myth

Egyptian Creation Mythology

The Primal Chaos: The story begins with Nun, the primordial ocean of chaos, which contained the seeds of everything to come.

Ra's Emergence and Creation of Elements: The sun god Ra (also known as Atum) emerged from Nun and created Shu, the god of air, and Tefnut, the goddess of moisture. These two deities, in turn, created Geb, the earth god, and Nut, the sky goddess.

The Creation of Humanity: Ra, moved by tears of happiness, created humanity.

Ra's Wrath and Hathor's Massacre: As humanity grew ungrateful and plotted against Ra, he became enraged. He dispatched Hathor, the goddess of joy and love, to destroy mankind. Hathor carried out this task with devastating efficiency, killing countless people. However, Ra eventually relented and spared a small remnant of humanity.

Ra's Retirement and Shu's Reign: Disillusioned with the world, Ra retreated to the heavens, leaving Shu to rule on Earth. This marked the establishment of the present world.

Geb and Nut's Forbidden Love and Punishment: Geb, the earth god, and Nut, the sky goddess, defied Ra's orders and married. Ra, in his wrath, ordered Shu to separate them. Shu successfully raised Nut aloft, separating her from Geb forever.

Nut's Pregnancy and Thoth's Intervention: Nut was pregnant, but Ra had decreed that she could not give birth in any month of any year. Thoth, the god of learning, intervened by gambling with the moon for extra light. This allowed him to add five extra days to the Egyptian calendar, giving Nut the opportunity to give birth to her children.

The Birth of the Five Children: On these five extra days, Nut gave birth to Osiris (god of fertility), Horus the Elder, Set (god of evil), Isis (mother goddess), and Nephthys (goddess of death). This marked the establishment of the two poles of morality: good and evil.

Common Elements in Creation Myths

Lindsey Murtagh

Page 2: The Nature of Creation Myths

  • Humans have an innate curiosity about the unknown.

    • Creation myths serve as foundational narratives in cultures.

    • These myths shape people's understanding of the world and their place in it.

  • Despite geographical separations, many cultures share similar creation myth elements.

Page 3: Themes of Birth

  • Many myths start with the theme of birth.

    • Birth symbolizes new life, paralleling the creation of the world.

    • Often involves a mother and father figure, though not always directly responsible for creation.

Page 4: The Role of Supreme Beings

  • A supreme being is central to most creation myths.

    • This being initiates the creation process.

    • Some myths feature dual creators: one active and one passive.

  • Various cultures have different beliefs about the origin of life (e.g., above, below, or underwater).

Page 5: The Separation of Humans and Animals

  • Myths often depict a harmonious existence between humans and animals.

    • A sin, often linked to darkness or fire, leads to their separation.

    • Innocence can be lost through divine intervention.

Page 6: Modern Creation Theories

  • The 21st century continues to explore creation theories based on scientific evidence.

    • These modern theories can be seen as new creation myths.

Page 7: Genealogy of Creation

  • The first god is not always the creator; often, their children fulfill this role.

    • Example: Greek myth of Nyx and the creation of Earth and Sky.