Atum- Geb - Nut -Shu
                                The Myth of Creation

  Site Index                                                            Iconography Index                                               Network Index
Intellectual property of the
Russian Academy of Sciences,
Moscow, RF: You may use this
material for non-commercial
purposes. If published in print
or on a website, please give a
credit to CESRAS. Thank you
for your visit to our site and do
come again soon! If you have
comments, suggestions, or
require further information,
contact admin@cesras.org.
In the beginning was the Nun, the primordial waters (matter) of chaos (time-space)
from which Atum-Re created himself. He created Shu and Tefnut, the poles of the
electro-magnetic field which brought order to the universe. He gave them life. He
embraced them together* and activated the male and female principles whose
interaction formed the basis of causality and its evolutionary manifestations. From
this union were born Geb and Nut. With these his children and theirs Atum created the
framework of the world.

Thus begins the basic Heliopolitan myth of creation and its deities. In the course of
time, it  takes on almost endless complications which are not the subject of this brief
introduction.

*Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts, 1969, p. 246 §1652


The cosmographic Geb-Nut-Shu scene first appears on the painted anthropoid
coffins of the 21a Theban Dynasty of the High Priests of Amun (1070-945 BCE). The
common basic composition of this scene shows Shu, god of the atmosphere,
standing and raising his daughter Nut to form the vault of the heavens while Geb,
prostrate, sinks to embody the earth. In this section we shall present variations on
this theme both as original CESRAS photographs and as artists' reconstructions,
showing the scenes as they were when freshly painted.

CESRAS photos by Alexej A. Krol, Sergej V. Ivanov and Edward R. Loring; digital processing and texts by E. Loring
Moscow in January, 2010.

Scroll down and right. Original photos are at left, reconstructions at right
Underlined words are linked (click on word)
Outer coffin of the Chantress of Amun, Nesytaudjatakhet; Odessa (Ukraine)
Archaeological Museum InvNo. 52976; found in the "2nd Cache" Bab
el-Gasus in 1891; belongs to "Lot 6" presented to Tsar Alexander III by the
Khedive Abbas Helmi in 1893.

Lit.: Niwinski, D21 Coffins, pp 161-2; dating middle D21, mummy braces of
HPA Menkheperre; lid type II-c; inner coffin in the National Museum of
Tatarstan, Kazan, InvNo. 1 (see below)

Berlev/Hodjash OBO 17 Series Archaeologica: pp10-12 (called Nestwatakhe)
with English translation of inscriptions; Plates 26-27

This was a ready-made coffin on which the name and title of the owner were
inscribed at the time of use. The coffin is in reasonable condition but requires
conservation.
Shu lifts the solar barque to the vault of the heavens shown as the star-studded Nut. The sun
passes through Nut's body by night and is born anew each day. Geb is sinking into the earth
Outer coffin of the High Priest of Amun Masaharta; Cairo
National Museum CG61027; JE26195; tub, outside, left;
The inner coffin is in the Luxor Museum.

Found in 1881 in the "Royal Cache" TT320.

Lit.: Niwinski D21 Coffins pp.114-5;dating early D21; lid
type II-a gilding

Note his title and name at far left of images.
Shu is depicted with the solar disk on his breast while raising Nut to form the heavens
Outer coffin of Ankhenefmut,
Wab-priest of Mut etc.  tub,
outside, left; Cairo National
Museum JE29692; found in the
"2nd Cache" Bab el-Gasus in
1891

Lit.: Niwinski D21 Coffins p.127,
No. 123; dating middle D21;
type of outer lid III-a
The solar-disk appears containing a ram's head above Nut. Geb's name is written beside his head
Leiden RMO InvNo.: 93-10-??

Found in the "2nd Cache" Bab
el-Gasus in 1881; gift of Khedive
Abbas Helmi to the Netherlands
in 1893

Poor quality workmanship;
dating late D21a

Note that Shu is wearing the
white crown (green in the
netherworld) and stands
mummiform on one leg. This
appears to be a syncretism of
Shu and Osiris: "Shu-Osiris".
He is also wearing the kilt of the
Nile gods.
Leiden RMO InvNo.: 93-10-??

Found in the "2nd Cache" Bab el-Gasus in 1881;
gift of Khedive Abbas Helmi to the Netherlands in
1893

Poor quality workmanship; dating late D21a Theban
Dynasty

Note that Shu is wearing a feather, his canonic
insignia, and stands mummiform on one leg as the
syncretistic "Shu-Osiris" in the image above.

The solar-disks below Shu's hands represent the
setting sun about to pass through Nut during the
night to be born anew the next morning.
Inner coffin, tub, outside, left  of the Chantress Nesytaudjatakhet in
the National Museum of Tatarstan, Kazan R.F. InvNr. 1

This coffin, found in the "2nd Cache" Bab el-Gasus in 1891 was in
perfect condition when it was presented to Tsar Alexander III by the
Khedive Abbas Helmi in 1893 as a part of "Lot 6". It is now almost
completely ruined.

The photo at the top of this page shows the outer coffin of the
same lady, now in the Odessa Archaeological Museum and in
reasonable condition. The photo shown at right was made under
very adverse conditions in the early days of digital photography.
However its content is both interesting and unusual. Shu is not
present in the scene. In his place is the solar-barque (the
reconstruction shown at far right is a simplified version made by
this author to show the composition of the scene).

Note that a winged solar-disk is just below Nut's head ready to
make its nightly journey through her body, while a second winged
solar-disk has just been born.