Geb, god of Egypt

Who was Geb?
Geb was the Egyptian god of the god of the dead, representing the earth in which the deceased was laid and was therefore closely associated with the Underworld. Egyptian gods and goddesses closely resembled the appearance of humans, many of their gods were also perceived as 'human hybrids'  depicted with human bodies with the heads of animals. Geb is depicted with a goose above his head The ancient Egyptians did not usually worship animals, these symbols were used as a recognition aid and a device to visually convey the powers, identity and attributes of the deity.

Facts about Geb
The following facts and profile provides a fast overview of Geb:
 

Hieroglyphs and Pictures of Geb in Egyptian Mythology
Geb, the Egyptian god of the Underworld, featured in the stories, myths and legends in Egyptian Mythology. The pictures of Geb tell us about the god - you can start to learn the mysterious Egyptian symbols and secrets of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Geb was the "hereditary chief" or the "father of the gods" and he was the first king, or pharaoh, of Egypt and is seen wearing the the headdress of a ruler of Egypt. These ceremonial headdresses were either the Nemes which was the striped head cloth or the plain cloth Khat that were worn by the pharaohs These royal headdresses were tied at the back of the head with lappets, decorative flaps, that fell down either side of the face. Geb is also depicted wearing the ceremonial 'Osird' or “the divine beard" with an upward pointing curl. Living pharaohs wore a beard with a straight edge. Only when they died could they wear the “osird”.

Hieroglyphs and Pictures of Geb - the Goose Symbol
We now come to the peculiar goose! According to ancient Greek mythology and legend he is identified with the goose, the bird which, in later times was sacred to him as he was believed to have made his way through the air in the form of a goose. The word "seb," was also used as a name of the god in reference to a "peculiar species" of goose of the same name. Seb is the Egyptian name for a certain species of goose. Finally, the symbol of the goose is in allusion to the idea that he made the primeval egg from which the world came into being. He is therefore often called the "Great Cackler". The pictures of hieroglyphics depicting Geb shows the goose standing or sitting on the head of the god.

Geb - Egyptian gods & Mythology for Kids - Green skin
Geb is also pictured with green colored skin, like Osiris.  Green colored skin symbolizes rebirth and regeneration with white clothing reflecting the white of mummification - direct references to the Egyptian Underworld (called Duat). Both Osiris and Geb were pictured with green skin, but at times were also shown with black skin that symbolized death and the Afterlife.  Any gods with black symbols (like the black headed jackal symbol of Anubis) were closely connected with death and the Afterlife. The white robes of Geb are symbolic of the wrappings of a mummy.

Symbols of Geb
Geb is depicted holding the Ankh. The Ankh symbol, also known as key of life, was depicted as a "cross with a handle" The Ankh represented physical life, eternal life, immortality and reincarnation. In the following picture he is seen reclining on the ground with one hand stretched out upon it. The heavens are depicted in the form of a women whose body is covered with stars. She is the goddess Nut, his consort.

Geb in ancient Egyptian Mythology
According to ancient Egyptian mythology Geb and his consort Nut, were inseparable leaving no space between the sky and the earth for Atum Ra to continue creating. On the orders of Atum, the father of Geb and Nut called Shu, forcibly separated the brother and sister, who were also married to each other.  Shu raised the goddess Nut up to form the sky. In the following picture Shu is depicted standing over the figure of Geb, struggling to get up to reach Nut. Shu prevents him and raises his arms to hold up the giant symbolic figure of Nut depicted as the sky.