Creation Myth
Egyptian Gods - What
is the Creation Myth?
What is the Creation Myth? Many
civilizations have mythological and religious explanations of the nature
and genesis of the universe. The Egyptian Creation Myth is the myth or
legend that explained the origin of the universe and man. The Egyptian
Priests evolved the creation myth 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 Creation Myth -
The Egyptian Cosmogony of Heliopolis
The Egyptian creation myth is also referred to as the Cosmogony of
Heliopolis. The word Cosmology derives from the Greek word "cosmo"
meaning universe and "gony or gonos" meaning origin, birth or creation.
The Egyptian Creation Myth is the legend 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. in the creation myth the birthplace of the Gods in the
Creation Myth was in Heliopolis, hence the name the Cosmogony of
Heliopolis.
The Creation Myth -
the Egyptian Gods and Goddesses of the Ennead
The Egyptian priests needed a story or myth
which centred 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. There were nine Egyptian Gods
and Goddesses who were featured in the Creation Myth. The nine original
deities in the creation myth and legends of the Ancient Egyptians were
referred to as the Ennead.
Summary of the Creation Myth
A summary of the Egyptian creation myth 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 Creation Myth
The nine deities of the
Creation Myth were as therefore as follows, click any of the
links for additional information about each of 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.
Creation Myth
Each section of this Creation Myth 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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