Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Popularity index: 2119. Copyright © 1999-2020 Godchecker, Inc. All rights reserved. Article last revised on August 21, 2018 by Rowan Allen. Specifically, he was considered to be the setting sun. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.
The name Atum has many spellings, such as Temu, Tem, Atem and Tum, meaning complete or perfection. Atum was one of the most ancient gods in Egypt and was part of the Heliopolitan cosmology. To purchase such goodies we suggest you try Amazon, Ebay or other reputable online stores. For official Godchecker merch please visit our God Shop where a wide range of items are available to buy. Originally, he was a serpent in Nun and will return to that form at the end of time. Originally an earth god, he became associated with Re, the sun god. As the original creator God, he made the world and everything in it by performing a certain self-pleasuring act.
Amun is first mentioned in the Pyramid Texts (c. 2400-2300 BCE) as a local god of Thebes along with his consort Amaunet. Originally an earth god, he became associated with Re, the sun god. According to the priests of Heliopolis, Atum was the first being to emerge from the waters of Nun at the time of creation. Corrections?
He was the main deity of Per-Tem (“house of Atum”) in Pithom in the eastern Delta. Omissions? The creator is obviously an important deity to a religious tradition. Therefore, his semen contained all that was necessary to create new life and deities. Later myths said that his children were products of his relationship with his shadow, or with the goddess Iusaaset. Examples: JUPITER, JUP, JUPI, Also known as Atum-Ra, Atum-Re, Tem, Temu, Tum, Egyptian Creator God who did it with himself, as in the phrase ‘The Hand of Atum.’, He was the first true God, arising from the Ogdoad’s waters of chaos disguised as a hill. He was later amalgamated with Ra to form Atum-Ra but still likes to keep his hand in. Until then, their gods were all forms of animals. On the New Year's festival each year, which saw the pharaoh being reaffirmed as the ruler, Atum played an important role. Try entering just the first three or four letters. He himself created all of the Gods as well as the universe. However, Atum was depicted in art as a man wearing the Double Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. Updates? We are often asked about mythology merchandise. HTML: To link to this page, just copy and paste the link below into your blog, web page or email. In later times he became associated with Ptah and eventually Osiris. Atum is symbolized by the setting sun (is there an Egyptian God who isn’t associated with the sun?).
Del.icio.us Stumble Upon, All content and images © Egyptian Myths, 1997-2014, All Rights Reserved . Symbols: Udjat, Bennu (phoenix), lotus/blue water lily, obelisks and pyramids Cult Center: Heliopolis. Please do not copy without permission. Area of expertise: Creation, Good/Evil Rating: Unknown at present
At creation he emerged to engender himself and the gods. Atum did so through masturbation, with the hand he used in this act representing the female principle inherent within him. In later times he became associated with Ptah and eventually Osiris. Sunsets are his particular thing, and when the sun rises each day he becomes reborn as Khepri. In the Heliopolitan creation myth, Atum was considered to be the first god, having created himself, sitting on a mound (benben) (or identified with the mound itself), from the primordial waters (Nu). Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. This article was most recently revised and updated by, Atum - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Because of this, Atum was the first god to be worshiped in the city of Heliopolis, a city and religious center near modern-day Cairo in Lower Egypt, during Old Kingdom Egypt. BBCODE: To link to this page in a forum post or comment box, just copy and paste the link code below: Here's the info you need to cite this page. At this time, the supreme god of Thebes was the war god Montu and the creator god was regarded as Atum (also known as Ra).
We know who his followers are, but we’ll turn a blind eye. (Those of an innocent disposition can take this to mean he was chewing gum.).
As such, he is the first living man god conceived of by the ancient Egyptians. When distinguished from Re, Atum was the creator’s original form, living inside Nun, the primordial waters of chaos. Top twin Gods Shu and Tefnut were formed from the resulting bodily fluids. Alternative names: Atum-Ra, Atum-Re, Tem, Temu, Tum, Gender: Male Not sure of the spelling? A deity who took great pleasure in creating things Egyptian Creator God who did it with himself, as in the phrase ‘The Hand of Atum.’ He was the first true God, arising from the Ogdoad ’s waters of chaos disguised as a hill. Type: God He was considered to be not only the father of the gods, but also the father of the pharaohs. He was identified with the setting sun and was shown as an aged figure who had to be regenerated during the night, to appear as Khepri at dawn and as Re at the sun’s zenith.
Following his self-creation from Nun, Atum created his children Shu and Tefnut by masturbating. Atum was one of the most ancient gods in Egypt and was part of the Heliopolitan cosmology. Atum (also known as Tem or Temu) was the first and most important Ancient Egyptian god to be worshiped in Iunu (Heliopolis, Lower Egypt ), although in later times Ra rose in importance in the city, and eclipsed him to some extent.
By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. digg_url = 'http://www.egyptianmyths.net'; digg_bgcolor = '#ffffff'; digg_skin = 'icon'; Digg This! In the New Kingdom, Atum was even depicted crowning the pharaoh. Atum, in ancient Egyptian religion, one of the manifestations of the sun and creator god, perhaps originally a local deity of Heliopolis. Atum was the God of Creation.
Early myths state that Atum created the god Shu and goddess Tefnut by spitting them out of his mouth.
The Gods have provided us with a robust privacy and cookie policy which all mortals are advised to read. Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present, In charge of: Creating Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Atum wearing the double crown, depicted on a fragment of cartonnage, 200. Other interpretations state that he has made union with his shadow. Montu was a fierce warrior who protected the city and helped it expand while Atum was the supremely powerful, self-created deity who arose on the primordial mound from the wat… This may seem impossible but Atum was a bisexual god. He embodied both the male and female aspects of life. Atum.
Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Found this site useful? For all media enquiries please contact us here. Atum’s myth merged with that of the great sun god Re, giving rise to the deity Re-Atum. Consider donating a few pennies to the Godchecker Temple Roof Fund. Pronunciation: Coming soon Our latest podcast episode features popular TED speaker Mara Mintzer. Specifically, he was considered to be the setting sun. Atum, in ancient Egyptian religion, one of the manifestations of the sun and creator god, perhaps originally a local deity of Heliopolis. At… Please mention Godchecker.com when praying to the Gods. He was the first ever God to exist on Earth and he was born from the Waters of Chaos. Just copy the text in the box below. Atum was considered as the supreme deity of Heliopolitan view of ancient Egyptian religious system where the main focus was on the emergence and the development of the cult of Sun god Atum itself. As the original creator God, he made the world and everything in it by performing a certain self-pleasuring act. (Copyright notice.)
If you wish to use our material in your essay, book, article, website or project, please consult our permissions page. The Egyptians called Atum "Great He-She" and his name meant "the complete one.". Atum wearing the double crown, depicted on a fragment of cartonnage, 200 bce –200 ce; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
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