The gods was believed to have many names . Among them was secret names that conveyed their true natures more profoundly than others . To know the true name of a deity was to have power over it . The importance of names is demonstrated by a myth in which Isis poison the superior god Ra and refuse to cure him unless he reveal his secret name to her . Upon learning the name , she tell it to her son , Horus , and by learning it they gain greater knowledge and power .