From The Alpha and the Omega - Volume III
by Jim A. Cornwell, Copyright © July 20, 2002, all rights reserved "Volume III - Gods/Goddesses of Ancient Egypt"

NEFERTUM (Nefer-Tem, Nefertem, Nefertemu, Nefer-Temu, Iphtimis)

To return to the Virgo Decan (Nefertum like the sun being reborn each day like the lotus and reemerging each morning), Denderah Decan 29-Grand Temple Decan 28 (Nefertum emerged as a beautiful child, sitting on a lotus which floated on the waters of Nun), Harpocrates (Nefertum emerged as a beautiful child, sitting on a lotus), Mihos/Maahes (war-god associated with Horus and Nefertem), Denderah Serpent Crypts (association with the lotus), or List of Netjeru.

    Nefertum or Nefer-Tem, the name of Nefertem means "Tem is Beautiful or "The Beauty of Tem," or "the young Tem," an aspect of Atem.    The god of fragrance (perfume), his form was "the Divine Lotus," as in the Water Lily of the Sun.    Since the sun was believed to have arisen from a water lily, Nefertem was linked with the sun-god, as described in the Pyramid Texts utterance 266 describes "Rise like Nefertem from the water lily to the nostrils of Ra!"    Nefertem is said to be the lotus flower which is held before the nose of Re but he is often shown as human wearing a lotus on his head, often with two vertical plumes.
    A creation story from Heliopolis states that Nefertem emerged as a beautiful child or human head, sitting on or inside a huge water lily (lotus) flower which floated on or rose out of the primeval waters of Nun at the time of the creation, this image can be seen on Denderah Decan 29-Grand Temple Decan 28.
    He was also shown to be a beautiful young man with a water lily (lotus) flower on his head, or holding water lily flowers.    Sometimes his body was shown wrapped up like a mummy, with his arms and face free of bindings.
    In the mornings, the water lily flower opens up with the sun, giving the Egyptians a strong connection between the plant and the heavenly body.    As seen on the Virgo Decan regarding Sesen or Lotus Flower, Nefertem was also depicted with a lion's head, thus showing his solar symbolism, the sun being reborn each day like the lotus that hides beneath the surface of the water at night and reemerging each morning.    He was said to dwell "each day" with Re, and through his connection to the sun he and Horus became as one.
    The hieroglyph for a lion is .
    Nefertem also had a lion or cat form, as a lion-headed sun god, attributed to his mother Sekhmet (by the people of Mennefer (Hikuptah, Memphis)) and his father was Ptah, thus forming the Triad of Memphis (Mennefer).    Though at times he was seen as the son of either Bast (at Per-Bast (Bubastis)) or Wadjet (Edjo) (at Per-Wadjet (Buto)).
    As to his role as a lion-headed god, Nefertem could be more war-like, and was known as khnr t3wy, "Restrainer of the Two Lands," giving him an identity as a guardian-protector of both Upper and Lower Egypt.
    He was also the patron of healing and of beautification, but later Imhotep was introduced as his brother, and took over as the patron of healing, perfumes and aromatherapy.    As a god of the water lily (specifically, the blue water lily), he used its narcotic qualities for medicinal purposes as well as for perfumes and adornment.    In one myth, showing Nefertem's healing powers, Nefertem was said to have brought a water lily to Ra, to help ease the suffering of Ra's wounds as he aged.    The water lily became one of Egypt's few sacred flowers, shown on tomb walls as a possible symbol for fertility and rebith.
    Nefertem had no formal cult and was not worshiped at a temple.    His primary devotion seems to have been in the form of small statues of him carried by people, similar to modern saints medals.

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    This file was created on June 18, 2005, and updated on September 19, 2007.

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