Cosmogony
Egyptian Gods - What
is the Cosmogony?
What is the Cosmogony? Definition:
The word Cosmogony derives from the Greek word "cosmo" meaning universe
and the word "gony or gonos" meaning origin, birth or creation. The
Egyptian cosmogony is the myth that explained the origin of the universe
and man. The Egyptian Priests evolved the creation myth, or cosmogny, in
an attempt to explain how some of the major Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
came into being and the the nature and genesis of the universe.
The Cosmogony
The Egyptian priests needed a story or myth
which centered around the main Gods and Goddesses answering the
questions of where they came from and their relationship to each other.
A 'family tree' of the Gods and Goddesses explained 'who was who' and
what relationships they had with each other.
The Egyptian Gods
and Goddesses of the Cosmogony - The Ennead
There were nine Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
who were featured in the Cosmogony. The birthplace of the Gods in the
cosmogony was in Heliopolis. The nine original deities of the cosmogony
of Heliopolis in the creation myths and legends of the Ancient
Egyptians were referred to as the Ennead.
The Cosmogony Creation Myth
A summary of the Egyptian cosmology is as follows:
-
At first
there was darkness and a primeval ocean called Nun
-
The Sun God Atum, Ra or
Re, the Lord of Creation rose and spat out the elements of moisture (the Goddess
Tefnut) and air (the God Shu)
-
The twins, Shu and Tefnut gave birth to the Earth God, Geb, and the Sky Goddess, Nut
-
The God and Goddess Geb and Nut had four children: Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nephthys
Egyptian Gods &
Goddesses of the Cosmogony
The nine deities of the
Cosmogony of Heliopolis were as therefore as follows, click any of the
links for additional information about the gods:
-
Atum - Later subsumed as the
Sun
God Ra - the God of Life and Reproduction
-
Geb - God of Life beneath the Earth - Vegetation and the Underworld
-
Isis - Goddess of
Love, Magic, Fertility and Healing
-
Nephthys - Goddess of Divine Assistance
-
Nut - Goddess of
the Sky
-
Osiris - God of Death, the Underworld and Rebirth
-
Seth - God of Evil, Chaos
-
Shu - God of Wind and Air
-
Tefnut - Goddess of Rain
Each of these Ancient
Egyptian Gods and Goddesses who formed the Ennead played a major part in the
creation myth, also called the Cosmogony.
Cosmogony
Each section of this Cosmogony website addresses all topics and
provides interesting facts and information about Egypt and its Ancient
Gods and Goddesses. The Sitemap provides full details
of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject
of the Egyptians and the Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
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