather of truth, also a goddess Ma'at. If the heart is heavy it is yeeted into Ammit, or a lake of fire. If it's light or lighter the soul of the dead is allowed to continue to the afterlife and Osiris.
Historical mythology[edit | edit source]
Thoth has played a prominent role in many of the Egyptian myths. In the Osiris myth, being of great aid to Isis. After Isis gathered together the pieces of Osiris's dismembered body (the dick was sadly, lost?), he gave her the words to resurrect him so she could be impregnated and bring forth Horus. After a battle between Horus and Set in which the latter plucked out Horus' eye, Thoth's counsel provided him the wisdom he needed to recover it.
This mythology also credits him with the creation of the 365-day calendar. Originally, according to the myth, the year was only 360 days long and Nut was sterile during these days, unable to bear children. Thoth gambled with the Moon for 1/72nd of its light (360/72 = 5), or 5 days, and won. During these 5 days, Nut and Geb gave birth to Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nephthys.
Other History[edit | edit source]
Plato mentions Thoth in his dialogue Phaedrus. He uses the myth of Thoth to demonstrate that writing leads to laziness and forgetfulness. In the story, Thoth remarks to King Thamus of Egypt that writing is a wonderful substitute for memory. Thamus remarks that it is a remedy for reminding, not remembering, with the appearance but not the reality of wisdom. Future generations will hear much without being properly taught, and will appear wise but not be so. What a dork.
