In the programs of modern schools and institutions, it is most often proposed to study the ancient Greek mythology, and in some cases - the Roman mythology. Egyptian myths are not so well known, why questions on them often form the basis of intellectual games, crossword puzzles and puzzles. We will consider in more detail the question of who was the god of the earth in ancient Egypt.
Egyptian god of earth: basic data
The god of the earth was called Geb by the Egyptians - the son of two other deities: Shu (Lord of the Air) and Tefnut (goddess of moisture). It is also known that the soul of Hebe was embodied in yet another deity, the Lord of Fecundity of Hnum. In addition, the god of the land had children - Seth, Osiris, Nephthys and Isis.
The Egyptians represented this god in the image of an old, respectable, rich man with a crown on his head. However, sometimes the crown was replaced with a duck - because this is a direct translation of the hieroglyph, which stands for his name.
Among other things, he was credited with the protection of all dead people. This did not make his image gloomy - it was believed that he gives people protection from snakes and promotes the fertility of lands, and therefore, is supportive of the person.
Features of myths about the god of the earth in Egypt
Geb refers to chthonic deities, that is, those that are the powers of the underworld, but at the same time have a so-called transcendental origin. In ancient times it was such gods that played the leading role, until eventually they were replaced by the cult of deities of the sun and sky.
As a rule, Geb was a participant in the action, described in cosmogonic myths - that is, those who told about the mystery of the creation of the world. As a rule, they have a similar structure: first they are told about the emptiness and chaos, about how the free elements interacted, and how the orderly world emerged from this. For example, one of the most famous cosmogonic myths is that once Geb was inseparable from the goddess of heaven Nut until the god of air Shi appeared between them.