Atum (deity)
Atum is a primordial creator deity in Egyptian mythology, often referred to as "the accomplished one" or "completion." He emerged from the chaos of the formless waters known as Nun before creating the world. Atum is credited with fathering the first gods, Shu and Tefnut, who represent air and moisture, respectively. His creation of human beings is said to have occurred through his tears of joy after being reunited with his children. Worship of Atum was centered in Heliopolis, an important city during Egypt's Old Kingdom, where he led a group of nine deities known as the Ennead. Although he was later overshadowed by other sun gods like Ra, Atum remained a significant figure in the Egyptian pantheon and was often depicted in art as a regal figure or in various animal forms. His legacy includes associations with the afterlife and the cyclical nature of existence, as he is believed to eventually return to destroy the world he created.
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Atum (deity)
Symbol: setting sun
Culture: Egyptian
Children: Shu; Tefnut
Atum was the primordial creator god in Egyptian mythology. His name means “the accomplished one” or “completion” in ancient Egyptian. Atum was said to have arisen out of the chaotic nothingness that existed before the world was formed. He fathered two children who would go on to become the mother and father of the Egyptian gods. Atum was also said to have created human beings from his tears of joy. During the time of Egypt’s Old Kingdom, Atum was worshiped as the primary deity in the ancient city of Heliopolis. He was later replaced as chief deity by other sun gods; however, he remained an important god in Egypt’s mythological pantheon throughout its ancient history.
In Mythology
According to Egyptian myth, before the world was created, the universe consisted of a formless sea of chaotic waters called Nun. In the midst of this vast nothingness arose a great mound of earth known as Ben-Ben. It was upon this mound that the first god, Atum, created himself. Atum realized that he was alone in the nothingness and so he created two children, Shu and Tefnut. Shu was the god of air who brought the breath of life to the world. Tefnut was the goddess of moisture who also represented order. In some versions of the myth, Atum created his children by mating with his own shadow. In other versions, his children were born from his spit or semen.
Shu and Tefnut left their father on the mound and went out into the darkness. After a while, Atum began to worry that his children were lost so he removed his eye and sent it out to look for them. The eye found Shu and Tefnut and brought them back to their father. When Atum was reunited with his children, he wept tears of joy. These tears fell upon the mound and gave birth to human beings.
The humans needed a world to live in, so Shu and Tefnut mated and gave birth to Geb, the god of the earth, and Nut, goddess of the sky. Geb and Nut fell in love with each other and were constantly together. Atum became concerned about their incestuous relationship and removed Nut from Geb and placed her in the heavens. To keep the earth and sky separated, he placed Shu, the air, between them. From that point on, Nut and Geb were always able to see each other, but could never again be together. Still, Atum was too late in separating the lovers. Nut was pregnant and gave birth to the gods Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys, and Horus. Atum saw that Osiris was the wisest and fairest of the five gods and granted him dominion over the earth.
With Osiris in charge, Atum was said to have then retreated from the world. In many versions of the myth, Atum tells Osiris that he will one day return to destroy the world that he created. Atum will again submerge the world beneath the formless waters of Nun, and he and Osiris will exist in this world in the shape of serpents.
Origins & Cults
The earliest-known records of Atum were found in what are called the Pyramid Texts. These are the oldest human religious writings ever discovered. They were carved onto the walls and tombs of pyramids dating from the fifth and sixth dynasties—a period that lasted from about 2465 to 2181 BCE. The texts were spells meant to guide the souls of the Egyptian kings to the afterlife. The Pyramid Texts are a primary source of information about more than one hundred of Egypt’s gods and goddesses.
Atum was worshiped as the primary deity in Heliopolis, an ancient city that rose to prominence during Egypt’s Old Kingdom (2613–2181 BCE). Heliopolis, which in Greek means “city of the sun,” was located south of modern-day Cairo. Atum was at the head of a nine-member group of deities known as the Ennead of Heliopolis. Its other members were Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys. Archaeologists have found evidence linking the gods of the Ennead to the fifth Egyptian dynasty but believe their worship dates back much further.
While Atum was the primary deity at Heliopolis during the Old Kingdom, he was not viewed as the creator god in other parts of Egypt. In Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis, Ptah was the primary creator god. In Thebes, the gods Montu or Amun were the chief deities.
Atum was originally associated with the primordial earth but later became a primary sun deity. By the middle of the Old Kingdom, he had been merged with another sun god named Ra. The two deities were known as Atum-Ra, with Ra associated with the rising or midday sun and Atum linked to the setting sun and its journey through the netherworld at night. In later dynasties, Atum was replaced by Ra as primary sun god. During the time of the Egypt’s New Kingdom (1570–1069 BCE), Ra was himself merged with the sun god Amun to become Amun-Ra.
Despite his slow decline in power, Atum remained an important god to the pharaohs of Egypt. Many pharaohs chose the title “Son of Atum” when they began their reign as ruler. Some later inscriptions show Atum placing the crown on a new pharaoh’s head. Atum was also held in high regard during new year’s festivals, in which the pharaoh had a significant ceremonial role.
Atum was not often portrayed in Egyptian art. Depictions of Atum usually show him as a human king wearing the dual crown that signified a united Lower and Upper Egypt. To stress his role as the setting sun, Atum was sometimes pictured as an old man leaning on a staff. Other images showed him with the head of a ram, as a serpent or an eel, or as a black bull with the disc of the sun between his horns.
Bibliography
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