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The Ennead. Ancient Egyptians had several myths regarding the creation of the world. One of the most popular creation myths featured the Ennead, a group of nine ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses. Atum was thought to be the first god and creator of the world and from Atum the Ennead were born.
- Atum – The Creator God
- Shu – God of Air
- Tefnut – Goddess of Moisture
- Geb – God of Earth
- Nut – Goddess of The Sky
- Osiris – God of The Dead and Funerals
- Isis – Goddess of Magic and Motherhood
- Set – God of Evil and Chaos
- Nephthys – Goddess of Funerals
Atum was the first god who spontaneously emerged from the waters of Nun onto the first mound of dirt. That dirt was the first in the world, and from it and Atum, all life and all other gods sprung. Though generally referred to as “he,” Atum was neither male nor female and had no parents. He was an early sun god who would later become conflated with...
Shu was one of the two children born of Atum, and he was lord of the air. He separated the air and sky and brought breath to the world. He was also a god of peace and a patron god of lions. He was usually portrayed as entirely humanoid, but sometimes he was instead shown as a man with a lion’s head. He carries an ankh. Clouds were the realm of Shu,...
Tefnut was the personification of dew, an important life-giving force to the Egyptians, and the wife and sister of Shu. When she cried, her tears caused plants to thrive and grow wherever they landed. Her brother-husband and she were so closely linked that they each contained one half of the same soul. Tefnut became the mother of Nut and Geb. Like ...
Geb was often portrayed as a green man with plants sprouting from his back. He was married to his sister, Nut, who was the sky. Because of the children, the couple produced together, Geb was known as the “father of the gods.” Geb served as a judge in disputes between the gods, most famously in Set and Horus’s contention. It was up to him to judge w...
Nut was the sky, and she touched each of the cardinal points as she stretched across the whole earth. She was occasionally a cow-goddess, but more often, she was simply a giant humanoid woman arched over her brother-husband, Geb. Shu, their father, kept them apart. Later, when Ra came into popular mythology, she was often shown as his wife. Her rel...
Geb and Nut’s firstborn son, Osiris, was originally the ruler of earth and a god of agriculture. He was known as eternally good in everything he did. However, Osiris was murdered by his jealous brother, Set, who wanted to take over the earth. His death was then avenged by his son, Horus. Osiris’s sister-wife, Isis, and their sister Nephthys worked ...
Known as the Divine Mother, Isis was the wife and sister of Osiris and Horus’s mother. Isis was the one who brought Osiris back to life after his murder by their brother, Set. She also took Horus and fled after the murder, accompanied by seven scorpions. Isis was known as a loving mother. She once brought back the child of a woman who had wronged h...
Set was jealous of his brother and killed him, only eventually being vanquished by his nephew, Horus. He was actually the husband of his sister Nephthys, though she didn’t particularly love him by all accounts! Despite his crimes, however, Set did have several followers. Reincarnation was such an essential part of Egyptian belief. Setwas seen by ma...
The sister and wife of Set and Osiris and Isis’s sister, Nephthys, played more of a supporting role than the others in traditional Egyptian lore. She and Isis often worked together in funerary rites, as Nephthys was by Isis’s side during Osiris’s embalmment. Though she was married to Set, she was much more loyal to Osiris and is not associated with...
Jul 20, 2024 · The Ennead, as the nine great gods of Heliopolis, embodies a rich tapestry of Egyptian mythology. Their stories, imbued with conflict, love, and the ultimate triumph of good over evil, provide a fascinating window into the ancient Egyptian worldview.
The Great Ennead was a grouping of nine (sometimes 10) gods of ancient Egypt. Each was descended from the creator god, Atum, and the group included him, his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. In most versions of the Egyptian mythology. The Great Ennead was revered by the priests and priestesses of Heliopolis.
- Ra. He is the supreme manifestation of the sun god in Heliopolis and a highly significant figure in the Egyptian pantheon. It is said that he emerged from a primordial mound rising from the waters of Nun and embarked on the act of creation.
- Geb. Geb is the Egyptian god of the earth and the brother and husband of the goddess Nut. He is the eldest son of Shu and Tefnut, the gods of air and moisture, respectively.
- Nut. Nut is the Egyptian goddess of the sky and the twin sister of the earth god Geb. When she defied the sun god Ra by marrying her brother, Ra became extremely angry and instructed Shu to separate the couple.
- Shu. Shu is the Egyptian god of air and the husband of the first divine couple. His name is sometimes translated as “Emptiness” or “He Who Rises Up.” Shu was born when the supreme sun god, under the name Ra-Atum, coughed or sneezed and ejected him from his mouth.
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.
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The Ennead is 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 of the Ancient Egyptians.
