Tefnut
The Egyptian Goddess
Tefnut
-
Name: Tefnut -
Gender Female:
Tefnut was a Goddess -
Depiction / Description
/ Symbol: Tefnut was depicted with the body of a woman and the
head of Lioness or Lion -
One of the 'twin lion
gods' with her brother and husband, Shu -
Jurisdiction: Tefnut was
described as being Goddess of Rain and is linked to the sun and the
moon -
Mythical Family or
Relatives: Tefnut was believed to have been created by
the Sun God Atum, Ra or
Re, the Lord of Creation who 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 Egyptian the
Goddess Tefnut - Creation and Relatives
The early Egyptian priests evolved a
creation myth, or Cosmogony, to explain how some of the Gods and
Goddesses came into being. The early Egyptian priests then evolved a
Family tree, the relatives of the main Egyptian Gods, like Tefnut, to
explain how some of the Gods and Goddesses were related.
Information about
the Egyptian Goddess Tefnut
The Egyptian Goddess, Tefnut, was seen as the Goddess of Rain. Tefnut
was one of the Ennead, the collective name given to the nine original
deities (Gods and Goddesses) of the cosmogony of Heliopolis (the birthplace of the Gods) in the
creation myths and legends. With her twin brother Shu, the God of Air,
and their offspring (the Earth God, Geb and the Sky Goddess, Nut) the
four made up the quartet of major elements: earth, air, sky and water.
The Egyptians believed that without her water, Egypt could dry and burn
in the sun.
Description &
Depiction of the Egyptian Goddess Tefnut - Part Human & Part Animal
The Egyptian Gods or Goddesses, such as Tefnut, were often depicted as
being part human and part animal. In the description of the Egyptian
Goddess Tefnut she was most frequently depicted with the body of a human
and with with the head of an animal - a Lioness or Lion. In the Ancient Egyptian
religion certain animals were seen as sacred as they believed that the
Spirit of a God resided in these animals, such as the Lioness or Lion, which were
revered and worshipped as reincarnated Gods during their lifetimes.
Temple of Tefnut
The Temples dedicated to Tefnut, the Goddess of Rain, were believed to be the
dwelling place of this famous Egyptian God. Only the Pharaoh and the
Priests of Tefnut were allowed inside the temple and the priests would
undergo ritual purification in a deep stone pool before they entered the
Inner Sanctum of the Temple. This not only cleansed them but also gave
them contact with the primeval moisture of life. Ordinary Egyptians were
only allowed to come to the gates, or forecourt, of the temple of Tefnut
to pay homage and offer gifts to the God / Goddess. The Priests of Tefnut
would collect the gifts and say prayers on behalf of the person in the
confines of the temple. The priests of Tefnut, the Goddess of Rain, would
conduct ceremonies, sacrifices and chant magical incantations, sometimes
referred to as spells. The temple of Tefnut would consist of heavy gates
which accessed a massive hall with great stone columns, and then a
series of many other rooms through which processions of priests would
pass. These rooms, or chambers, were lit by candles and incense would be
burnt to purify the air of the Temple. The chambers gradually decreased
in size, the lighting in the temple was deliberately and significantly
reduced to create an atmosphere of deepening mystery until the priests
reached the chapel and the shrine which contained the Naos. The Naos was
the stone tabernacle inside the shrine which housed the great Statue of
Tefnut, the Goddess of Rain.
The Statue of Tefnut
The large statue of the Goddess Tefnut, the God of Rain was situated in the
inner sanctum of the Egyptian temple. The statue of Tefnut would have been
depicted with the body of a man / woman and the head of Lioness or Lion. This
sacred statue, in the dwelling place of the God, was the embodiment of
Tefnut. Food and drink would be offered to the God. The High Priest of
Tefnut, would conduct ceremonies and offer prayers and incantations but
there was another important priest, called the Medjty, who was
responsible for the toiletries. The statue of Tefnut would have been
washed and oiled. The statue was then dressed in fine linen and eye
make-up, powder and rouge was applied and sacred oil rubbed on the
forehead of the statue. The statue of Tefnut, with its head of the Lioness or Lion,
was only seen by ordinary Egyptians at important festivals when the
effigy was paraded in magnificent processions.
The Egyptian Goddess
Tefnut
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