Shu and Tefnut are the first divine couple on earth. They have one soul. According to the Heliopolis cosmogony, these gods were born by Atum at the beginning of creation: Shu arose as the god of the wind, and Tefnut-Maat as the goddess of the world order, and only thanks to her Atum was able to create the world. In the cosmogony of Memphis, Tefnut is sometimes identified with the "heart and tongue of Ptah", that is, his original Word and Thought, which were embodied in Atum and Tefnut-Maat. Traditionally in religion ancient egypt Tefnut was revered as the goddess of moisture.
After the world was created, Tefnut became the Eye of Ra - the Solar Eye, the keeper of justice and laws.
The Golden Age has come - the time when the gods lived on earth together with people. The gods reigned in turn, replacing each other on the earthly throne. The first and longest was the era of the reign of Ra - the god of the Sun, "Lord of All That Is."
At the beginning of the Golden Age, Tefnut quarreled with Ra. Having assumed the form of a lioness, she left Egypt and went south, to Nubia (Egypt. Kush), into the desert.
Tefnut was the goddess of moisture, so when she left, disaster struck the country - a terrible drought. The rains have stopped in the Nile Delta; the hot rays of the Sun dried up the soil along the banks - it cracked and became hard as a stone; date palms have ceased to bear fruit; The Nile became shallow and sandstorms began. People were dying of thirst and hunger.
Then his majesty Ra called the god Shu to himself and commanded him:
Go find Tefnut in Nubia and bring that goddess back!
Shu turned into a lion and went in search of his sister. He soon managed to find her. Shu told her for a long time and eloquently what grief befell her homeland, and, finally, moved Tefnut to pity, convinced her to return. When they came to Egypt together, the Great River immediately overflowed and generously nourished the meadows and arable land with water, and gushed into the lands of the Delta (the sky is the life-giving "heavenly Nile" - the rain The drought ended and the famine stopped.
After Shu brought his sister from the Nubian desert, he married her. From this marriage, a second divine couple was born: Geb, the god of the earth, and Nut, the goddess of the sky. Geb and Nut loved each other very much even in the womb and were born tightly embraced. Therefore, at the beginning of creation, heaven and earth were merged into one.
Nut in the evenings gave birth to stars, and in the morning, before sunrise, she swallowed them. This went on day after day, year after year. And once Geb was angry with Nut because she eats the stars, and called her a pig that eats her piglets.
The Lord of All Existing Ra was very dissatisfied with the quarrel between Nut and Geb. He called the wind god Shu to himself and ordered him to break the arms of Geb and Nut, to separate heaven and earth: if they cannot live in harmony, let them live apart.
Shu fulfilled the order of Ra: he separated the sky from the earth and set the created world in motion. Therefore, it is believed that Shu is the embodiment of the creative energy of Ra-Atum. His name means "Emptiness" (i.e., air). The Egyptians put small wooden figurines of Shu into the sarcophagi of the dead - so that the deceased would not suffocate in the Underworld, where there is no air.
Shu wears an ostrich feather on his head: this is the hieroglyph determinative of his name.
When Shu broke the embrace of Nut and Geb, the goddess Nut in the guise of a Heavenly Cow ascended above the earth. The height made her dizzy. The Sun God ordered Shu to support Nut. Since then, Shu always holds his daughter during the day and lowers her back to the ground at night. Therefore, one of the emblems of Shu is four feathers: symbolic columns that support the sky.
Tefnut sometimes helps her husband to keep Nut above the ground, but gets tired very quickly and begins to cry from fatigue. Her tears - rain - turn into plants.
In the morning, Nut leaves Geb, takes the form of the Heavenly Cow Mekhet Urt and gives birth to a solar disk. Khepri, the god of the rising Sun, rolls the Sun in front of him like a scarab beetle rolls its ball, and, having reached the zenith, passes the solar disk to Ra. Ra takes the Sun and in his sacred Boat of Eternity carries him through the heavenly river - along the belly of Nut.
Sometimes Rook is attacked by the eternal enemy of the Sun - the giant serpent Apep. On such days, the sky is covered with clouds or a sandstorm comes from the desert. The goddess Nut hides in the mountains until Ra defeats Apep. If the snake manages to swallow Rook, solar eclipse, - but even then, Ra in the end still defeats Apophis and floats further along the celestial river. In the evening, having completed his great mission, the sun god gives the disk to Atum, and Atum lowers it beyond the horizon.
Onuris and Mehit
The solemn epithet of the god Onuris (Egypt. Ankhure) - "He who brings from afar": Onuris is identified with Shu, returning from the Nubian desert the Eye of Ra - Tefnut in the guise of a lioness. As Shu is revered in a pair with Tefnut, so Onuris is revered in a pair with the lioness goddess Mehit. He also supports the sky, and his name is sometimes accompanied by the epithet "Holding the heavens."
Onuris is the god of the city of Tisza (Egypt. Cheni), a warrior god and patron of hunters. He protects people from the forces of darkness and evil, from wild animals, helps Ra in his ongoing struggle with the eternal enemy of the Sun - the serpent Apep. He is depicted as a young man dressed in a tunic; his right hand must be raised. On his head he wears a headdress of high feathers, which symbolize the columns that support the sky - the goddess Nut.
The solar god Ra had a beloved daughter - the goddess Tefnut. Tefnut appeared in different guises in nature and in front of people. She was revered as Sokhmet - the formidable goddess of war, and in another case she was called Hathor or Hathor, and she appeared as the goddess of dance and fun. Many different legends were told about this goddess, and it was often said how she defeats monsters - the enemies of the father-Sun, or punishes people for disobeying the divine king. In the guise of the divine Eye - Ujat - she monitors the manifestation of good and evil in the world, so that everything goes according to the divine plan and law.
People lived happily during the golden age. The god of air Shu collected rain clouds, the goddess of moisture Tefnut watered the arable land, the generous Hapi - the god of the Nile fertilized the fields, and the great Ra warmed the earth with his rays. It seemed to everyone that life would always be so joyful and full. How could people know that in the near future the greatest disasters - drought and pestilence - would fall upon them.
And the reason for this was a quarrel that suddenly broke out between Tefnut and Ra.
While solar god Ra still lived on earth and was the king of Egypt. Tefnut lived with her father. Tefnut was a wayward and proud goddess.
The proud goddess of rain loved to accept sacrificial gifts from people and listen to laudatory chants. But suddenly one day on the hill Ben-Ben, in the temple of the sun, loud music sounded. It was the farmers who thanked the radiant god Ra for the light and warmth that he gives to the Black Earth.
Tefnut's face darkened. It seemed to her that the Egyptians paid much more honors to the sun god.
How so! - the sun dries up the soil, and if not for my rains, not a single grain thrown under the plow would germinate.
You are wrong, - the sun god Ra objected to her, hearing her words. Look at the land: all along the river, people have built dams and irrigation canals. They themselves feed the fields with water, even if there is no rain. But what would they do without my rays?
So said Ra, and the goddess was offended:
If no one needs my rains, I will leave the land of Ta-Kemet forever!
And so Tefnut turned into a lioness and left Ra for Nubia, in the distant country of Bugem.
In the form of a lioness, she wandered through the desert, in a rage she killed people, and the blood of her victims filled all the gorges. Fire spewed from her eyes, her breath was like fire, and her heart burned with anger. She never left the desert and had already completely forgotten Egypt, the homeland of her father Ra.
Meanwhile, the sun was beating down more and more, and soon the dry heat became completely unbearable. A thick layer of dust covered gardens, kitchen gardens, roofs of houses. The fruit trees withered and became now like mummies with crooked limbs.
Ra wished to return Tefnut from Nubia so that he could have her again near him. Ra yearned for his marvelous Eye. Tefnut was the beloved daughter of Ra, and at the sight of her, his heart was filled with joy.
Pa thought for a long time, whom to send for his daughter to Nubia, and finally his choice fell on the god of wisdom and letters, Thoth.
He was famous for his cunning and dexterity, and he could magically help bring Tefnut to Egypt. And without witchcraft and without the help of magical powers, it was impossible to tame the formidable goddess.
God took over. Thoth turned into a baboon and went to Nubia in search of the goddess. He crossed the waters of Kenem and found Tefnut, who was hunting in the desert to the south in the distant country of Bugem.
The lioness met the god unfriendly. She lifted her tail and growled fiercely at the baboon. The goddess was beautiful and formidable in her anger. Her fur shone and shimmered in the sun.
Hello mighty lioness! Ra and all the gods are in great sorrow, for you have left Ta-Kemet. Listen to my advice: do not keep anger in your heart, forget your offense and return home ...
Get out, you little baboon! Tefnut growled. - I don't want to listen to you. Leave, or I'll tear you to shreds!
He understood that against the fury of the goddess, all reasonable arguments are useless. “He who is very strong is often very stupid,” he thought to himself. “And the stupid willingly accepts any flattering lie! .. I have cunning and intelligence against your sharp fangs and claws ...”
Don't touch me, oh lioness! he said ingratiatingly. - I know that you are the most powerful of the goddesses! .. But explain to me: why are you, so strong, afraid of me - a weak little monkey? Why are you scared? I do not understand this.
I?!. You?!. I'm afraid? .. - the lioness was surprised.
But, Goddess, judge for yourself! If a scorpion enters a person's house, the person immediately rushes to kill him. Because, although a man is stronger than a scorpion, he is still afraid of him: he is afraid that the scorpion will sting him ... Or a snake: she is afraid that she will be harmed, and attacks everyone who comes close, even harmless cows and horses. And the big cow is afraid of the little horsefly and kills it with its tail, as soon as it sits on its back ... And only the lord of animals is the lion - that's who is truly powerful! - if a jackal or a monkey accidentally approaches his lair, he will not even look at them; if he is dozing, he will not even think of waking up when he hears a noise. Because he knows no fear. He doesn't need to kill to prove his power. Kills only those who are not confident in their strength and therefore afraid.
And Tefnut felt ashamed when she heard the words of the baboon.
Know this: I am not afraid of you, weak monkey! I swear I won't touch you, because I am the most powerful of the goddesses, and you don't scare me at all!
Thoth raised his paws up and began to persuade her to go with him to Egypt. He spoke about the beauty of the country of her fathers, about the beautiful Nile, which gives joy, about all the wonders of “ta meri” - “beloved land” (as the Egyptians called their country).
Instead of the barren desert where you live, Thoth said, you will find yourself in a country that will flourish thanks to you: with a great deep river, with green meadows, with populous cities and villages. A temple will be built for you,” he continued, “and people will honor you. You will not need to make robbery raids on animals and people in order to get your own food. Gazelles and antelopes, mountain goats and game of the desert will be sacrificed to you daily. Every day wine will be delivered to you, and from a sip of it, sadness will leave your heart. Music, singing and dancing in your honor will never stop.
Tefnut, who at first did not want to listen to Thoth, was touched by his eloquence. And then the cunning Thoth offered the lioness goddess a cup of wine and a magnificent fragrant dish - a killed gazelle cooked in a special way, as they knew how to cook only in the lands of Egypt. In a singsong voice he praised her.
For the sake of your beautiful face, for the beauty of your body, for the sake of a look that shines with joy, take the food that I spoke about ... There is no better food in the whole world ...
He, although he acted in the modest guise of a baboon, was a real flatterer and knew how to curb the wayward goddess.
Tefnut approached the food and experienced what one experiences when eating fine food. Her face brightened, her eyes became joyful. She turned to Thoth, beaming.
And the anger of the goddess began to subside.
“You have conquered your own heart.
Indeed, of all that exists in the world,
They love nothing more than their native side,
That is the place where you were born.
When the crocodile gets old
Wherever it happened
He comes to die in his reservoir,
After all, the city is his home.”
Such verses were read by Thoth to the goddess. He spoke of the sadness of Egypt, abandoned by her patroness:
What darkness all around. Your musicians touch the strings, but they do not sound under their fingers, your singers are sad, your lovers are in mourning. Old and young are waiting for your advice, the lords and nobles of the whole world put on mourning for you. Chaos reigns since you fled from Egypt; your holidays are no longer celebrated. There are no celebrations in your temples, men are sad, beautiful women no longer laugh...
Return, goddess, to the land where your father is waiting for you, and I promise to serve you and protect you from all enemies!
How can you, a small, helpless baboon, protect me, a strong goddess? - Tefnut cried out in surprise.
Hear me out, mighty goddess. My words seem strange to you, but listen, I will tell you the parable of the lion and the mouse.
It so happened that once a mouse fell under the paw of a lion, in appearance frail and very small. The lion wanted to crush her, but the mouse begged:
Don't push me, my lord! If you eat me, you still won't get enough of me. If you let go, your hunger will not get stronger. But on the other hand, if you give me salvation, I will also someday give you life. Do not harm me, I will save you from trouble someday.
The lion laughed at the mouse and said:
What can you do? After all, there is no one on earth stronger than me, no one can harm me!
But the mouse swore to him:
I swear that I will save you from death when your dark day comes!
The lion took it for a joke, but thought: “If I eat this mouse, I really won’t become full ...” And he let her go.
Time passed, and it happened that a hunter who was trapping animals dug a hole just in the path of the lion. The lion fell into a hole and fell into the hands of a hunter. The hunter entangled him with a net and tightly tied him with dry straps, and entangled him with rawhide straps from above.
And here the bound lion lay and grieved. But fate wanted the mouse's joke to become true. Fate wanted to laugh at the haughty words of the lion, once spoken, and at night brought a little mouse to him.
Then the mouse said to the lion:
Don't you recognize me? I am that little mouse that you gave life to. I have come to pay you back today. You fell into the hands of a man, but I will save you from death. You should be grateful to those who have done you a favor.
And so the mouse began to gnaw at the fetters of the lion. She gnawed through all the dry straps and all the rawhide straps with which he was bound, and freed him from the fetters. Then the mouse hid in the lion's mane, and at the same hour he went with her to the mountains, away from dangerous hunters.
Think of the little mouse, the weakest of all mountain dwellers, and the lion, the strongest of all mountain animals!
Even the strongest can be defeated, and the weakest will come to his aid and save him...
With these words the little baboon ended his story.
The Nubian lioness laughed, her heart rejoiced at the words of Thoth. The flattery of the little baboon and his reasonable speeches had an effect on the wayward Tefnut, and she turned her face towards Egypt.
She was about to solemnly announce her decision to Thoth, had already opened her mouth, when she suddenly froze, struck by a sudden thought.
How! she screamed, turning pale with anger. “I swore not to come back!” I would not have obeyed even Ra himself if he had come for me - and suddenly some small, insignificant baboon broke my inexorable will! Yes, I will tear this impudent monkey to pieces!
She reared her mane, let out a growl that shook the desert and prepared to jump.
The little baboon was seized with fear, a terrible fear, at the sight of her strength ... He shrunk and became like a frog.
Goddess! he shouted. - Remember your oath! After all, you swore not to harm me!
Tefnut froze in indecision.
All right, baboon, she growled after some thought. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to keep my promise." But don't you dare think you've got the better of me! It was not you who forced me to return to the Nile Valley. I myself decided so!
Oh yes, great goddess! Thoth confirmed. - How could it be otherwise? Who has power over such a mighty goddess like you? You decided to return to your homeland, and I admire your wisdom! I will go ahead and entertain you with songs and dances.
He took the lute in his hands and walked in front of her, dancing so that she would appear before Ra with joy.
Thus they reached the borders of Egypt.
Not like a wild lioness, but like a meek gazelle, the goddess Tefnut came from the desert and saw the beauty of the country that Thoth told her about.
The news of the arrival of Tefnut quickly spread throughout Egypt.
beautiful girls with flowers in their loose hair, with tambourines and sistrums in their hands, they came out to meet the joyful procession. The priests played harps and flutes, they carried rich sacrifices on their shoulders; they brought wine and garlands of flowers to the goddess; they anointed her with fragrant oil and put a wreath on her head.
She washed her body in the lake of the Sacred Isle. And then the lioness turned into a beautiful young maiden Hathor-Tefnut with shining eyes, a cheerful face, black hair, a maiden with a proud posture, shining with beauty.
Ra, having learned about the return of his daughter, started to dance, and his heart rejoiced unusually. He felt like he was reborn.
Ra saw her father, joyfully embraced his daughter and exclaimed: “Finally you have come, and I embrace you, queen of women, my beloved daughter!”
In the city of Philae, in the first place where the goddess stopped, a temple was built near the sanctuary of Isis.
From here, the procession sailed down the Nile in ships. The journey took nine days. And in every city, the solemn and joyful meeting of the goddess, the daughter of Ra, was repeated. Women sang and danced, and the whole country rejoiced and celebrated.
With the advent of Tefnut, the drought in Ta-Kemet ended. The rains came, and the Nile flooded, watering and fertilizing the parched land of the fields.
Since that time, the Egyptians associated the end of the dry period of the year and the floods of the Nile with the return of Tefnut to their homeland and especially celebrated these days. In the temples of the goddess, whole sacred performances-mysteries were played, in which each time the departure and return of Tefnut was again depicted.
Tefnut was the goddess of good and evil. She could laugh heartily, and her heart was sweet. At this time, she acted in the guise of Hathor - a young and beautiful maiden, the goddess of music and dance. But she could also become angry, like an angry lioness, her eyes could bleed with anger, spewing flames at the guilty, then she was called Sokhmet, identifying with the formidable goddess of revenge. Tefnut-Sokhmet - the queen of women and the mistress of evil spirits, she adorned herself with garlands of flowers and painted herself with the blood of her victims. When Tefnut-Hathor was tired of dancing and music, she was drawn again to the desert, and she roared menacingly in the mountains, and everything trembled with fear of her.
The artists portrayed Tefnut-Sokhmet as a slender woman with the head of a lioness. On her head is a diadem - a circle with a snake. This is a symbol of the divine Eye - Ujat.
The pantheon of Ancient Egypt is very extensive; many gods were worshiped in this country. Some of them, such as Ra, Osiris, Horus, were revered everywhere, others had only local significance. So, the bloody one was the patroness of Memphis and Heliopolis, and her cult was widespread in these cities. There are in the mythology of the Land of the Pyramids and the ancient gods who created all the rest. One of them is Tefnut, with interesting facts about which we propose to get acquainted.
Appearance
Often the ancient Egyptian goddess Tefnut was depicted in the form of a cat or a lioness; on the frescoes you can also see her representation as a woman with a lion's head. In this case, a fiery disk and a sacred snake were located on the head of Tefnut, in the hands - ankh and a rod - a papyrus shoot. The goddess was depicted in gold jewelry worn by noble Egyptians of that time. Primary colors are red, brown, green.
You can also find images in which Tefnut appears in the guise of a lioness, her back turned to the lion - her brother-wife Shu.
Meaning
The Nubian cat (this is how the goddess Tefnut was sometimes called) was considered the deity of moisture. It was by her will that life-giving water, so important for soil fertility, fell on the earth: rains, dew. Therefore, the role of Tefnut in the pantheon was very significant, because without liquid, all crops in the fields will dry up, and Egypt in those days was primarily an agricultural state.
Also, the functions of the Eye of Ra were often attributed to the deity. When the sun god made his daily round of the horizon, the Eye shone on his head, this was Tefnut. Often the goddess was identified with the guardian Ra Uto.
Family
According to the family of the goddess Tefnut included:
- Ra (Atum) - father.
- Shu is a husband and twin brother at the same time.
- Children - Nut and Geb.
Interestingly, following the example of the mythical gods, quite real pharaohs often entered into closely related marriages, which led to mutations and degeneration of the clan. In some myths, the progenitor god Ptah (Ptah) is called Tefnut's husband.
and attributes
The sacred animal of Tefnut was considered a lioness. Cats and snakes were also identified with this deity, which, however, were not dedicated exclusively to the Nubian cat. Interestingly, in ancient Egypt, lions were encountered quite often, but now you will not find these formidable predators in the country. The elements of Tefnut were fire and water.
Origin and place in the pantheon
The goddess Tefnut in Ancient Egypt was one of the nine ancient gods, the so-called Heliopolis Ennead. Therefore, the history of the goddess of moisture is directly connected with mythological ideas about the creation of the world. On the territory of the country there were no unified views on this issue, ideological ideas were dispersed among the three largest religious centers, one of which was Heliopolis. The priests of this solar city explained the appearance of the world and the birth of the goddess Tefnut in this way:
- From the original liquid, the god Atum (Ra) spontaneously originated.
- He created the Benben (sacred stone) by the power of his will.
- Standing on a stone, Atum created the first pair of gods - Shu and Tefnut. They were not only brother and sister, but also spouses.
- From the first divine couple were born heaven) and Geb (earth).
- Then Geb and Nut gave birth to two more pairs of deities who were also brother and sister and spouses at the same time: Osiris and Isis, Set and Nephthys. Osiris began to rule the underworld, Isis was credited with the functions of the goddess of fertility. Set was the god of the desert, Nephthys the goddess of death and healing.
- A little later, a barren desert was created.
Thus, 9 deities appeared who entered the ennead of Heliopolis.
Tests for the Egyptians
The most famous is one of the myths in which Tefnut appears. Its plot is like this. The ancient Egyptians lived comfortably in the Nile Valley.
The solar god Ra generously endowed his beloved people with the warm rays of the heavenly body.
The goddess Tefnut provided regular rainfall, which is why the lands did not lose their fertility.
The god of the Nile (Hapi) was responsible for the floods of the great river, which made the arable land even richer thanks to the miraculous silt.
The Egyptians were grateful to their gods and sang songs of praise for them, erected temples and statues, and made donations. But one day Tefnut quarreled with her father - the goddess decided that people should only thank her alone. Turning into a lioness, she left Egypt, as it seemed to her, forever, even the great father could not stop the angry goddess.
A drought began in the Nile Valley, the rains completely stopped. The farmers were left without a crop: he died under the scorching rays of the sun. The soil became hard, the grass turned yellow and withered, the cattle had nothing to eat, their death, famine and pestilence began. Then sandstorms hit the Egyptians. This is how the myth of the wrath of the goddess Tefnut begins.
The lioness began to live in attacking people and tearing them to shreds. In anger, the goddess was terrible, not a single person who accidentally met her could avoid a terrible fate. The meat and blood of people served as food for the offended Tefnut, her breath became fiery, and her eyes spewed out flames.
Return of the Goddess
Ra, who loved the goddess of life-giving moisture more than all his children, missed her very much and wanted to return her. So he decided to send the gods to Nubia to help bring back Tefnut. The choice fell on two deities:
- the lioness' consort, Shu;
- the god of wisdom, Thoth, who was often depicted with the head of an ibis.
The immortals took the form of baboons (these monkeys were revered as sacred animals in Egypt) and set off on a difficult path. The formidable lioness unfriendly met the uninvited visitors, and only the wisdom of Thoth helped bring her back. God began to describe the beauties of Egypt, this amazing region, rich in green fertile meadows, amazingly beautiful temples and inhabited by grateful people. God said that Tefnut would not have to do anything to get food for herself, she would be respected and praised in songs. She succumbed to the persuasion and, together with Thoth and Shu, headed home. The God of Wisdom cast magic spells all the way so that the lioness would not change her mind.
Having bathed in the waters of the Sacred Lake, the goddess lost the appearance of a lioness and became like an ordinary woman of incredible beauty. It was in this form that she appeared before Ra, who was immensely happy to see his beloved daughter again.
According to another version of the myth about the return of the goddess Tefnut to Egypt, the sage Thoth acted alone. He did not skimp on compliments to the strength and power of the lioness, praised her in every possible way and did not forget to add how hard it is for the Egyptian people without their beloved patroness. The arable lands have dried up, people are dying of hunger, the temples of Tefnut are closed, and the priests put on mourning robes and mourn their goddess in despair. The heart of the Nubian cat melted, her anger subsided, she agreed to return.
goddess worship
The myth of the flight and return of the Egyptian goddess Tefnut caused the pyramids to appear in the country. Every year, shortly before the flood, the Egyptians played a scene about the departure and return of the goddess to appease her.
The main center of worship for the lioness goddess was Heliopolis. She was distinguished by a formidable disposition, so all the rites in the temples were carried out with the main goal - to pacify her. The following descriptions of religious actions have survived to this day:
- First, a dance was performed to appease the wayward Tefnut. They tried to pick up a calm and harmonious melody for the dance.
- Then there were offerings of wine, which the stern lioness loved very much. Also, game was used as a victim.
- Then the priests read prayers.
The goddess was very fond of offerings, so often gifts were sent to her even by other gods (or rather, their sculptural images). The priests placed in front of the statue of Tefnut small figurines of Heha, the symbol of eternity, and Maat, the goddess of justice. This symbolized the gift of Tefnut by other deities. Often, a water clock was used as an offering, since the Nubian cat was identified with the concept of time.
goddess temples
Several temples of Tefnut have survived to this day, which help to understand how significant she was in the Egyptian pantheon. In addition to the already mentioned Heliopolis, the place of veneration of the formidable lioness was Leontopol, otherwise the city of lions. It was here that the sanctuary was located not only of Tefnut herself, but also of other lion-headed deities: Sekhmet, Mahesa. Found here in abundance, statuettes of bronze lions testify that these animals inspired the ancient Egyptians not so much horror as reverence.
Sanctuaries of Tefnut were also in Nubia, they have survived to this day in the best condition, but they are not distinguished by such wealth as the Egyptian ones. Also, the places of worship of the goddess were in Upper Egypt: in Kom-Ombo, Esna, Edfu. And scientists find images of the goddess in many tombs of the pharaohs.
The ancient Egyptian goddess Tefnut is one of the most revered, since it was she who, as the inhabitants of the Nile Valley believed, was responsible for the rains and provided life-giving moisture, without which a rich harvest could not be expected.
Shu and Tefnut are the first divine couple on earth. They have one soul. According to the Heliopolis cosmogony, these gods were born by Atum at the beginning of creation: Shu arose as the god of the wind, and Tefnut-Maat as the goddess of the world order, and only thanks to her Atum was able to create the world. In the cosmogony of Memphis, Tefnut is sometimes identified with the "heart and tongue of Ptah", that is, his original Word and Thought, which were embodied in Atum and Tefnut-Maat. Traditionally, in the religion of Ancient Egypt, Tefnut was revered as the goddess of moisture.
After the world was created, Tefnut became the Eye of Ra - the Solar Eye, the keeper of justice and laws.
The Golden Age has come - the time when the gods lived on earth together with people. The gods reigned in turn, replacing each other on the earthly throne. The first and longest was the era of the reign of Ra - the god of the Sun, "Lord of All That Is."
At the beginning of the Golden Age, Tefnut quarreled with Ra. Having assumed the form of a lioness, she left Egypt and went south, to Nubia (Egypt. Kush), into the desert.
Tefnut was the goddess of moisture, so when she left, disaster struck the country - a terrible drought. The rains have stopped in the Nile Delta; the hot rays of the Sun dried up the soil along the banks - it cracked and became hard as a stone; date palms have ceased to bear fruit; The Nile became shallow and sandstorms began. People were dying of thirst and hunger.
Then his majesty Ra called the god Shu to himself and commanded him:
Go find Tefnut in Nubia and bring that goddess back!
Shu turned into a lion and went in search of his sister. He soon managed to find her. Shu told her for a long time and eloquently what grief befell her homeland, and, finally, moved Tefnut to pity, convinced her to return. When they came to Egypt together, the Great River immediately overflowed and generously nourished the meadows and arable land with water, and gushed into the lands of the Delta (the sky is the life-giving "heavenly Nile" - the rain The drought ended and the famine stopped.
After Shu brought his sister from the Nubian desert, he married her. From this marriage, a second divine couple was born: Geb, the god of the earth, and Nut, the goddess of the sky. Geb and Nut loved each other very much even in the womb and were born tightly embraced. Therefore, at the beginning of creation, heaven and earth were merged into one.
Nut in the evenings gave birth to stars, and in the morning, before sunrise, she swallowed them. This went on day after day, year after year. And once Geb was angry with Nut because she eats the stars, and called her a pig that eats her piglets.
The Lord of All Existing Ra was very dissatisfied with the quarrel between Nut and Geb. He called the wind god Shu to himself and ordered him to break the arms of Geb and Nut, to separate heaven and earth: if they cannot live in harmony, let them live apart.
Shu fulfilled the order of Ra: he separated the sky from the earth and set the created world in motion. Therefore, it is believed that Shu is the embodiment of the creative energy of Ra-Atum. His name means "Emptiness" (i.e., air). The Egyptians put small wooden figurines of Shu into the sarcophagi of the dead - so that the deceased would not suffocate in the Underworld, where there is no air.
Shu wears an ostrich feather on his head: this is the hieroglyph determinative of his name.
When Shu broke the embrace of Nut and Geb, the goddess Nut in the guise of a Heavenly Cow ascended above the earth. The height made her dizzy. The Sun God ordered Shu to support Nut. Since then, Shu always holds his daughter during the day and lowers her back to the ground at night. Therefore, one of the emblems of Shu is four feathers: symbolic columns that support the sky.
Tefnut sometimes helps her husband to keep Nut above the ground, but gets tired very quickly and begins to cry from fatigue. Her tears - rain - turn into plants.
In the morning, Nut leaves Geb, takes the form of the Heavenly Cow Mekhet Urt and gives birth to a solar disk. Khepri, the god of the rising Sun, rolls the Sun in front of him like a scarab beetle rolls its ball, and, having reached the zenith, passes the solar disk to Ra. Ra takes the Sun and in his sacred Boat of Eternity carries him through the heavenly river - along the belly of Nut.
Sometimes Rook is attacked by the eternal enemy of the Sun - the giant serpent Apep. On such days, the sky is covered with clouds or a sandstorm comes from the desert. The goddess Nut hides in the mountains until Ra defeats Apep. If the snake manages to swallow Rook, a solar eclipse sets in - but even then, Ra in the end still defeats Apep and floats further along the celestial river. In the evening, having completed his great mission, the sun god gives the disk to Atum, and Atum lowers it beyond the horizon.
tefnut tefnut
(tfn.t), in Egyptian mythology goddess of moisture. Included in the Helio-Polish ennead. Her earthly incarnation is a lioness. The center of the cult of T. - Heliopolis, according to the Heliopolis myth, T. and her husband Shu are the first pair of twin gods generated Atum(Ra-Atum). Their children - Geb And Chickpeas. Sometimes T. is called wife Bird. T. is also a daughter Ra his beloved Eye. They said about her: daughter of Ra on his forehead." When Ra rises above the horizon in the morning, T. shines with a fiery eye in his forehead and burns the enemies of the great god. In this capacity, T. was identified with the goddess Uto(Urey). The hypostasis of T. was the goddess of flame At the dog her other hypostasis is often the goddess of writing Seshat. There is a myth according to which T.-Eye of Ra retired to Nubia (and a period of drought began in Egypt), and then, at the request of her father, who sent for her Thoth and Shu (in another version - Onuris), came back. The arrival of T. from Nubia and her subsequent marriage to Shu portends the flowering of nature (for more details, see Art. Egyptian mythology). T. was identified with Mut, Bast, and also with Hathor, Sekhmet and other lioness goddesses (Menhit, Ment), revered in Egypt.
R. R.
(Source: "Myths of the peoples of the world".)
Tefnutin Egyptian mythology, the goddess of moisture. Part of the Heliopolis Ennead. Her earthly incarnation is a lioness. The center of the Tefnut cult is Heliopolis. According to the Heliopolis myth. Tefnut and her husband Shu are the first pair of twin gods spawned by Atum (Ra-Atum). Their children are Geb and Nut. Sometimes Tefnut is called the wife of Ptah. Tefnut is also the daughter of Ra, his favorite eye. They said about her: "Daughter of Ra on his forehead." When Ra rises above the horizon in the morning. Tefnut with a fiery eye shines on his forehead and burns the enemies of the great god. In this capacity, Tefnut was identified with the goddess Uto (Urey). The hypostasis of Tefnut was the goddess of flame Upes, her other hypostasis was often the goddess of writing Seshat. There is a myth according to which Tefnut - the Eye of Ra retired to Nubia (and a period of drought began in Egypt), and then at the request of her father, who sent Thoth and Shu (in the ancient version - Onuris) after her. came back. The arrival of Tefnut from Nubia and afterbirth, followed by her marriage to Shu portends the flowering of nature. Tefnut was identified with Mut, Bast, as well as with Hathor, Sekhmet and other lioness goddesses (Menhit. Ment), revered in Egypt.
V. D. Smooth "Ancient World" Volume 2
(Source: Ancient Egyptian Dictionary Reference.)
TEFNUTin Egyptian mythology, the moisture gods She and her husband Shu were the first twin gods to be born by Ra. Their children are the gods Geb and Nut. Tefnut was called the favorite eye of the god Ra. According to legend, when the sun god rose above the horizon in the morning, Tefnut shone with a fiery eye in his forehead and incinerated the prags of the god. Once Tefnut quarreled with Ra and left Egypt. A terrible drought set in, and hundreds of people began to die. Thoth and Shu persuaded the goddess to return. Shu married her, and nature flourished.
(Source: Dictionary of Spirits and Gods of Norse, Egyptian, Greek, Irish, Japanese, Maya and Aztec Mythologies.)
See what "TEFNUT" is in other dictionaries:
In Egyptian mythology, one of the goddesses of the Heliopolis Ennead, the deity of moisture, together with the air god Shu, made up the first pair of gods generated by Atum ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
TEFNUT, in Egyptian mythology, one of the goddesses of the Heliopolis Ennead, the deity of moisture, together with the air god Shu (see SHU) made up the first pair of gods generated by Atum (see ATUM) ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Tefnut, also Tefnet, laudatory name Nubian cat in Egyptian mythology, the goddess of moisture. She was depicted as a cat. Part of the Heliopolis Ennead. Tefnu Cult Center ... Wikipedia
Egyptian goddess, sister and wife of Shu (see), daughter of Tuma, the god of the sun. Represents the artificial female complement of Shu, the god of air; portrayed, like him, in the form of a lion or with the head of a lion; frequent images of both of them in the form of sitting, turned ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
Tefnut- in egypt. myth. goddess of moisture. Part of the Heliopolis Ennead. Her earthly incarnation is a lioness. Cult center T. Heliopolis. acc. heliopolis. myth, T. and her husband Shu are the first pair of twin gods, spawned. Atum (Ra Atum). Their children are Geb and Nut. Sometimes …
Tefnut- (Egypt.) - the goddess of moisture, included in the Heliopolis ennead (nine) of the gods. According to the Heliopolis myth, T., together with her twin brother and husband Shu, is the daughter of Ra Atum, the mother of Geb and Nut. She was called the "beloved Eye of Ra" and was depicted as ... ... Mythological dictionary
Sources for studying the mythology of Ancient Egypt are characterized by incompleteness and unsystematic presentation. The character and origin of many myths are reconstructed on the basis of later texts. The main monuments that reflected mythological ideas ... ... Encyclopedia of mythology
- (šw, lit. "emptiness", "light"), in Egyptian mythology, the god of air, separating heaven and earth. Usually depicted as a man standing on one knee with his hands raised, with which he supports the sky above the earth. Included in the Heliopolis ecnead of the gods ... Encyclopedia of mythology
Egypt Ancient. culture- Bakers. Painted wooden figurine. Around 2000 BC e. Royal Scottish Museum. Edinburgh. Education. Schools of future scribes were created at the court of the pharaoh, at temples and at large public institutions. The schools taught... Encyclopedic reference book "Africa"
Egyptian mythology- source. studying myth. Dr. Egypt are characterized by incompleteness and unsystematic presentation. Har r and origin pl. myths are reconstructed on the basis of later texts. The main monuments that reflected the myth. representations of the Egyptians, yavl. ... ... Ancient world. encyclopedic Dictionary
