Egyptian Mythology Creation Story

Overview of Egyptian Mythology Creation Story

Every ancient society has its own theory or conviction about how events transpired. Ancient Egyptians had creative imaginations, which resulted in a variety of intricate stories about how they came to be. They held that the fundamental laws of life, nature, and society were established at the moment of creation and that these laws were governed by the gods. The ancient texts found on the walls of the pyramids, in tombs, temples, and in the fabled book of the dead from the old kingdom (2780–2250 BC) include all the facts pertaining to the genesis myth.

Before time was created, the cosmos was a vast expanse of stray unseen dark seas known as Nun, as well as a churning mass of endlessly dark waters powerful god named Ra (Atum), emerged from the lonely Nun and decided to use his magic known as Heka to create life, rose on the primordial hill known as the ben-ben in the darkness. A nest named Pyramidion is where the being was miraculously brought to life by the breath of fire, according to legend, after the creator deity Amun left the Nun as the Bennu Bird and traveled to the sun city of Heliopolis. The Bennu came to represent rebirth and immortality. He birthed two children, Shu (the deity of air) and Tefnut (the goddess of moisture), who immediately set about establishing the fundamentals of life and order. While they were busy creating the world, their father Ra was left on the Ben-Ben in the midst of chaos and despair. He sent his eyes out in search of them, and when they came back, he was so ecstatic that he wept joyous tears that fertilized the Ben-soil Ben and gave birth to men and women. The skies took a very long time to make, and in the meantime, the ancient Egyptian gods were residing on earth, which was split into kingdoms based on the principles of justice and was regarded as a sacred landscape and a real representation of the heavens.

Shu and Tefnut formed Geb (the earth) and Nut before creating humanity (the sky). Although Geb and Nut were siblings, they fell in love, which infuriated Ra. Ra, therefore, ordered Shu to keep the two apart for all eternity, but it was too late because Nut was carrying Geb’s future offspring. The god of knowledge “Thoth” gambled the moon and was able to add five more days to the official calendar of 360 days when Nut was able to give birth to Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys, and Horus the older. Out of rage, Ra had ordered Nut not to give birth in any month of any year. Osiris has proven to be a wise and considerate god who was given control over the entire planet. Ra will destroy the Earth at the end of time and return to the primordial mound, leaving only Osiris the Underworld Ruler. The chance exists for a new creation to emerge and replace the current world.