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[[File: Ra_Barque.jpg|300px|thumbnail|left|The Sun-God Re Riding in a Solar Boat]]__NOTOC__
The idea of a god, or gods, imbued with a definite personality is a concept that many premodern peoples employed in their religions and myths. Of course, the Greeks are among the best known in this regard, as they gave their deities frailties and foibles along with their immense powers. Some of the Greek gods and goddesses also had a sense of humor and some very negative emotions and personality traits, including pettiness, greed, and vindictiveness. The deities of numerous other premodern people, from the Norse to the Assyrians, and from the Japanese to the Aryans, all had myths that depicted their gods and goddesses with evident personalities and traits human. Though, the deities of the ancient Egyptians are generally thought of as lacking any feelings and clearly separated from humans in terms of their mental dispositions. Still, an examination of one particular Egyptian myth shows that this was not always the case.
===The Significance of the Myth===
[[File: Bastet.jpg|300px|thumbnail|left|Statue of the Goddess Bastet Playing Sistra]]
The myth of <i>The Destruction of Mankind</i> is significant on many theological and historical levels, especially how it reveals much about the personalities and attributes of some of ancient Egypt’s most important deities. First is Hathor, who normally represents beauty and fertility. She is transformed from a sympathetic and human -appearing figure into a bloodthirsty lioness. Through a ruse, she is changed once more into a friendly house cat associated with the goddess Bastet. <ref> Hornung, p. 205</ref> Even more important, though, are the complex personality traits of the sun-god Re. Re is at first presented as feeble, in declining health, and also somewhat of a stereotypical angry old man: despite his immense power, he is angry at what humans are doing. The sun god then shows his immense power by sending his eye to destroy the humans, which demonstrates his apparent lack of feeling for humanity. But then, as all seems lost, Re shows that he has compassion after all and, along with plenty of resourcefulness and a bit of humor, can save humanity.
===References===
