Thoth is a deity in ancient Egyptian mythology, often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or baboon. He is the god of wisdom, writing, hieroglyphs, science, magic, art, judgment, and the dead. He played many vital roles in the world of Egyptian mythology, such as maintaining the universe and being one of the two deities (the other being Ma'at) who stood on either side of Ra, the god of the sun. Thoth also served as a mediating power, associated with arbitration, magic, writing, science, and the judging of the dead.