Volume III Gods/Goddesses of Ancient Egypt

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"

NUN
(Pesdjet, Nu, Nux)

To return to the
Denderah Decan Zero Or 37 - Grand Temple Decan 37
(One of the eight primordial deities - Ogdoad),
Apep (Nun was his birthplace),
Atum (rose up from out of Nun),
Harpocrates (As Nefertum who floated on Nun at creation),
Nefertum (emerged as a beautiful child, sitting on a lotus which floated on the waters of Nun),
Ogdoad (eight primordial deities),
List of Netjeru.

    Nun the god who personified the primeval waters, the chaos before there was shape and form, the dark liquid mass out of which there appeared the creator god.    The Egyptians believed that before the world was formed, there was a watery mass of dark, directionless chaos where the Ogdoad of Khmunu (Hermopolis) lived, four frog gods and four snake goddesses.    These deities were Nun, Naunet, Amen, Amaunet, Heh, Hauhet, Kek and Kauket.    The name of the water of chaos was Nun and was regarded as the "father of the gods."    Nun has no surface, stretching into infinity, not subject to cosmic order (Ma'at).

    He is depicted as either a frog-headed man, or as a bearded man (similar in appearance to Hapi) waist-high in water with arms thrust out at the sun at the 12^th hour and supporting the sacred solar barque Manjet.     The god of chaos did not have a priesthood, nor any temples that have been found, and was never worshiped as a personified god.    Instead, he was represented at various temples by the sacred lakes symbolising the chaotic waters before the First Time.    Iunu (On, Heliopolis) was thought to have been the site of the primeval mound by the priests of the city, and they had a sacred lake known as "The Sea of Two Knives" and an island known as "The Isle of Flames."    The lake, attached to a temple, represented Nun's waters, and the island was believed to be the primeval mound itself.    Ra was thought to have come into the world out of the giant water lily which grew on the mound: "Out of the water lily, created by the Eight, came forth Ra, who created all things, divine and human."
    At Abtu (Abydos), he is represented by an underground water channel seen at the Oseiron at Abydos.
    The First Time then began and Ra was thought to have created the universe, including his children, the other gods.    He brought Ma'at, order to chaos.    Nun was thought to be the father of Ra, who was known as the father of the gods.    As seen in the Pyramid Text 301, "Your offering-cake belongs to you, Nun and Naunet, Who protects the gods, who guards the gods with your shadows."
    It was from Nun (Nu) that Ra (or Amen, another of the Ogdoad who became prominent Middle Kingdom onward, and joined with the sun god as Amen-Ra) created himself, rising up on the first piece of land, the primeval mound (Benben) out of the water lily (lotus) blossom, born from the world egg, or as a bnw-bird who then found and landed on the mound.
    One story says that Ra's children, Shu and Tefnut, went to explore the waters of Nun.    After some time, Ra believed that they were lost, and sent his Eye out into the chaos to find them.    When his children were returned to him, Ra wept, and his tears were believed to have turned into the first humans.    Nun then became the protector of the twin deities, protecting them from the demons in his waters.
    Later on, it was Nun who suggested that his son Ra send out his Eye to destroy the humans/mankind when the nations revolted against the gods and were in contempt of the sun god.

    The priests of Waset (Thebes) declared that Waset was the site of the Nun's water, and the rising of the primeval mound.    Amen, the creator god of Waset, was originally one of the Ogdoad, who changed from the invisible chaos deity into the primeval mound.    In this form, he created the other gods.    He created the water lily, which opened to reveal the child form of Amen-Ra, who then finished the creation of the world.    Nun, although he was a powerful force, was thought to have been inert until Amen awoke him from torpor, and used his chaotic waters to create the universe.
    Finally, it was on Nun's orders that Nut turned into a solar cow, and carried Ra up into the sky after the sun god had grown old and wearied of life on earth.
    One source claims the image below is Nun and Naunet at Amduat.

His consort is Naunet (A frog-goddess, the hieroglyph for a frog is

and also see information where in Mennefer (Hikuptah, Memphis), Nun was linked to the creator god, Ptah), and known as Ptah-Nun. Thus both Ptah and Nun were thought to be the father of the sun god Atem, and also thought to be more powerful than the god. He was the "Heart and the Tongue of the Ennead" (the one of intelligence who had the power to command), and thus the one who was in control, with the sun god being placed a step below the creator god of Hikuptah.
One day, it was believed that the waters of Nun would eventually inundate the whole world, and once again the universe would become the primordial waste of Nun's chaotic waters.

This file was created on June 18, 2005.

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