Old Kingdom Pantheon

The Old Kingdom is the pantheon of gods worshiped by the people of Kemhet and, to a degree, in neighboring lands; many people of Deshret also revere these gods. By and large, the deities of Kemhet are thought to be among the very oldest of all divinities.

It should be noted that the deities and personified concepts of Kemhet are so many that all could not be listed in this article, and instead, several of the primary deities will be detailed as opposed to all of them.

Central Concepts

The following are some of the most important concepts that hold together the religion of the Old Kingdom.

Balance

It is important to note that all of the gods revered and prayed to in Kemhet exist around a centralized concept called ma'at (which is also sometimes personified as a goddess). Ma'at forms the backbone of Kemheti religion itself and one of the singular most important aspects of life; ma'at is the unifying order that allows people to live and the mortal realm to exist. All the good and just deities of the Old Kingdom strive to maintain ma'at, or balance and righteousness, while the evil deities of the pantheon threaten ma'at with their chaos and wickedness.

Souls and the Afterlife

There are those who claim that the religion of Kemhet is one of "death worship," given the outsider concept that Kemhetis are preoccupied with death, embalming, tombs, and deities of death. However, the Old Kingdom focuses on life rather than death; death is a part of life and merely a stage in the existence of the immortal soul. Souls in Kemheti religion are vast and complex, undergoing many stages and forms over time. Mortal life is seen as perhaps the greatest test of the soul's virtues: after the death of their physical body, the virtuous continue to another worthy stage of their immortal existence, whereas the amoral will either be cast down to be punished for their evil or destroyed altogether. It is, therefore, a part of Kemheti religion to live a good and virtuous life while alive and walking the mortal realm. Souls can be bound to different places: Duat, Aaru, or ultimate finality in the jaws of Ammit.

Gods of Order

The gods of order are thus categorized because they play a central role in battling directly against some form of evil. These gods include but are not limited to the ruling deities and other important deities whose domains involve protection, war, and death.

Ra

yay

Anubis

yay

Horus

yay

Osiris

yay

Isis

yay

=

Gods of Nurture

The gods of nurture are those whose domains fall into less violent categories, such as those who rule over elements innate to a peaceful life, the household, and other, calmer aspects.

=

Gods of Chaos

The gods of chaos in the Old Kingdom are those who oppose ma'at, standing for disharmony, destruction, and evil.

Set

yay

Apophis

yay

Other Gods

Ma'at and Isfet

Ma'at and Isfet are a pair of deities in the Old Kingdom that are often equated with or associated with the gods of Parsanshar: Ormazd and Ahriman. Ma'at is a personification of the aforementioned centralizing concept of all Kemheti religion, including truth, justice, and balance in all things; when personified, Ma'at's symbol is the ostrich feather of truth. She is often associated with Ormazd, thought to be related to him somehow, perhaps by birth or other family ties; she is also thought by some to be an inspiration for the cult of Astra Aeterna. She exists in constant balance with the mysterious, formless personification of her opposing qualities: Isfet, who embodies injustice, malevolence, and chaos. Isfet is openly equated with the Parsanshari deity Ahriman.