Osiris--the good principle. He is in perpetual warfare with evil. He is the source of warmth, life and fruitfulness. Isis, his wife, was his counterpart in many respects. Osiris became the judge of the under-world, and Isis was the giver of death.
Horus--the son of Osiris. He avenged his father, who was slain by Typhon.
Seth, or Typhon--the brother of Osiris, and his chief opponent. He represented physical evil; he was the enemy of all good. His consort was Nebti.
Thoth--the god of letters, the clerk of the underworld, and the keeper of the records for the great judge, Osiris. The chief moon-god.
Ptah--the Egyptian Hephaestus, the divine architect.
Ma-t--the goddess of truth. She is characterized by the ostrich feather, the emblem of truth, on her head.
Anubis--the jackal-headed, presided over tombs and mummification.
The Sphinx--a beneficent being who personified the fruit-bearing earth, and was a deity of wisdom and knowledge.
Dyaus--the most ancient name for the supreme god. Dyaus, the heaven, married Prithivi, the earth, and they became the father and mother of the other Hindu gods. Dyaus is also the god of rain.
Indra--the rain-bringer. The son of Dyaus. He is a strong, impetuous warrior, drives a chariot drawn by pawing steeds, bears a resistless lance that is lightning.
Vishnu--one name for the sun; second god of the Hindu triad, literally the Pervader. (Brahma and Siva are the other two of the trinity.)
Vishnu is represented as being of blue color. His _sacti_, or wife, is Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
Rudra--the father of the storm-gods, the Maruts.
Maruts--the storm gods. "They overturn trees, destroy whole forests, they roar like lions, are swift as thought. In the Maruts we see blind strength and fury without judgment."
Vayu--sometimes the wind was thought of as a single personality. He was called Vayu.
Agni--the fire-god. Considered the messenger between the Hindus and heaven. He carried their offerings to Dyaus-pitar.
Varuna--the noblest figure of the Vedic religion. The supreme god at one time. Sometimes he was the All-Surrounder. Later he was ruler of the seas.
Yama--the judge of the dead. He had a dog with four eyes and wide nostrils, whom he sent to earth to collect those about to die.