In Egyptian mythology, Thoth is the ibis-headed god associated with writing and wisdom.
Thoth was one of ancient Egypt’s great divine intellectuals. Egyptians connected him with writing, knowledge, measurement, mathematics, magic, the Moon, and the maintenance of cosmic order. Artists commonly depicted him as a human with the head of an ibis, though he could also appear as a baboon or as a complete ibis.
As divine scribe and counselor, Thoth recorded judgments, advised the gods, and helped preserve maat—the principle of truth, balance, and right order. In stories involving Horus and Set, he acts as a wise mediator. He is also credited in Egyptian tradition with inventing hieroglyphic writing and with possessing the words needed for healing and restoration.
His principal cult center was Hermopolis, called Khemenu in ancient Egyptian. Greek writers identified him with Hermes because both deities were associated with language and learning; this later contributed to the figure of Hermes Trismegistus. Thoth’s ibis association also led Egyptians to mummify and dedicate enormous numbers of sacred ibises at temple sites.