ATOUM
neutralCreator God
Atum is the creator god of ancient Egypt, the demiurge at the origin of the Ennead of Heliopolis. His name, formed on the root tem, evokes at once completion and the whole, the one who contains the entirety of creation. According to the Heliopolitan cosmogony, Atum engenders himself within the Nun, the primordial ocean, then gives birth to the first divine couple, Shu and Tefnut, by various means according to the versions, masturbation, spittle or speech. From this couple descend Geb and Nut, then Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nephthys. Atum is closely associated with the sun. He merges with Ra to form Ra-Atum, the figure of the setting sun, while Khepri represents the rising sun. In the iconography, he is figured as a king crowned with the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, holding the was sceptre and the ankh cross. Several animals are associated with him, including the serpent, the ichneumon and the Mnevis bull, held to be his incarnation. His great centre of cult is Heliopolis.
Era
3,000–30 BCE
Frequently asked questions
Who is Atum in Egyptian mythology?
Atum is the creator god of Heliopolis. Arisen from himself within the primordial ocean Nun, he is at the origin of the Ennead and of the whole divine world.
How does Atum create the first gods?
According to the versions of the Heliopolitan cosmogony, Atum alone engenders the couple Shu and Tefnut, by masturbation, by spittle or by speech. From this couple descends the rest of the Ennead.
What is the link between Atum and the sun?
Atum is a solar deity. He merges with Ra to become Ra-Atum, the setting sun, the complement of Khepri, the rising sun, in the star's daily cycle.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Richard H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt (2003)
- Erik Hornung, Les dieux de l'Égypte: l'un et le multiple (1986)
- , Wikipedia (FR/EN)