At the heart of every mythology lies the creation story, and Egyptian mythology is certainly no exception. The variations on the telling of it are far too numerous to recount in one sitting or we would be here until we turned into mummies ourselves, so in order to avoid such a fate, I have chosen to relate one of the most well known versions of the tale.
In The Beginning
This version revolves (no pun intended) around the sun god, Ra. In order to harness the creative forces around him, he assumes the form of the great scarab god, Khepri, who has been credited with being in charge of them. Smart move, if I do say so myself!
Khepri/Ra had his work cut out for him, as nothing existed at this point in time. He literally had to create everything, even the watery abyss, Nu. From Nu, he gathered the materials to create the heavens and earth. In his own words, "nothing existed before me", and according to legend, he poured forth the creation from his own mouth.
Egyptians, as a people, tend to love order, and they have Ra to thank for that, I suppose. Now that things were created, it was time to tidy up a bit, especially since the poor dear didn't even have a place to sit after all that hard work. He cast a spell with his own heart in the foundations of ma'at (law, order, and stability), and voila', chaos begone!
All was good for a time, but Ra soon found that the joy of his creation dimmed without having someone to share it with; so it was back to work for the busy god. No rest for the weary! Ra wasn't exactly craving a spouse, but he decided that having a few offspring might be a good idea. From a puff of air that he breathed out, he created the god of air, Shu. Shu's sister, Tefnut, the goddess of moisture, was created in much more volatile fashion--lucky girl. She was actually vomited from Ra's stomach.
Shu and Tefnut continued their father's legacy of order. Shu supplied the Principles of Life, while Tefnut contributed the Principles of Order. Despite all of the 'family order', however, trouble soon found them, and with the flooding of Nu, the children became separated from their father. Stricken with grief, he removed his eye (known as the Udjat eye) and sent it in search of them. In due time, the children returned, bearing Udjat with them. Such was Ra's joy at being reunited with both offspring and eye that he wept tears of joy. From these tears, mankind was born.
Khepri/Ra was now ready to finish what he had started and set about creating the various plants and animals. Another eye was formed as well, which became the moon. His children played their part, joining together to become the parents of Geb (the Earth) and Nut (the Sky). In turn, Geb and Nut would in time give birth to Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys, all of whom we will be discussing in more detail at a later time.
That being said, it should be noted that it depends highly on the area of Egypt that the story originates in as to the name the 'creator god' will be given. In some stories, for example, the deity is referred to as Atum, Atum-Ra, Amun, or Amun-Ra, respectively. And that's just for one area!
The Ennead
Amun, Ra, whatever name you choose to use, one thing is for certain. They believed in keeping it all in the family; actually not an uncommon practice in those days for either gods or humans. The Ennead is a group of the nine original gods and goddesses all resulting from the pairings of sibling with sibling starting with Shu and Nut. In short, it is the beginnings of a very long and convoluted divine family tree. Let us take a closer look at these deities, shall we?
AMUN RA: (Pronounced 'ray', not 'rah' incidentally) is the Sun God and considered to be the Father of the gods. He is usually depicted having the body of a human and the head of a falcon, though it is believed that he assumed various forms throughout the day depending on the role he was playing. At sunrise, he assumes the shape of a young boy, Khepera. At noon, he is mighty Ra in all of his splendor. By nightfall, he is the elderly Atum, who travels in a sun boat and must be defended against the giant serpent, Apep, who is bent on destroying it. His main city of worship was Heliopolis, which is Greek for 'city of the sun'.
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SHU: He is the firstborn son of Ra, the husband Tefnut, and the father of Geb and Nut. He rules the air, light, and atmosphere. It was believed that he also ruled the space between night and day, and more importantly, life and death. It was Shu's responsibility to sort the souls bound for the afterlife. Those found worthy would climb the 'Ladder of Shu' and enter happiness, those found unworthy would be destroyed. His name means "He who rises up". The form he assumes most often is that of a lion, particular when with his sister/wife, Tefnut.
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TEFNUT: She is the firstborn daughter of Ra, the wife of Shu, and the mother of Geb and Nut. She is the goddess of moisture, and also the absence of moisture. In fact, after a notable argument with her father, Ra, Tefnut is said to have fled from Egypt into Nubia, taking all of the moisture with her and causing a terrible drought. Here she turned herself into a lioness (her most common form, incidentally), and went on a killing spree. Daddy Ra missed his 'little girl' and sent Shu and Thoth to fetch her back, and all was right once more. She is also known as the Lunar Eye of Ra, and as goddess of moisture governs the mists, rains, fog, and the night sky.
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GEB: He is the son of Tefnut and Shu, the husband of Nut, and the father of Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nepthys. He rules the Earth in the guise of "Father Earth", as opposed to the more common portrayal of Earth as "Mother" as seen in other cultures. His laughter is believed to be the source of earthquakes, and one of his most distinguishing symbols is interestingly enough, the goose. In fact, he is known as "The Great Cackler". All was not fun and games with Geb, however. He fell in love with his mother, Tefnut, and is said to have violently raped her after the death of his father, which shows that even those who laugh can sometimes have a very dark side to them. He was not punished for the deed, however, and went on to become known as one of the greatest leaders among them. Go figure!
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NUT: She is the daughter of Tefnut and Shu, the wife of Geb, and the mother of Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nepthys. She rules the sky, and in some legends, it is believed she is the mother of the sun, Ra, whom she gives birth to each morning and devours each night. Because of this daily connection with death and rebirth, she is also associated with the Underworld, with her role being a protector/mother-figure to souls entering death. It is believed that when a storm touches down during the daytime hours, it is because Nut has danced too close to the Earth; her love affair with her brother Geb having been forbidden by Ra. From Nut's name we get the English words 'night', 'equinox', and 'nocturnal'.
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OSIRIS: He is the son of Nut and Geb, the brother of Set, Nepthys, and Isis (who was also his wife), and the father of Horus and Anubis. He is the God of the Dead, and probably one of the most popular and well-known of all of the Egyptian pantheon. How he became Lord of the Underworld will be discussed more fully in a future lesson; it is quite a tale indeed. As well as being responsible for judging the souls of the dead, Osiris plays a very important part in the rebirth cycle as well. He is also seen as the god of vegetation and passage into eternal life.
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ISIS: She is the daughter of Nut and Geb, the brother of Set, Nepthys, and Osiris (who is also her husband), and the mother of Horus. Isis wears many 'crowns', earning her the very fitting title of "Lady of 1000 Names". She is perceived as perhaps the most powerful of all goddesses, with a magic that is unmatched. According to one legend, Ra was a very cruel, demanding god, and the nurturing nature of Isis demanded that she helped humankind defeat him. From his own saliva she created a poisonous snake, which bit the tyrannical god, causing him great pain. She offered him a cure, in exchange for his true name to make the ritual successful. Naturally, he agreed. The power over life and death that had previously belonged to Ra then transferred to Isis, a power she used for the benefit of all. She is also the goddess of fertility and motherhood, and along with her beloved Osiris, we will be discussing Isis in further detail in a future lesson.
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SET: He is the son of Nut and Geb, the brother of Isis, Osiris, and Nepthys (who is also his wife). He is the God of Death and Darkness, and generally seen as 'evil personified', though there are two schools of thought on this. Some legends have him evil from the very moment of conception; others say that there is a benevolent side of him and he does not turn evil until later on in life. Either way, he is definitely trouble. Set (or Seth), is the god of chaos, and is associated with thunder, infertility, and the desert. It is also believed that he was once worshipped as the god of the desert winds and storms. Of all his evil deeds, the one for which he is most infamous is the murder of his brother, Osiris, which we will cover in more detail in another lesson.
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NEPTHYS: She is the daughter of Nut and Geb, the sister of Isis, Osiris, and Set (who is also her husband). As a result of trickery on her part, her brother, Osiris, sired her son, Anubis. Despite this, Nepthys and Isis remained close. She had no children with her husband, Set, who was infertile. Because of Set's infertility, Nepthys is often regarded as barren as well. In counterbalance to her husband/brother, she is seen as a goddess of the air and able to take the form of a bird, in her case, a vulture, a bird that ancient Egyptians believed could not reproduce. Because of this, she became strongly associated with death and funerals. In fact, she was considered the Goddess of Mourning, and professional mourners were called "Hawks of Nepthys". One of her titles is "Friend to the Dead", as it is her duty to assist them through the various stages. Her name means "Lady of the House" and she is also the patroness of witches and magicians. Like her siblings, we will discuss her further in a future lesson.
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This concludes our lesson. Please go to Assignment 2 for your homework.