The Egyptian Lore Behind the Decans of the Zodiac

According to Egyptian mythology, the story tells of primordial gods who rebelled against the sun god Rē. After the gods failed Rē ripped them apart, threw them into the sky and ordered Thoth, god of knowledge and writing, to give each of them rulership over 10 day periods. Although these gods had been defeated, they were still gods in their own right and are what became known as dekanoi (decans) meaning 10ths.