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Egyptian Collectables: The Great Ennead Of Heliopolis

Pesedjets

Throughout Egyptian mythology, groupings of deities were created and were known as pesedjets. Texts from the 5th and 6th dynasties mention the Great Pesedjet, the Lesser Pesedjet, the Dual Pesedjet and even the Seven Pesedjets. Some pharaohs established pesedjets and incorporated themselves among the deities.

The number of deities varied between pesedjets, as the Egyptian term does not specify the number of deities included.

Greeks exploring Egypt created the term Ennead, which indicates a group of nine. After the conquest by Alexander the Great, Greek terms were used by both Greek and Roman authors to describe Egyptian mythology and parallels were often drawn between Egyptian and Greek deities.

The Origins of the Ennead

The most important of the Egyptian pesedjets was the Great Pesedjet, also called the Ennead of Heliopolis. Heliopolis was the center of worship for the Great Pesedjet and was dedicated to the worship of the sun god Atum.

While the origins of the Ennead are unclear, Egyptologists have speculated that the priests of Heliopolis created this pesedjet to stress the prominence of the sun-god above other deities. Osiris, god of vegetation and of the netherworld was incorporated into the Ennead as Atum's great-grandson.

The common thought is that the Ennead first appeared when the cult of the sun god Ra started to decline during the 6th dynasty. After the creation of the Ennead, the cult of Ra, who identified with Atum, saw a return to popularity until being superseded by the worship of Horus.

Each pesedjet competed with others to gain new followers and the Ennead faced its major competition from the Pesedjet of Ptah. At Memphis, the priests of Ptah had identified their deity with the primeval mound, the place on which Atum arose first, thus giving him precedence over the Ennead.

The Creation of the Ennead

The mythology of the creation of Heliopolis states that from the primeval waters represented by the deity Nun, a mound the earth appeared. It tells that the deity Atum created himself and sat upon the mound. Bored and alone, Atum spat and created Shu, who represented the air and Tefnut, who represented moisture.

Shu and Tefnut then mated and gave birth to Geb, who represented the earth, and Nut, who represented the nighttime sky. Geb and Nut also mated and their children were the sons Osiris and Seth and the daughters Isis and Nephthys, which in turn became couples.

About the Author

My name is Steve Williams and I have been collecting Egyptian items for over twenty years. If you share my fascination with ancient Egypt, please visit my site to learn more about Egyptian mythology and discover the best source for Egyptian collectables.

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