Ancient Egyptian Religion · primordial
Nun & Naunet (primeval waters)
Nun & Naunet
primordialthe primeval waters (Hermopolitan account)
In the Hermopolitan creation tradition, the primeval waters (Nun and his female counterpart Naunet) are the first of the Ogdoad — the eight primeval deities.
NU
The account
Who they are
In the Hermopolitan (Hermopolis) creation tradition, the world begins with the Ogdoad — a group of eight primeval deities representing the conditions of the primordial state [S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic. The first pair is Nun and Naunet, the primeval waters [S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic. The Ogdoad is a distinct creation account from the Heliopolitan (Atum-Ra) and Memphite (Ptah) traditions [S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic.
Worth knowing
- The first pair of the Hermopolitan Ogdoad [S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic.
Uncertainties & variants
- The Ogdoad is one of several creation accounts; we do not treat it as 'the' Egyptian creation [S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic.
Relationships (3)
Connections
2 rows · 3 recorded edges — identical notes are grouped
Family & kinship
SIBLING_OFHeh & Hehet (primordial infinity) — The Ogdoad pairs are 'siblings' (primeval conditions).[S4]
SIBLING_OFKhenunu & Khenunit (primordial mystery) · Sat & Satet (primordial duration) — The Ogdoad pairs are primeval conditions.[S4]
Local graph
Their corner of the divine world
Viewhierarchical — generations top → bottom, partners side by side
Overlays
FocusNun & Naunet (primeval waters)Egyptian
- parentage
- marriage ♥
far = primordials · medium = all · close = detail — scroll/pan, click a deity to focus
1 story
The Hermopolitan Creation (the Ogdoad)
In the Hermopolitan tradition, creation begins with the Ogdoad — eight primeval deities representing the conditions of the primordial state: the waters (Nun/Naunet), infinity (Heh/Hehet), mystery (Khenunu/Khenunit), and duration (Sat/Satet). From these primeval conditions, the world (and the sun) comes into being [S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic.