THE CREATION MYTHS Throughout ancient Egyptian history there were many different explanations regarding the creation of the universe. Different areas tended to have their own story about a specific creator-god, how he created the universe and the different deities that he then brought into being. THE CREATION MYTH FROM MEMPHIS The creator-god at Memphis was believed to be the god Ptah, who was known as the "Father of the the gods from whom all life emerged." He is said to have created the world by thoughts from his heart and then speaking those thoughts aloud. Ptah then made the other deities, followed by towns which had shrines for those deities to live in. He made statues of wood, clay and stone to receive the spirits or divine power ("Ka") of these deities. He also arranged for offerings to be made to them. Ptah created all things by saying their names out loud. THE CREATION MYTH FROM ELEPHANTINE Khnum was the creator-god for the cult centre of elephantine. He created the other deities followed by all other living things by modelling then with clay on a potter`s wheel. He is said to have carefully modelled the human body by making the blood flow over the bones and adding the skin to cover the body. He also designed and added all of the essential organs of the body. He then supervised conception and childbirth to ensure that the human race would continue. THE CREATION MYTH FROM HERMOPOLIS MAGNA In this myth there were four male-female pairs of deities which were called the Ogdoad. (Greek for group of eight, which in Egyptian was Khmun). There were four frog-gods and four snake-goddesses. These represented different parts of the "chaos" that was believed to exist before creation of the universe took place. They were Nun and Naunet who represented primordial water; Heh and Hauhet who represented formlessness or infinity, or flood force; Kek and Kauket who represented darkness and Amun and Amaunet who represented air or hidden power. It was thought that these eight deities interacted in a manner that created a massive surge of energy from which creation then occured. There are two different stories of what happened after creation had occured. In the first, a primeval mound of earth called the "Isle of Flame" rose from the primordial water. A cosmic egg was placed on top of the mound by the god Thoth, who was in the form of an Ibis. Out of the egg hatched the sun which rose into the sky. In the other version the god Nefertem, in the form of a lotus flower, was floating on the primordial waters and as it`s petals opened the sun rose from inside it. THE CREATION MYTH FROM HELIOPOLIS In this myth before the creation of the universe there was only a lifeless stretch of water ( the primeval waters) and total darkness. The primeval waters were personified as the god Nun. From these waters rose a mound of silt and the solar creator-god Atum ("the All" or "the complete one") appeared on top of the mound. Atum then created the god, Shu (divine personification of air) and the goddess, Tefnut (goddess of moisture) either by masturbating or sneezing them from his body. This male-female pair then gave birth to the god, Geb (god of the earth) and his sister, Nut (goddess of the sky). Their father Shu,separated the brother and sister by lifting Nut into the sky. Geb and Nut completed the Ennead (Greek for group of nine or Egyptian pesedjet) of Heliopolis by producing four children of their own, Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nephthys.