Generations of Gods
Like other polytheistic religions, or religions with more than one god, Egyptian Gods were made up of generations, each generation a descendant of other, more powerful Gods. Each of these generations is traced back to Ra who is usually heralded as the first God.
Shu and Tefnut
Ra’s children were the brother and sister pair of Shu and Tefnut. Shu was the God of air and wind. Tefnut was the Goddess of moisture, dew and rain. Their creation in myth differs greatly from text to text but usually involves Ra expelling bodily fluid to create them. One version tells that Shu was created when Ra sneezed and Tefnut was created when Ra spit (Pinch, 2002).
Shu bore the title of “He Who Rises Up,” a fitting title for the God of air. Shu was often portrayed in myths as a calm and peaceful God because of his association with wind. He is also shown wearing ostrich feathers in many paintings and sculptures.
Tefnut’s name translates to “That Water”. Her name is often closely associated with the Egyptian word for “to spit”. She is often depicted in art with the head of a lioness (Pinch, 2002).
Together Shu and Tefnut had two children, the next generation of Gods, named Geb and Nut.
Geb and Nut
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| Geb and Nut |
Geb, as the God of the Earth, was often shown resting under Nut. He is depicted as having green skin with streams, mountains and other landmarks on his body. Geb’s form is due to the Egyptian belief that not only was he the god of the Earth, his body was the Earth. Egyptians also believed that he was responsible for the fertility of the land. He allowed crops to grow or wither. It was also believed that earthquakes were his laughter (Müller, 1918).
Nut, the Goddess of the Sky, was often shown stretching over Geb. Her body is drawn as a deep blue with small stars dotted over it. In the same way that Geb’s body was thought to be the Earth, Nut’s body was thought to be the sky. Interestingly though, Nut sometimes appears in myth as a cow (Budge, 1969).
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