Tefnut & Shu

Who was Tefnut?

Ancient Egyptian personification of feminine energy, Tefnut was important goddess of rain, moisture, water (and from that aspect of fertility of land). She was depicted with head of lioness and holding ankh, sitting on a throne. Her name translated would mean “She of moisture”. In most wall art Tefnut appears with a sun disc and uraeus (sacred cobra) above her head. She was depicted also sometimes with a “was” scepter- symbol of authority and power over all earthly life. She was connected also with Moon energies and represented the night sky.

Who was Shu?

God twin of Tefnut (Tefen), he was her brother and husband. The ancient cosmology linked the power of Shu with his father (Creator god Atum Re) and his right eye, symbol of Sun, while Tefnut represented his left eye –the Moon. In such way the Father and his children become part of God Trinity with many functions. Shu was god responsible for wind, air and weather. His name in ancient Egyptian meant “Feather” (shua) and also “light”, “Space”. In this way he was also personification of cosmic light and sun beams, that travel through the air. 

Symbolically Tefnut (rain, water) is connected with Shu, the cosmic air (wind) in sacred Union. They represent the higher atmosphere that spread from the power of their father Atum Re.

Shu was identified with feather symbol.

He was depicted with head of lion, ostrich feather above his head and holding an ankh. 

Shu and his twin sister lioness –Tefnut became the first Egyptian gods of dead and underworld. They created the foundations of the home, where the dead souls will dwell (called later “Gate of the pillars of Shu”). The god of wind also had the role of punishing the wicked souls in Duat, he was participant in the sacred “Hall of two truths”, where the heart was judged on the Maat` s scales.

Tefnut had important role to supply drinking water for the souls of deceased in Underworld. So she ruled also over the dead and afterlife. Other names she was famous were: “Lady of the Flame”, “Uraeus on the head of all Gods” – they give her strong qualities of protection. She takes part in the ceremony of justification of heart in the Duat and one of 42 judges for the soul. Her city of worship was on the Nile delta, it Egyptian name was Taremu, and Greek name – Leontopolis –city of Lion headed gods. Other famous solar and lion deities were: Bastet, Sekhmet.

Children of Shu and Tefnut were Nut (goddess of sky, stars and moon) and Geb (god of earth, land, soil).

Shu and Tefnut represented the feminine and masculine cosmic energies, united from power of Atum Re – Sun and Moon, left eye of Ra, the right eye of Ra, cosmic moisture (connected with primordial ocean) and cosmic wind, air (connected with primordial creation of air and light traveling through atmosphere). All the pantheon of first gods laid the foundations of and evolves in other gods and goddesses later.

These first primordial gods (Atum Re –Shu-Tefnut) exist in the magical creative power of Triangle – or transforming universal Fire. 

[ nina Lea-nura * ]

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Al Muallaqah (Hanging church), Cairo

    

      Hanging church (Al Muallaqah) الكنيسة المعلقة is one of the oldest and famous churches in Egypt. It`s situated in the area of Old Cairo (Msr Kadeema). The original name of church is “St. Virgin Mary”, but its popular as “Hanging” as it was built above a passage with an old Roman fortress.

Originally the main corpus of the church is believed to be founded in 3 century, after that the church was rebuild in 7^th century, in its original appearance. To the main entrance are leading 29 steps.

     The gate of “Al Muallaqah” is from the street “Shera Mary Gergis”, where visitors come inside splendid courtyard, decorated with mosaic art on the sides. There is a small garden with palms and plants. This church is remarkable for its marble pulpit and 13 marble pillars, representing Jesus and his disciples. Don’t be surprised – one of these columns is always black in the tradition of Coptic architecture, as it represents Judas and his betrayal. Another column is grey color, as symbol of the doubts of Thomas.

   Many old icons in the church date back to 8^th century. Some historical artifacts in the holy place are kept in the Coptic museum as treasures of the time and Coptic art.

In the eastern part of the church there are three altars, dedicated to St. Virgin Mary (center), St. George and St. John the Baptist. The material of these altars forms amazing art of figures, geometric compositions and crosses. It`s made of ebony with inlaid with ivory.

The walls and gates of the church are impressive with architecture styles and art of paintings and carvings. All the icons are made by the well known at the time Armenian artist, Orhan Karabedian from 1777.

More interesting facts about the church ~

… it has wooden roof in the shape of Noa`s ark

… from 11 century serves as residence of Coptic Patriarch

… 15 icons depict the life of St. George

… 7 icons are dedicated to life of St. John the Baptist

… The oldest icon represents Virgin Mary, Jesus and John the Baptist and dates back to 8^th century 

Hanging church, Old Cairo (7th century) view of courtyard 

Mural with mosaic on the outer wall of Hanging church, depicting Joseph leading Virgin Mary with little Jesus on a white donkey. The color of donkey is symbol of bringing the worlds peace, as well as the white doves flying above. On the background you can see the lovely blue mosaic of river Nile and Pyramids in the upper left corner. 

Wooden carved wall with ancient icons of Jesus, Virgin Mary, St. George, Archangel Gabriel

Old icon depicting Nativity, birth of Jesus (from the site www.coptic-cairo.com) 

outer gate leading to the street "Shera Mary Gergis" 

nina. .nour *

Nut & Geb

* Who was Nut?

Nut and Geb – her beloved and brother – were personification gods of Sky and earth. Nut is goddess of the Sky with all stars above. She is usually depicted on wall art with long blue garment with stars on it, stretching all her body above the earth. Her parents were gods Shu (god of Wind and light ) and Tefnut ( goddess of rain and moisture ) They gave birth to the most famous of creator gods – Osiris, Isis, Seth, Nephtys.

Alternative names of Nut are- Neuth, Newnet

Nut often has symbol meaning of resurrection and rebirth. She is one of the cosmological ennead (the basic nine gods of creation myth in Egypt).

Depicted usually with small water pot in hands. Nut represented also the night sky with stars and death and rebirth.

* Geb appearance and role

~ He had basic functions of god of underworld, dead, earth, vegetation, and life. Later he transfer this functions to Osiris, his son. We see him depicted on monuments wearing the signs of divine authority – the headdress of pharaoh (Khat), tied at the back of head, and Osird – divine long beard (that pharaohs wore after their decent to dead). His sacred symbol is a goose, that he wears above his head. This can be associated with the idea, that Geb gave birth to the “egg” of the world and beginning of the creation. He is also painted with green color skin (sometimes black referring to death) and white clothing (the same like later Osiris), that are symbols of rebirth, and after life, the world of the dead.

He is identified with the Greek god Cronus.

* Legends ~

In the beginning Nut and Geb were inseparable, so there was no space between them. Ra couldn’t create anything on earth, because of the lack of space. Then Shu –god of light and wind separated both siblings forcefully, making Nut to raise high in the place of sky; her hands and legs form the four pillars of world.

II. it was believed in sun set the sun is entering the mouth of Nut, and on the next day the sun disc was born again from Nut. It traveled all the way at night trough her body. The same way Nut swallowed the stars and gave birth to them again in the night. 

     * Nut and Geb were in the beginning of creation of the world; they were protectors, and gods not just for all living, but also for the dead souls. Nut was depicted also with water container on her head – sign that she was taking care of dead.

Water pot is one of the symbols of Nut, associated with care and bringing water, nourishment to all souls. Another symbols are: sycamore tree (symbol of protection, eternal life, power), ankh (eternal life), waz scepter – divine power, authority, spread wings – (Maat and Isis also are presented in this way) symbol of freedom, balance, truth, connection between divine and human plane.

One of the sacred symbols of Nut was a ladder (which Osiris used to climb to heaven world) called “maqet”. Her titles were “Cover of sky” “the one who protects”; She was depicted on the inner side of sarcophagus, as she had role to protect the souls of deceased. Sometimes she was represented as a caw, who carried the god Re on her back.

Appearance of Nut – She was represented sometimes a winged goddess with wide spread wings, sometimes as a cow, whose role was to swallow the sun in evenings and give birth to it again in mornings. She also is depicted wearing a crown of water container, as she provides water for the living and dead. She can be seen with ankh – symbol of eternal life- and “was” scepter (long staff with symbolic animal head at the end that has magical properties). 

[ nina Lea-noura * ]

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Depiction on Dendera Temple, Egypt [ Nut gives birth to the Sun ]