| Egyptian Creation Myth | 
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Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses for kids - The Egyptian Creation Myth The mythology of ancient Egypt and the Creation Myth, the Cosmogony of Heliopolis |
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The Egyptian Creation Myth
Discover the mythology and religious beliefs surrounding the creation myth of ancient Egypt. The Creation Myth provides details of the emergence of the nine Egyptian gods and goddesses who formed the Ennead of Heliopolis. The Egyptian Creation Myth was developed by the priests of Ancient Egypt who evolved a creation myth in an attempt to explain how some of the major Egyptian Gods and Goddesses came into being and provided religious explanations of the nature and beginnings of the universe and of mankind. The ancient Egyptian creation myth was a story which centred around the emergence of the main Gods and Goddesses of Heliopolis and answered questions concerning where the gods came from and their relationship to each other. Other cults and different gods developed over time, such as the creation myth concerning the god Ptah whose cult was based in Memphis, but the creation myth of Heliopolis is the most famous. |
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Facts about the ancient Egyptian Creation Myth
The ancient Egyptian Creation Myth provided answers to many questions about life on earth, the afterlife posed by ordinary people and enabled a cult to develop benefiting the leading Egyptians including the king, or pharaoh and, of course, the priests.
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The Creation Myth is also referred to as the as the Cosmogony of Heliopolis. The word Cosmology derives from the Greek words meaning 'universe' and 'origin or creation'
| | Sun Deities: | Sun worship and the concept of solar deities was developed in Egypt and a creation myth was required to make the evolving religion understandable to the ancient Egyptian people
| | Heliopolis: | A Creation Myth, involving a collection of nine gods, was developed in the ancient city of 'On', later renamed by the Greeks as Heliopolis. The ancient city was located at the triangular apex of the Nile river, about 10 km (6 miles) north of modern Cairo
| | Ennead of Heliopolis: | A collection of nine gods was called an Ennead. The creation myth told the story of the nine gods who made up the Ennead of Heliopolis.
| | Names of the gods: | The names of the gods referred to in the creation myth were Atum, later known as the Ra, the Supreme Solar God, Geb, Isis, Nephthys, Nut, Osiris, Set, Shu and Tefnut
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Facts about the Creation Myth in Egyptian Mythology
Discover interesting information and research facts about the Creation Myth surrounding the cult and gods of Heliopolis. The facts provide a short summary detailing fascinating info to increase your knowledge about the creation myth in Egyptian Mythology. Facts about the Creation Myth from Mythology and Egyptian History |
Fact 1: |
Creation myth summary: At first there was darkness and a primeval ocean called Nun.
| | Fact 2: | Creation myth summary: The Lotus emerged from of original silt (mud deposit) of the ocean and the Sacred Mound surfaced.
| | Fact 3: | Creation myth summary: The creator, Atum, was born from the lotus flower.
| | Fact 4: | Creation myth summary: The Tree of Life grew out of the Sacred Mound, it's branches reached out and supported the star and planet studded sky, while it's roots reached down into the watery abyss of the Underworld
| | Fact 5: | Creation myth summary: The trunk of the Tree of Life represented the World Pillar or Axis Munde (meaning "Axis of the Mound") around which the heavens appeared to revolve. The World Pillar was the centre of the universe.
| | Fact 6: | Creation myth summary: The source of four rivers was believed to be located at the foot of the Tree of Life, providing water to the world.
| | Fact 7: | Creation myth summary: The four rivers were oriented according to the cardinal points of the compass and are associated with the four elements:- Water - North
- Fire - South
- Air - East
- Earth - West
| | Fact 8: | Heliopolis was believed to be the point of creation and the birthplace of the divine family of gods
| | Fact 9: | The BenBen Stone was a pyramid-shaped stone that symbolized the Primeval mound of the Creation myth and was the dwelling place of the of the Sun god Atum-Ra.
| | Fact 10: | The Bennu Bird was believed to be a divine bird and the personification of the sun god Ra
| | Fact 11: | The Tree of Life was the Seat of the Bennu Bird. The fruit of the Tree of Life gave Eternal Life and the secret knowledge of the 'divine plan'.
| | Fact 12: | The Sun God Atum (later called Atum-Ra and eventually Ra) the Lord of Creation rose from the lotus and spat out the elements of moisture (the Goddess Tefnut) and air (the God Shu)
| | Fact 13: | In the Creation myth summary the twins, Shu and Tefnut gave birth to the Earth God, Geb, and the Sky Goddess, Nut
| | Fact 14: | The God and Goddess Geb and Nut had four children: Osiris, Isis, Set and Nephthys
| Facts about the Creation Myth from Mythology and Egyptian History |
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Creation myth- Interesting research information and Facts about the ancient Egyptian Creation Myth
- The Creation myth
- Egyptian Mythology associated with the Creation Myth
- Facts and information about the gods and deities of of classical Egypt for schools, research and kids
- Summary of the Creation myth for kids and schools
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Facts about the Creation Myth in Egyptian Mythology
Discover interesting information and research facts about the Creation Myth surrounding the cult and gods of Heliopolis. The facts provide a short summary detailing fascinating info to increase your knowledge about the creation myth in Egyptian Mythology. Facts about the Creation Myth from Mythology and Egyptian History | | Fact 15: | Geb was the the "father of the gods" and he became the first king of Egypt and ruled with his wife Nut, the first queen of Egypt
| | Fact 16: | Osiris had a son called Horus by his sister, and wife, Isis and the three gods were the Abydos Triad
| | Fact 17: | Osiris had a second son called Anubis by his sister Nephthys
| | Fact 18: | The evil Set was jealous of his brother Osiris who had become king of Egypt. Set murdered Osiris and cut his body into pieces
| | Fact 19: | According to the Creation myth Anubis, the son of Osiris, helped Isis and her sister Nephthys to rebuild his body and Anubis presided over the first mummification.
| | Fact 20: | Osiris became the lord of the Underworld.
| | Fact 21: | The Sun god ruled the world but the humans turned against him and undermined his authority. The humans had to be punished. The "Eye of Ra", usually depicted as his daughter Hathor or his grandson Horus, passed judgement and many humans were killed. But Ra showed mercy, deciding that all humans should be judged at the end of their lives in the Underworld.
| | Fact 22: | The two main centers of religion in ancient Egypt were Heliopolis and Memphis. However, the cities of Hermopolis and Thebes were also important religious centers. All four of these cities, as centers of religion, had their own versions of the creation myth in order to stress the pre-eminence of their favored gods.
| | Fact 23: | The Ogdoad of Hermopolis (the Egyptian Khmunu) encompassed of a creation myth relating to aquatic gods represented by frogs and the goddesses represented by snakes consisting of four pairs of deities: Amun and Amaunet, Heh and Hehet, Kek and Keket, and Nun and Naunet
| | Fact 24: | The Triad of Thebes incorporated a creation myth centered on the god Amun, his consort Mut, the mother goddess, and their son, Khonsu, was the moon Triads of Egyptian Gods
| | Fact 25: | The Triad of Memphis centred around the Cult of Ptah, his wife Sekhmet and their son was Nefertem
| | Fact 26: | The Elephantine Triad consisted of the three gods Khnum, Satet the war goddess of the flood or inundation and their daughter Anuket, the goddess of the cataracts.
| | Fact 27: | A Family tree of the Heliopolis Gods and Goddesses explained 'who was who' and what relationships they had with each other according to the Creation myth.
| Facts about the Creation Myth from Mythology and Egyptian History |
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