In the Egyptian Mythology, Thot is the Greek name of Djehouti (or Thehuti ), the lunar god of Khemenou (Hermopolis Magna).

Represented like a Ibis with the white and black plumage or like a baboon, Thot collects the light of the the Moon, of which it governs the cycles, so much so that it was called “the lord of time”.

A text of Edfou reports its birth: Within the paramount ocean appeared the emerged ground. On this one, the Eights came to the existence. They revealed a lotus from which Re left, comparable with Shou. Then it came a button from lotus from where dwarf emerged, auxiliary female necessary, which Re saw and wished. From their union was born Thot which created the world by the Verb.

Inventor of the writing and the language, it is the “language of Atoum” and the god of the scribes. Incarnation of the intelligence and the word, it knows the magic formulas which the gods cannot resist. According to the legend, that which was able to decipher the magic formulas of the Livre of Thot could hope to exceed even the gods.

It governs the hearing of dead with the Court of Osiris, and it is Anubis which weighs and judges the hearts by comparing them with the weight of a feather (symbol of Maât and justice), in order to decide if the heart, the Kâ, must be condemned (Kâ being then devoured by the protean monster with the feet of the balance, generally with head of crocodile, the body of lion - but the representations divergent) or judged worthy to reach the Fields of Ialou, left paradise eternal in which reign the imperturbable order. Maât would correspond more or less to our design of Justice, with this close which it is not only one harmonious report/ratio relating to the Juste and the unjust one, but principle of a universal nature.

A passage of the Book of the cow and sky explain why Thot is chosen by Re as vizier whereas this one is on the point of leaving the world of the men.

At the time of its combat with Seth, Horus lost its eye, but found it thereafter thanks to Thot. Called “Oudjat”, this eye represents the victory of the order (legitimates, Horus being the heir to late Osiris) over the chaos (Seth, which disturbs the dynastic order, and consequently the order of the world). Carried in the form of amulet, it was supposed to draw aside the evil eye ; one finds it in particular on the prow of the ships, in order to escape the dangerous hippopotamuses.

Imported in the world gréco-Roman, Thot will be compared there to Hermes/Mercure, more particularly under the name of Hermes Trismégiste.

See too

• Egyptian Astrology

• Ir
• Ogdoade d' Hermopolis

Nds-nl: Thoth Simple: Thoth