Atum
The gods produced by Atum were all representative of cosmic and terrestrial forces in Egyptian life. By identifying Horus as the offspring of these forces, then identifying him with Atum himself, and finally identifying the Pharaoh with Horus, the Pharaoh theologically had dominion over all the world.
↻ synthesized from 32 sources
When
- First attested
- 3000 BCE
- Attested period
- -3000 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Described in the Pyramid Texts (c. 2400–2300 BCE).
Relationships
- aspect of
- Horus
- co occurs with
- Sopdu, Eye of Atum, Nephthys, Apophis, Amun Re, Mujaji, Kokou, K'Liluna, Magba, Varnae, Originators, demon spirits, Senusret, Sia, Eye of Ra, Ogdoad, Khonshu, Amunet, Niau, Niaut, Imentet, *Dyēus, Haroeris, Shu, Re, Nehebkau, Serket, Renenutet, Nehmtaway, Onuris, Apis, Bennu, Min, Nefertem, Heru-ur, Ma'at, Im-ho-tep, Montu, Mut, Sothis, Orion, Amen-Re, Ta-tenen, Gherke, Ptah, Bast, Amaunet, Amon Ra, Kokou the Ever-Burning, Mehet-Weret, Nut, Inti, Apollo, Sūrya, Shamash, Sol, Helios, Apep, Meretseger, Ammit, Bastet, Sebiumeker, Arensnuphis, Aten, Khnum, Khepri, Set, Geb, Thoth, Aker, Maahes, Sobek, Bes, Isis, Horus the Elder, Hathor, Exu, Anubis
- consort of
- Iusaaset, Nebethetepet
- manifests as
- Ra-Atum
- allied with
- Nun, Osiris, Desert-Protector
- enemy of
- Am-heh
- creator of
- Hand of Atum, Tefnut, Shu
- served by
- Eye of Ra, Hand of Atum
- child of
- Ptah
Mentioned by
- Mehet-Weret
- Nut
- Inti
- Apollo
- Sūrya
- Shamash
- Sol
- Helios
- Apep
- Meretseger
- Ammit
- Bastet
- Sebiumeker
- Arensnuphis
- Aten
- Khnum
and 30 more
Sources
Source passages
“The lineage of Horus, the eventual product of unions between the children of Atum, may have been a means to explain and justify pharaonic power. The gods produced by Atum were all representative of cosmic and terrestrial forces in Egyptian life.”
#9561 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Ra was often syncretized with the sky god Horus as Ra-Horakhty, representing the sun at the horizon, or with the creator god Atum, reflecting Egyptian creation myths, in which the creation of the world coincided with the rising of the sun.”
#15305 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Predynasty Egyptian beliefs attribute Atum as the Sun god and Horus as a god of the sky and Sun. As the Old Kingdom theocracy gained influence, early beliefs were incorporated into the expanding popularity of Ra and the Osiris-Horus mythology. Atum became Ra-Atum, the rays of the setting Sun”
#15329 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Atum, the "finisher of the world" who represents the Sun as it sets”
#15405 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5
“Iusaaset, Iusaas, or, in Greek, Saosis, is a primordial goddess in Ancient Egyptian religion, a feminine counterpart to the male creator deity Atum. Iusaaset was depicted as a woman with a scarab beetle on her head. She was worshipped in the city of I͗wnw or Iunu, Greek Heliopolis, as was Atum.”
#15802 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001