Egyptian Creations

Egyptian mythology has multiple creation myths, originating in the different tribal city-states that existed before being consolidated into the Kingdom of Egypt, and changing over time as their religion developed.

SEXUAL CONTENT WARNING.

The oldest (c. 3000 B.C.E) comes from Heliopolis. In the beginning there was only the primeval waters of chaos that stretched out to infinity. Slowly, an island rose out of the waters: the cosmos. And on that island was the sun-god Atum.

Atum grasped his penis and pleasured himself. He spluttered out Shu (god of air) and spat out Tefnut (goddess of moisture). One day Shu and Tefnut wandered off to explore the Ocean of Chaos. Atum became very worried; he wept tears of joy when they returned, and from these tears humans were made. Shu and Tefnut worked together to create the other gods and establish the foundations of society.

One day the cosmos will return to ocean of chaos from whence it came.

By around 1500 B.C.E, Amun-Ra (a fusion of the gods Amun and Ra) had developed into the One True God; the other gods were manifestations of him. He existed before the cosmos rose out of chaos; he instigated creation; some say he created himself; others say he had never not existed.

In the 1300s B.C.E, Pharaoh Akhenaten wanted to take power away from the priests of Amun-Ra. He declared that Aten the sun-god was the actual One True God, and the other gods didn't exist. He created the first officially monotheist religion in recorded human history. But the transition from polytheism to monotheism is a difficult one - especially if you get rid of the old gods entirely, rather than keeping them as aspects/manifestations of the One True God - so Atenism didn't last. (In ancient Israel, the priests of Yahweh-Elohim had to make 'do not serve other gods' and 'do not worship idols' the first two commandments, prioritising monotheism over murder and theft.) Outside threats plunged Egypt into political chaos. After Akhenaten's death, the priests of Amun-Ra convinced his successor Tutankhaten (meaning 'living image of Aten') to undo the Atenist reforms and change his name to Tutankhamun ('living image of Amun').