DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.30604#0107
IDEAS OF GOD.
XCIX
according to the divine intelligence Maa. Under the influence of Thoth, or that
form of the divine intelligence which created the world by a word, eight elements,
four male and four female, arose out of the primeval Nu, which possessed the
properties of the male and female. These eight elements were called Nu ancl
Nut,* 1 Heh and Hehet,2 Kek and Keket,s and Enen and Enenet,4 or Khemennu,
the “Eight,”and they were considered as primeval fathers and mothers.5 They are
often represented in the forms of four male and four female apes who stand in
adoration and greet the rising sun with songs and hymns of praise,6 but they also
appear as male and female human forms with the heads of frogs or serpents.7
The birth of light from the waters, and of fire from the moist mass of primeval
matter, and of Ra from Nu, formed the starting point of all mythological
speculations, conjectures, and theories of the Egyptian priests.8 The light of the
sun gave birth to itself out of chaos, and the conception of the future worlcl was
depicted in Thoth the divine intelligence; when Thoth gave the word, what he
commanded at once took place by means of Ptah and Khnemu, the visible
representatives of the power which turned Thoth’s command into deed. Khnemu
made the egg of the sun,9 and Ptah gave to the god of light a finished body.10
The first paut of the gods consisted of Shu, Tefnut, Seb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Set,
Nephthys and Horus, and their governor Tmu or Atmu.11
In a late copv of a work entitled the “Book of knowing the evolutions of Ra,” Egyptian account
r J the Creation.
the god Neb-er-tcher, the “ lord of the company of the gods,” records the story of
the creation and of the birth of the gods :—“ I am he who evolved himself under
“ the form of the god Khepera, I, the evolver of the evolutions evolved myself,
“ the evolver of all evolutions, after many evolutions and developments which
“ came forth from my mouth.12 No heaven existed, and no earth, and no
“ terrestrial animals or reptiles had come into being. I formed them out of the
“ inert mass of watery matter, I found no place whereon to stand. . . . , I was
“ alone, and the gods Shu and Tefnut had not gone forth from me ; there existed
I Brugsch, Religion, pp. 128,
3 Ibid., p. 140.
6 Ibid., p. 148.
7 Ibid., p. 158.
9 Ibid., p. 161.
II Ibid., p. 187.
12 The variant version says, “
129. 3 Ibid., p. 132.
4 Ibid., p. 142.
6 Ibid., pp. 149, 152.
8 Ibid., p. 160.
10 Ibid., p. 163.
I developed myself from the primeval matter which I had made.”
and adds, “ My name is Osiris, (j Q |1 ; the substance of primeval matter.”
XCIX
according to the divine intelligence Maa. Under the influence of Thoth, or that
form of the divine intelligence which created the world by a word, eight elements,
four male and four female, arose out of the primeval Nu, which possessed the
properties of the male and female. These eight elements were called Nu ancl
Nut,* 1 Heh and Hehet,2 Kek and Keket,s and Enen and Enenet,4 or Khemennu,
the “Eight,”and they were considered as primeval fathers and mothers.5 They are
often represented in the forms of four male and four female apes who stand in
adoration and greet the rising sun with songs and hymns of praise,6 but they also
appear as male and female human forms with the heads of frogs or serpents.7
The birth of light from the waters, and of fire from the moist mass of primeval
matter, and of Ra from Nu, formed the starting point of all mythological
speculations, conjectures, and theories of the Egyptian priests.8 The light of the
sun gave birth to itself out of chaos, and the conception of the future worlcl was
depicted in Thoth the divine intelligence; when Thoth gave the word, what he
commanded at once took place by means of Ptah and Khnemu, the visible
representatives of the power which turned Thoth’s command into deed. Khnemu
made the egg of the sun,9 and Ptah gave to the god of light a finished body.10
The first paut of the gods consisted of Shu, Tefnut, Seb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Set,
Nephthys and Horus, and their governor Tmu or Atmu.11
In a late copv of a work entitled the “Book of knowing the evolutions of Ra,” Egyptian account
r J the Creation.
the god Neb-er-tcher, the “ lord of the company of the gods,” records the story of
the creation and of the birth of the gods :—“ I am he who evolved himself under
“ the form of the god Khepera, I, the evolver of the evolutions evolved myself,
“ the evolver of all evolutions, after many evolutions and developments which
“ came forth from my mouth.12 No heaven existed, and no earth, and no
“ terrestrial animals or reptiles had come into being. I formed them out of the
“ inert mass of watery matter, I found no place whereon to stand. . . . , I was
“ alone, and the gods Shu and Tefnut had not gone forth from me ; there existed
I Brugsch, Religion, pp. 128,
3 Ibid., p. 140.
6 Ibid., p. 148.
7 Ibid., p. 158.
9 Ibid., p. 161.
II Ibid., p. 187.
12 The variant version says, “
129. 3 Ibid., p. 132.
4 Ibid., p. 142.
6 Ibid., pp. 149, 152.
8 Ibid., p. 160.
10 Ibid., p. 163.
I developed myself from the primeval matter which I had made.”
and adds, “ My name is Osiris, (j Q |1 ; the substance of primeval matter.”