image: Nun holding the Solar baraque with first gods
The
couple Nun- Naunet represents the feminine and masculine aspect of the first
element of creation –Primordial waters. Similar to the introduction of Biblical
story about world creation, where Gods spirit was roaming above the dark
endless waters, in ancient Egypt
The
life sprung out from these dark Waters ruled by Nun and Naunet as couple, and
according to most legends, it will return again back to it.
If
there are gods existing before the Creator god (Atum, Re) they are namely these
deities of abyss and dark “water”.
Interestingly
the importance of Nun as god was in different level, as he was not worshipped
in a certain temple, nor any rituals were dedicated to him. In this way he was
placed in another space, “out of the earth” reality, where he did not have
relations with humans, as most Egyptian gods.
In
the Egyptian mythology, idea of dark primeval Waters of creation has deep
philosophical aspects. It shows the mystery of cosmos formed by chaos and
order. Even so, the waters represent the chaos from which the organized life
was born. That is one of the reasons why the gods Nun-Naunet were not
worshipped.
Legend
of creation 1
The
Egyptian creation myth has many analogues in another religions. First was the
primal Ocean (chaos), from which the Lotus flower emerged from the mud. That
lotus was situated on a “Sacred Mound”. From that lotus flower (representing
the birth of Cosmic Light, or Sun, similar to Bible creation), was born the
main Creator god – Atum (Re) Sun god. This legend was popular in Heliopolis
Legend
of creation 2
This
legend presents the eight first Gods of creation, or the so called Ogdoad. They
were four couples gods directly connected with primeval waters and emerging
from it:
Amun
–Amaunet (symbol of invisibility, hiddenness )
Heh
–Hauhet (symbol of infinity)
Kuk
–Kauket (symbol of darkness, abyss)
Nun
–Naunet (symbol of primordial ocean)
All
of them are represented as aquatic animals – frogs and snakes. Nun was depicted
as frog headed deity (which makes easy to understand the frog as symbol of
fertility, birth).
Legend
of creation 3
In
different version of Egyptian creation, God Thoth (god of Moon, wisdom, written
words, letters energy), appeared from the Nun first. He started singing, and
his song gave birth to the frog and snake gods. They continued the song of
Thoth after, in order to keep the cycle of the sun rise and sun set (or sun
travel through sky in the Solar baraque).
Nu
~
Nun
was called Nu to express the energy of chaos, darkness, yearly inundation of
the river Nile . He was linked also to the whole river.
Existence
of Nun as deity was symbolized by important inner lake, situated inside
temples, that was used for purifying rituals from the priests.
Appearance
of Nun and Naunet
He
was depicted with frog headed man or with man with a beard and green-blue skin
with color of water, he was wearing a palm frond on his head. Naunet appears as
a snake or woman with head of snake. In temples walls we can see wall art with
Nun holding the Solar boat with raised hands (which shows his supreme position
of first god) – in the baraque there are seven gods surrounding Solar god
Khepri in the middle. Other gods are part of Ogdoad.
As
I shortly draw the outlines of the myths connected with Nun-Naunet, its visible
one – the primeval ocean and dark waters look very similar in symbolic as the
invisible waters of the womb, before baby is born. They are infinite, and
everything comes and returns to them.
[ nina Lea-nura * ]
0520 -1-
References: (I always love reading more)
~ Waters animating and annihilating (study) (by Aaron Cheak, Phd)
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