Who was Atum in ancient Egypt?

Who was Atum in ancient Egypt?

Atum, in ancient Egyptian religion, one of the manifestations of the sun and creator god, perhaps originally a local deity of Heliopolis.

How did Atum created humans?

The Sun God’s Eye. The sun god, Re (a form of Atum), ruled over the earth, where humans and divine beings coexisted. Humans were created from the Eye of Re or wedjat (eye of wholeness). The familiar eye motif is an enduring symbol for the creator, Atum, for Re and for Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis.

Was Atum an important god?

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. He was the main deity of Per-Tem (“house of Atum”) in Pithom in the eastern Delta.

What is the symbol of Atum?

Atum was usually depicted as a king, wearing the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt and carrying an ankh, the symbol of life, and a scepter, the symbol of power. One of the oldest gods worshiped in Egypt, Atum held an important place in Egyptian mythology as the creator of the other gods.

Why did people worship Atum?

In the Old Kingdom, the Egyptians believed that Atum lifted the dead king’s soul from his pyramid to the starry heavens. He was also a solar deity, associated with the primary sun god Ra.

Did Atum create the world?

In one Egyptian cosmogony, or a story about the origin of the world or universe, Atum created himself from nothing, then created Shu (the air) and Tefnut (moisture). They created Geb (the earth) and Nut (the sky), who in turn created five other gods. This group of creators of the world is called the Ennead.

What Bastet means?

Bastet was the goddess of protection, pleasure, and the bringer of good health. She had the head of a cat and a slender female body. Bastet was the daughter of Ra, sister of Sekhmet, the wife of Ptah, and the mother of Mihos. Since the Second Dynasty, Bastet was worshiped as a deity, most commonly in Lower Egypt.

How was Bast worshiped?

Mostly visibly, enormous annual festivals to honor Bast were held in her cult center city, Bubastis, involving raucous celebration and intoxication. In their personal worship, Egyptians also prayed to Bastet to remove disease and guard the household. Egyptian homes displayed statues of Bastet to shield against thieves.

What is the story of Bastet?

Bastet is the Egyptian goddess of the home, domesticity, women’s secrets, cats, fertility, and childbirth. She was the daughter of the sun god Ra and is associated with the concept of the Eye of Ra (the all-seeing eye) and the Distant Goddess (a female deity who leaves Ra and returns to bring transfromation).

What is sacred to Bast?

Cats were sacred to Bast, and to harm one was considered to be a crime against her and so very unlucky. Her priests kept sacred cats in her temple, which were considered to be incarnations of the goddess.

What was the purpose of Bastet?

Bastet is the Egyptian goddess of the home, domesticity, women’s secrets, cats, fertility, and childbirth. She protected the home from evil spirits and disease, especially diseases associated with women and children.

How do you honor Bast?

If you’d like to honor Bast in your rituals and celebrations, try some of these ideas:

1. Create an altar in Bast’s name, and decorate it with images of cats and lions, baskets, brightly colored crystals or gemstones, and sistrums or rattles.
2. Offer a prayer to Bast or Bastet, in the form of a song or chant.