The Egyptian Creation Myth

Author: Traditional

Time Period: 5000 BCE–2500 BCE

Country or Culture: Egypt

Genre: Myth

PLOT SUMMARY

In the beginning, there is no sky or land, only the deep, dark waters of Nun. Contained in Nun are the building blocks of everything in the universe, but none of it has form or substance. From these waters, a serpentlike form of energy called Neb-er-tcher surfaces with the desire to create the world. In order to do so, he transforms himself into the god Khepri, also spelled Khepera. When Khepri emerges from the waters of Nun, he sees that there is nothing, not even a place on which to stand. Using the power of his words, Khepri creates that which he desires, such as land, the sky, and the sun and moon (which are seen as the eyes of Khepri).

Khepri takes three forms during a given day. In the morning he is Khepri, who takes the form of a scarab beetle; at midday he is Ra, a man with the head of a falcon; and in the evening he is Atum, usually a man, often elderly. He also creates the gods to rule over the elements. The first of these gods, Shu and Tefnut (the gods of air and liquid, respectively), are born directly from Khepri in a mystical form of self-fertilization: he “ha[s] union with [his] closed hand” (Budge 4-5) and uses his seed to produce Shu and Tefnut. The union of Shu and Tefnut produces two more gods, Geb (the earth god) and Nut (the sky god). While Khepri rests, his offspring continue to procreate, with Geb and Nut giving birth to the gods Osiris, Set, Nephthys, Horus, and Isis.

With the emergence of these gods comes the universe and those who dwell in it. At one point, Shu and Tefnut vanish back into Nun, so Khepri sends his eye (the sun) after them. In its absence, Khepri creates a second eye (the moon) to replace it. When Shu and Tefnut reemerge with his first eye, Khepri begins to weep, and his tears turn into human beings. However, his first eye is angry about being replaced, so he gives it greater power than the second one.

SIGNIFICANCE

This version of the ancient Egyptian myth of creation, known as the Heliopolis version, was found on a piece of papyrus in the early 1860s. It is similar to other Egyptian stories about the creation of the universe, although this version is significant for a number of reasons. For example, this version introduces Neb-er-tcher, whose name has been variously translated as “lord of time,” “lord of the universe,” “lord of the end,” and “lord to the uttermost limit.” This name suggests that Neb-er-tcher, not Ra or Atum, was considered the highest and eternal god (although other stories depict him as a form of the sun god, Ra, making Ra the creator of the universe). This deity does not just create the universe, including humanity and other living creatures; he also creates the gods. In fact, Neb-er-tcher wills himself into being, rising from the nothingness of Nun. In this light, the Heliopolis version of the myth of creation shows the entire process by which the universe was created.

When Neb-er-tcher takes shape, he becomes Khepri, which is both a name for the god and the mystical transformative action he uses to create everything. In order to create something, he simply utters the word he wishes. For example, to create the sky, he says “sky” and it comes into being, drawing its elements from the Nun. This is not the case for the gods, however. To create them, Khepri undergoes a magical reproductive process, and his children procreate and multiply, creating a family tree. Humans are also born from Khepri, though they alone are derived from the god’s tears, giving them distinctiveness among all other non-deities in the universe.

Nun is also an important element of this story. Nun is a vast, black sea without shape or boundaries. However, Nun also contains the basic building blocks for the entire universe, according to descriptions found in the pyramids. Nun is like a dream world in which objects and beings are created simply by an act of will. That Nun is characterized as a vast ocean of black water is not coincidental, as the Nile River was an invaluable source of food, water, and life for the ancient Egyptians, as it is today. The people watched the river rise during rainy seasons, flooding to cover vast regions with dark water. When the waters of the Nile receded, the soil that was left behind was dark, rich, and fertile. In light of these facts, the Nile provided inspiration for those seeking to understand how the known universe came into being.

The Heliopolis version of the Egyptian story of creation may have inspired the ancient Hebrews as well. Both stories of creation emphasize the importance of water and nature as a whole. They also show the creation of the universe as a process, beginning with light, continuing with the sky and the earth, and ending with the earth’s living inhabitants. Although the two faiths are decidedly different in structure, there are many similarities between their stories of how the universe came into being.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Armour, Robert A. Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt. 2nd rev. ed. Cairo: American U in Cairo P, 2006. Print.

Budge, E. A. Wallis. “The History of Creation¾A.” Legends of the Gods: The Egyptian Texts. London: Paul, 1912. 2-7. Print.

Fadl, Ayman. “Egyptian Creation Myth: Heliopolis Version.”Ancient Egypt on a Comparative Method. Fadl, 4 Dec. 2012. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.

Leeming, David A. “Egyptian.” Creation Myths of the World: An Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2010. 102–6. Print.

Spence, Lewis. Myths & Legends of Ancient Egypt. Boston: Nickerson, 1915. Print.