Kemetism (Battle of Belusium)

Kemetism is an Egyptian, polytheistic religion based on legends and accounts of the multiple deities, coupled with regularly performed rituals and ceremonies. It is the national, and ancestral religion of the Egyptian Empire, tracing its origins back to pre-Dynastic Egypt. The religion's followers, known as Kemetists, believe that there is a constant conflict between Order (Ma'at), and Chaos (Isfet), represented by the gods, lead by Ra, and the beings of Chaos, lead by Apep, respectively. Kemetism was intergral in the development of Egypt, with the pharaoh being viewed as an incarnation of the god Horus, and served as an intermediary between the divine and the mortal worlds; while that belief faded out of the Egyptian mindset during the 26th Dynasty, it still formed a basis for the power of the state religion that would define much of the empire's ancient period. However, in the later ancient period, and moving into the Medieval, the religion's political power diminished.

Kemtist belief holds that gods can be contacted and invoked for certain things, such as praying to Nepthys for a bountiful harvest. Funerary practices remain regular parts of Egyptian belief systems, with a still firm belief in the importance of preserving the soul for a journey through the afterlife.

The religion holds its roots in prehistoric Egypt, and has survived for over 5000 years, making it the oldest living religion in the world. The exact details of these beliefs changed over time, with certain gods being elevated or demoted to certain positions, the only god playing a consistent role being Ra as the sun and creation god.

Beliefs
Kemetist beliefs have been, and remain, an intergral part in Egyptian culture.

Gods
Kemetist belief teaches that aspects of nature are in themselves divine forces, some of the most important being Ra, the god of the sun, Horus, the god of kings and vengeance, Isis, goddess of magic and queens, and many others. The gods were generally depicted as animals, or humans with animal traits. The relationships the gods had with each other were complex, and could often vary between specific sects of Kemetism. The gods, as a whole, represent ma'at (order), and stand in opposition to isfet (chaos), which is represented by the serpent, Apep.

An idolatrous religion, Kemetism makes regular use of religious statues and imagery, with depictions of the gods being found in homes or temples. However, it should be noted that Kemetists believe that the true forms of the gods are beyond human comprehension, and these depictions are the gods attempts to appear to humans in more familiar forms. In earlier times, gods were associated with certain regions or cities, where one god may be more popular than others. The god in question could change repeatedly over time as the population changed.

As Egypt became more nationalized, the Kemetist belief system became more centralized, as a common belief system took hold; this would in turn lead to gods taking firm positions in certain roles. For example, Sobek, initailly one of multiple river gods, took a place as the single god of the Nile, with other Nile deities either being absorbed, or becoming secondary to him. A more distinct hierarchy also took form, with Ra emerging as the king of the gods. One diety who this had a promiment effect on was Set, who had for a long time been demonized as a god of evil and chaos; however, staring during the reign of the 30th Dynasty, he became more associated as Ra's lieutenant, and ultimately became the god of storms and the desert, representing subdued chaos.

Afterlife
Kemetism has a firm and incritate belief in the afterlife. There is a belief in the ka, which represents the human life force, and the ba, which represents the human spirit. Initially, it was believed that only the pharaoh possessed a ba, but during the late Old Kingdom, this extended to all Kemetists. It is now held that upon death, the ba travels the Duat, and eventually comes to the Halls of Judgement, where their heart (which represents their soul), is weighed against a feather (which reprsents ma'at), to see if they acted in accord with ma'at. If the scales balanced out, then they would be allowed to pass to a paradise ruled by Osiris; if the scales tipped, then their soul would be devoured by the beast, Ammit, wherein the person would cease to exist. This belief prevailed for a long time, but later and current, belief systems hold that it is possible for a relative of a deceased person who suffered such a fate to appeal to Osiris for a second chance. If Osiris agrees, he uses the individual's sheut (shadow), which represnted the person's legacy and impact, to be reincarnated.

Older belief systems held that the body had to be perserved to prevent the ba from decaying. However, during the early Medieval era, this concept lost popularity, and embalming became more a matter of tradition than one of religious obligation.

Pharaoh
In ancient times, the Pharaoh was considered to be a divine represantive of different gods, most commonly Horus and Ra. While acknowledged as a physical man and therefore subject to human weakness, he was sitll considered to have divine attributes thrust within him. It was believed that it was the pharaoh who was the key to maintain ma'at by delivering justice and harmony upon his empire.

However, starting during the New Kingdom, the pharaoh's religious position declined severely, until completely fading from existence during the 27th Dynasty. The pharaoh is still regarded as the symbolic head of religion, as an incarnation of Horus, but is not considered to be in any way divine.