Theogony in Kemet

A Few Words...
The entire history of Kemetic culture spans several millennia and as a result, though it remained distinctly Kemetic throughout its existence, some aspects and dynamics of the religion did, indeed, change.

No where is this more apparent than in Kemetic cosmology as the politics of any particular dynasty could easily influence the predominant state theology. Point in case, some of the earliest dynasties in Kemetic history affiliated themselves with the solar cult of Ra and, as such, Ra's theology and importance were elevated to state proportions. However, many hundreds of years later in the New Kingdom, the netjer Amun would rival the glory and popularity of that of even Ra's until a compromise of sorts was resolved in the syncretism of the form of Amun-Ra.

The state sponsorship of either cult were two prime examples of how theology and theogony had fluctuated in Kemet throughout various points in its history and being so, one cannot, while studying Kemetic religion, definitively ascertain which netjer created Who and by Whom was the universe made. To the ancient peoples of the Nile River, there was no contradiction in stating that Amun created the universe and Ra did, too. Mostly, which netjer you claimed to have created the universe would be dependent upon which part of Kemet you were born. Below are listed some of the more widely known cities and their corresponding cosmologies.

Iunu (Image)Iunu was the cult center of Ra and was known to the Hellenes as Heliopolis.MenneferMennefer (also Ankh-Tawy) was the cult center of the netjer Ptah, and was known to the Hellenes as Memphis.The account of genesis according to Mennefer is rather peculiar in that the mythos concerning how Ptah created the universe and the gods is not all that different from that of Iunu, at least, superficially.

However, the details of the myth require a reader to pay more attention to the subtle nuance and unique quality of the myth with regard to Kemetic religion. The priests of Mennefer required themselves to find a way to insert Ptah as foremost of the netjeru and demiurge, but instead of weaving their own creation myth, they quite simply appended the myth of Iunu.In an effort to establish Ptah as the greatest of all netjeru, the priests of Mennefer maintained that it was Ptah who brought all of the netjeru, including Atum who could only create His Children, Shu and Tefnut, by copulating with Himself.

In contrast, Ptah created the netjeru and the universe by virtue of His thought and speech in a much similar way modern Abrahamic faiths believe the universe was created by the "Word of God."[6]Khemnu (Image)Khemnu translates as the "City of the Great Eight" and was known to the Hellenes as Hermopolis. This city is the home to, perhaps, one of the most interesting creation stories of Kemet.Unlike the theologies of either Iunu or Mennefer, the people of Khemnu believed that before creation, the only beings in existence were Djehuty and eight principle abstracts: Nun, Naunet, Heh, Hauhet, Kek, Kauket, Amun and Amaunet. These eight netjeru were the First Ones who had less being than the very essence of a thought does because they represented the intangible and dualistic forces of the primeval waters, eternity, darkness and subliminal power, respectively.

It was believed in Khemnu that because of some unknown interaction between these eight basic elements of the universe, Ra was created and, therefore, all of life would be created.[6]Waset (Image)Waset is also known to us today via the Hellenes as Thebes. It was within Waset where Amun was most beloved and it was here where He had His greatest devotions. The cosmology according to Waset was very similar to that of Khemnu save for Amun's pervasive role in the myth.

The priests of Waset and of Amun did, indeed, believe that Amun was one of the First Ones Whose interactions with One Another engendered the solar demi-urge, but they also believed that Amun was the "First of the First Ones." Amun was self-created within the waters of Nun and afterwards created the remaining members of the Ogdoad, which remained in harmonious balance until Amun, Himself, stirred them to create for Him the more physical form Amun-Ra.