Egyptian Mythology |
Creation myth
The universe was first endless dark and swirling chaos. There was an endless dark water called Nu that Atum rose out of, and he created himself by using his own thoughts and the force of his will. Atum wasn’t male or female and had one all-seeing eye that could roam the universe. He made a hill called the Ben-Ben so he could have somewhere to stand. He was alone in the world, so he mated with his shadow. Atum spit his son Shu out and made him god of the air. Atum vomited his daughter Tefnut up and made her the goddess of mist and moisture. Shu and Tefnut had to do the order of Maat. Maat was a feather, it was light and pure, and was the principles of life for all time. Shu and Tefnut had to separate the chaos into principles of law, order, and stability. They divided the chaos into light and dark. Shu and Tefnut made Geb and Nut. Geb was the earth and nut was the sky and at first they were together as one. They had to part so Shu pushed Nut into the sky so Nut and Geb could do their functions. Nut would make rain, give birth to the sun at dawn, and at sun set the sun would die. Geb made things grow on earth from the rain Nut made. Shu and Tefnut then made Isis the queen of the gods, Hathor the goddess of love and beauty, Osiris the god of wisdom and justice, Seth the god of evil, Thoth the god of wisdom, and Nephthys the protectress of the dead. But there was still a lot of chaos that still needed to be separated. One time Atum sent his all seeing eye to look for Shu and Tefnut that got lost in the dark waters of Nu. Atum wept with joy when Shu and Tefnut was found and Atum’s tears became the first man when they hit the earth. Then man had to uphold Maat, tending the earth, and worshipping the gods. While the gods protected and loved them.