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
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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