Egyptian Creation Myth Flashcards
What does the name Amun mean?
Hidden One.
Who is Anubis? (3)
- A terrifying canine god who presided over the mummification of bodies and guarded burials. 2. Helped to judge the dead. 3. Charged with punishing those who violated tombs or offended the gods.
What is the Duat?
The underworld that is the realm of the dead.
What 3 elements are common in Egyptian creation of life myths?
- The creation of a body. 2. The transfer to that body of some part of the divine essence of the creator. 3. The animation of that body by the breath of life.
According to Egyptian creation myth, what was there before creation?
A state of Chaos that contained the potential for all life.
According to Egyptian creation myth, what was the nun?
The primeval waters.
According to Egyptian creation myth, what was the nun when personified as a god?
The mother and father of the creator.
Why is the nun considered the mother and father of the creator?
Because it was thought that the creator came into existence within the nun.
What occurs after creation?
Qualities of the primeval state were given consciousness and became a group of deities known as the Eight.
How were the Eight imagined?
As amphibians and reptiles, fertile creatures of the dark primeval slime.
What were the forces that shaped the creator?
The Eight.
How does the creator appear?
As the sun god.
How does the creator differentiate the elements of chaos?
By speaking their names.
What is maat?
The divine order. Truth, Justice, Order.
How do New Kingdom hymns describe how Amun made humanity?
They refer to Amun creating people “in his own image.”
