Search results
The Ennead or Great Ennead was a group of nine deities in Egyptian mythology worshipped at Heliopolis: the sun god Atum; his children Shu and Tefnut; their children Geb and Nut; and their children Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys.
- Atum. Atum is the ancient Egyptian god of creation who sat on the primordial mound (benben) and began creating everything that there is in the universe.
- Shu. According to ancient Egyptian beliefs, Shu, the air god, was the child of Atum. His role in the Egyptian pantheon helped earn him epithets like “he who rises up”.
- Tefnut. Tefnut, also known as Tphenis to the ancient Greeks, is the chief consort/sister of the air god Shu. This makes her the daughter of the creator god Atum.
- Geb. Egyptian god Geb’s equivalent in the Greek pantheon would most likely be the Titan Cronus. The reason being that Geb, like Cronus, is the father of very important deities.
The Ennead (derived from the Greek word for nine) are the nine ancient Egyptian Gods and Godesses associated with the creation myths of Heliopolis (Iunu) in Lower Egypt. In the beginning, there was nothing ( Nun ). A mound of earth rose from Nun and upon it Atum (later Amun or Re) created himself.
The Great Ennead was revered by the priests and priestesses of Heliopolis. There were many such groupings in ancient Egypt, with different gods depending on the location and people worshipping them. Other groupings of four, eight, or nine gods were popular in cities such as Memphis, Thebes, and Hermopolis.
In the heart of ancient Egyptian religious practice stood the Ennead of Heliopolis, a pantheon of nine deities revered not just for their individual attributes but for their collective narrative, embodying the creation, sustenance, and cyclical nature of life itself.
The Ennead is a group of nine gods and goddesses in the Egyptian mythology topped by Ra, the Chief sun god. Before life, the whole universe was nothing but a huge dismal sea and all the gods and goddesses were living in chaos and darkness.
The principal ennead was the Great Ennead of Heliopolis. This was headed by the sun god and creator Re or Re-Atum, followed by Shu and Tefnut, deities of air and moisture; Geb and Nut, who represented earth and sky; and Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys.
