Tep Zepi - The First Time

In Egyptian creation myths, of which there are several, the most prominent of these are the legends of; the Sun God at Heliopolis, Ptah of Memphis, the Ogdoad of Hermopolis, Amun as creator and Khnum. Although elements of each differ with the others, all are important in their own right and were seen by the Egyptians to be valid views of the creation.

There was no standard creation myth, even in the most important cult centres. Elements of the various creation myths can be found at a variety of locations as opposed to being limited to the district in which the primary Neteru of the myth was worshiped.

I will present only the Heliopolis version of creation, in my blogs, as this was the model used most frequently throughout the long history of Egypt . The Heliopolis myth is also important because much of the symbolism that occurs in this is repeated in temple construction and decoration, as well as the festivals and rituals.

All creation begin with the Nu or Nun. In Egyptian cosmology, before the
universe was created, there was only the Nun. A vast, limitless sea of inert, unmoving waters lying in darkness. The Nun was perceived as being a state of non-being yet it held within it the potential for all that is or will be.

Nun is the unrealized potentiality for existence, symbolized by the formless fluidity of a vast expanse of water. Water best symbolizes the qualities of Nun because although it is the source of life it is in itself without shape or definition; hence, it exists prior to all forms whether manifest or unmanifest. Because of Nun's essential unknowability, Nun is located at the boundaries of the known world. Nun is not a god, but is rather "the substance".

Before the development of a structured cosmos there existed in darkness
a limitless ocean of inert water. Water is formless, it has no positive features and of itself assumes no shape. The Primaeval Waters being infinite, all dimensions, directions or spatial qualities of any kind are irrelevant. Nevertheless the waters are not nothing. They are the basic matter of the universe and, in one way or
another, all living things depend on them.”

Every creation myth assumes that before the beginning of things the Primordial Abyss of waters was everywhere, stretching endlessly in all directions. It was not like a sea, for that has a surface, whereas the original waters extended above as well as below.

There was no region of air or visibility; all was dark and formless No temples were ever built to honor it, but the nature of Nun is present in many cult sanctuaries in the form of the sacred lake which symbolizes the ‘non-existence’ before creation. In fact, the vast expanse of lifeless water never ceased to be and after creation was imagined to surround the celestial firmament guarding the sun, moon, stars and earth as well as the boundaries of the underworld.

Nu or Nun must not been seen as a state of oblivion. By using such terms as "nothingness", "nonexistence" and "lifeless" to describe the Nun western language has failed to capture the essential Egyptian understanding of this state.

The Egyptians believed the cosmos to have originated not from nothingness
but from oneness, from an undifferentiated unity to which it would also revert at the end of time.

Some of the titles given to the Nun include: Primaeval Ocean, the inertness, waters of chaos and Father of the Gods. Frequent reverences of Nun are made to it as a male aspect. We also see images of the Nun being portrayed as the cow goddess Mehet-Weret, as well as with Taweret, the hippopotamus goddess of protection and childbirth. Both have strong connections with Hathor. She was also portrayed as the Mother of Ra, and as such, equated with the waters of Nun. This representation of Nun as being both male and female is important as it indicates, the principal of polarity existent in al the elements of the Egyptian religion and worldview.