Atum

Atum was a very important god in Egypt.

He was the first one to exist. He even made himself! He rose from deep, dark waters.

Atum made other gods too. He made Shu and Tefnut. One story says he made them by sneezing. He also made the first people. He shed tears of joy when they returned.

People saw him as the evening sun. He is also linked to the sun at midday. Some people saw him as a snake. He might also look like a lion or an ape.

His name means to finish or complete. He will bring the world back to the water one day. This will end the cycle of life.

Many people went to the city of Heliopolis to honor him. You can still see an old stone tower there today.

Atum was a very important god in ancient Egypt.

He was a creator god. This means he made the world. Many people believed he made himself. He rose from dark, deep waters called Nu.

Atum had many children. He made the gods Shu and Tefnut. One story says he made them by sneezing. Other stories say he made them with his mouth or his hand. He also made the first humans. He shed tears of joy when his children returned to him.

Atum was also linked to the sun. He was the evening sun. He was different from Khepri, who was the morning sun. Some people saw Atum as an old man. Others saw him as a snake.

His name means to finish or to complete. He will return the world to the dark waters at the end of time. People worshiped him in the city of Heliopolis. You can still see an old stone tower there today. It was made by a king named Senusret I.

Atum was a very important figure in ancient Egyptian stories.

He was a creator god who brought the world into being. Many people believed he actually created himself. He rose from dark, deep waters known as Nu. His name likely comes from a word meaning to complete or to finish. Because of this, some saw him as the one who finishes the world. He was believed to return everything to the watery chaos at the end of time.

There are many different stories about how Atum worked. In the Heliopolitan view, he lived in an egg within the primeval waters. He rose onto a mound called a benben to begin creation. Some myths say he made his children by spitting them out. Other stories say he made them with his mouth or his lips. One tale says he used his hand to create them. Another story says he made them with a sneeze.

Atum had a very important family of gods. He was the father of Shu and Tefnut. These two were the first divine couple. They were the ancestors of all other Egyptian gods. One story says Atum felt lonely and created them to be with him. When Shu and Tefnut disappeared into the dark, Atum was very sad. He sent a fiery messenger called the Eye of Ra to find them. When they returned, his tears of joy became the first human beings.

People saw Atum in many different ways. He was often linked to the sun. He was specifically the evening sun. This was different from Khepri, who was the morning sun. Sometimes he was shown as an old man with a stick. Other times he was shown as a snake or a mongoose. He could also look like a lion, a bull, or even an ape.

He was often shown wearing a special crown of Egypt.

Atum was worshiped for a very long time in Egypt. His main center of worship was the city of Heliopolis. People believed in him as early as predynastic times. He was very important during the Old Kingdom. Later, during the New Kingdom, he was sometimes overshadowed by the god Ra. You can still see a piece of his history today. An old stone obelisk stands in Cairo. It was built by a king named Senusret I during the Twelfth Dynasty.

Atum was a central figure in ancient Egyptian mythology. He was known as the primordial god. This means he was the first being to exist. He was the source from which all other things arose. His name likely comes from the Egyptian verb *tm*. This verb means "to complete" or "to finish." Because of this, he was often called the "complete one." He was also seen as the finisher of the world.

This title suggests he would return the universe to chaos at the end of time.

Different groups of people had different ideas about Atum's origins. In the Heliopolitan view, Atum existed inside an egg. This egg was located within the primeval waters known as Nu. He was born during a primordial flood. He then rose onto a mound called a *benben*. This mound was the first piece of land. Another group, the priests of Memphis, held a different belief. They believed the god Ptah created Atum through thought and speech. This idea is recorded on the Shabaka Stone.

Atum's role as a creator involved several different mythological processes. He was a self-created deity who emerged from darkness. One myth says he created his children through a sneeze. Other accounts suggest he used his saliva or semen. Some texts say he used his lips or his mouth. One specific myth describes him creating through masturbation. In this story, the hand he used represented a female principle. The Egyptian word for hand is feminine. Another version says he made union with his own shadow.

Atum's family was the foundation of the Egyptian divine lineage. He was the father of Shu and Tefnut. Shu was the god of air. Tefnut was the goddess of moisture. Together, they were the first divine couple. They were the ancestors of all other Egyptian deities. One story says Atum created them because he was lonely. When Shu and Tefnut disappeared into the dark waters, Atum was distressed. He sent the Eye of Ra, a fiery messenger, to find them. When they returned, Atum shed tears of joy. These tears became the first human beings.

Atum was also deeply connected to the movement of the sun. He was often identified with the evening sun. This was part of a larger solar cycle. The god Khepri represented the morning sun. The name Khepri comes from the word *ḫpr*, meaning "to come into existence." Atum and Khepri together covered the entire cycle of sunrise and sunset. Atum also had connections to the underworld. This is because the evening sun descends toward the horizon.

He was a god of both pre-existence and post-existence.

Artists depicted Atum in many different forms. He was often shown in human form. He sometimes wore the Double Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. This reinforced his connection to kingship. In the Netherworld Books, he appeared as an old man leaning on a stick. This represented the aging evening sun. He was also shown as a serpent. This form represented the end of the creative cycle. Other depictions included a mongoose, a lion, a bull, a lizard, or an ape.

During the Greco-Roman period, he was sometimes shown as a standing ape.

Atum was worshiped throughout most of Egypt's history. His main center of worship was the city of Heliopolis. He was important as early as predynastic times. He was especially prominent during the Old Kingdom. This is seen in the Pyramid Texts. During the Old Kingdom, people believed he lifted the dead king's soul to the stars. He remained important through the Middle Kingdom. In the New Kingdom, the god Ra became more dominant. However, Atum remained relevant through special rituals.

One surviving piece of his history is an obelisk in Cairo. It was built by Senusret I of the Twelfth Dynasty.