Nefertum (Nefertem, Nefertemu) was originally considered to be an aspect of Atum. According to one version of the creation story of the Ennead in Heliopolis, Nefertum (translated as beautiful Atum, or perfect Atum) was born from a blue lotus bud which emerged from the waters of Nun at the beginning of creation. Atum represented the sun and so Nefertum represented the sunrise. He cried because he was alone and his tears created humanity. It was thought that he was born with every sunrise, matured into Atum during the day before passing into the world of the dead every sunset. The cycle of birth in the morning and death every evening (as the sun travelled through the underworld) represented the daily struggle between Chaos and Order (Ma'at). |
When Atum was absorbed by Ra (Atum-Ra), Nefertum came to be considered as a seperate deity, still closely associated with the newborn sun. Then Ptah was promoted to the chief national god and proclaimed the ultimate creator, and Nefertum was described as his son by either Sekhmet or Bast (both "Daughters of Ra"). However, as the son of Ptah, he also became patron of the cosmetic and healing arts derived from flowers. Thus, Nefertum was seen as both an aspect of the sun god, and also his grandson.
He was most closely associated with the blue lotus, a flower with narcotic properties. According to one legend, he brought a bouquet of beautiful lotuses to the aging Ra to ease his suffering. As a result, he was described in the Pyramid Texts as "the lotus blossom which is before the nose of Re". Nefertem was linked both to the pleasant scent of the lotus flower and to its medical properties (which were well known to the ancient Egyptians). He was also associated with a number of the Egyptians favourite flowers, such as rose, geranium and cornflower. In fact, he could be described as the archetypal aromatherapist.
Nefertum - The Lotus Flower
ReplyDeleteThe Ancient Egyptians believed that scent of the lotus had a divine origin and it was used in temple and funerary rituals and ceremonies related to the worship of the gods and goddesses. The lotus flower was also used in depictions of the deceased upon their entry into the underworld and their rebirth and the afterlife, as seen in many images in the numerous versions of the Book of the Dead. In many tomb paintings the deceased is shown smelling lotus blossoms to help restore the senses. The oil of the lotus was used during the long process of preparing the body for mummification “to unite the limbs, join the bones and assemble the flesh,” and reducing the smell of decaying flesh. The god Nefertum presided over this process, as the god of perfumes and unguents and was therefore associated with death and the underworld.