Meet with us Atum, the Creator God of ancient Egypt. Learn about his powers and what role he plays in this mythology.
Who is Atum?
Atum, also known as the great he-she, was the solar creator god of ancient Egypt. Created from Nu, the primordial waters, he embodied the essence and capabilities of both sexes. The name Atum is derived from the word tem meaning complete – very fitting, as he was able to create the first divine couple through masturbation. He made the goddess Tefnut and the god Shu in this way, and they are the ancestors of all the other gods.
As the oldest deity in Egypt, he was the first god of the Heliopolis Ennead, the collection of nine deities, and although Heliopolis was the main center of worship, he was worshipped throughout the country. Many pharaohs claimed to be descendants of Atum, so he was most often depicted wearing the crown of a king. He is prominent in the religious inscriptions of ancient Egypt, known as the Pyramid Texts, which were carved on the walls of the pyramids during the Old Kingdom period.
Atum Origin
In the beginning there was nothing – only primordial water called Nu. A small hill of land emerged from the water, and Atum was created from it. The myths say that he masturbated and then spat the god Shu and the goddess Tefnut from his mouth. The story explains his fullness as a creator, as well as the nickname “the great him.” Having both male and female qualities, he was able to create children without a female partner.
He was the first and most important god of the Enead, although in later kingdoms, as the religion evolved, his name and qualities were combined with other gods: Atum-Ra, the sun god; Atum Khepri, the rising sun god; and Atum Horus, sun god and god of monarchs. Eventually, their prefix name was dropped, and each of the deities had its own name and identity. Atum was then considered the incarnation of all of them, and the father of the pharaohs.
The process of absorbing gods into each other and combining beliefs is called syncretism, and is an integral part of Egyptian religion as it evolved through the kingdoms. Combining gods and worshipping them in different ways allowed polytheism to progress and remain for a long period of time under the rule of various pharaohs.
Many of the pharaohs were called “Son of Atum”, and he is represented in the rituals of the cults and especially during the coronation ceremonies of the pharaohs. The derivation of his name, the word tem, meaning complete or finisher, is an indicator of his integrity as a bisexual god and also of his ability to finish the creation of the world.
Family of Atum
After creating his children, the goddess of moisture, Tefnut, and the god of air, Shu, they themselves produced the following pair of gods: Geb, god of the earth, and Nut, goddess of the sky. Geb and Nut then provided Atum with their great-grandchildren, namely Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys and Horus, thus completing the Enamored of Heliopolis.
Symbolic influence
Atum was considered a sun god, which explains his affiliations with later gods. Ra was considered the main sun god, Khepri was associated with the noonday sun, and Horus was a god of many titles, including the god of the east and the god of the rising and setting sun. The first symbol used to represent Atum was a serpent, as he came from water.
But later depictions are more relevant to his association as the father of the pharaohs, and he wears a cloth on his head or a red crown similar to that of a king. The way to distinguish Atum from a pharaoh is by the shape of his beard. Occasionally, he appears in the form of another animal, symbolizing the end of the creative cycle when animals were also given life.
Modern Influence
The remains of the ancient city of Heliopolis, the city of the sun, lies north of Cairo. The 120-ton obelisk of the Temple of Re-Atum is still standing. The Egyptian name for obelisk is luna, meaning pillar, and the city was known as the city of pillars. Luna were designed to capture the rays of the sun at dawn, representing the creation of Atum and the world from the original mound emerging from the waters. Since this place was considered the site of the origins of creation, it became the main center of learning in Egypt and priests congregated in Heliopolis to study religious history and philosophy.
The great Greek philosopher Plato, who may never have been to Egypt, used an image of the sun to represent the idea of a unique god and creator of existence. A basic concept in modern religions today, the belief in a god who created the universe from a central place may have originated with the story of Atum, and the story of Ptah, his ancient competition, the creator god of Memphis.
