The Egyptian Creation Myth: Sanjam Singh

After reading about various creation myths, it is apparent that most creation myths were the result of personification of certain elements. These elements or objects affected people on a daily basis and hence they sought to explain their existence. The best way to do this was to anthropomise these objects. Once anthropomised these elements were easier to comprehend and understand. Elaborate stories were thought up by civilisations to explain their environment through these elements. To contemporary societies, these myths were as true as what we now believe to be the best explanations for the creation of the universe.

For the Egyptians the Nile river was a creative and destructive force. The waters of the Nile flooded every year causing loss and destruction and then receded leaving behind rich fertile lands. Thus at the beginning, according to Egyptian mythology, there was only water and chaos. From this chaos arose the Sun or its anthropomised representation Ra or Atum. The sun was important due to its life giving qualities. It provided light and took away the darkness of the night. And thus the duality of day and night or good and evil was established.

Atum is said to have be born using his thoughts and will. Atum was also regarded as a bisexual god. Hence the Egyptian were able to represent him as the one and only creative force and also explain how he came into existence. Atum then created the various other gods which are a part of Egyptian mythology, who help in the creation of the world.

Given the times in which these civilisations existed, the creation myths seemed to be valid explanations for inexplicable natural phenomena. The need for security and balance in life led humans to explain these phenomena in the best way they could.

Viewed in the light of today’s knowledge about the universe and its beginning, these myths are mere stories written in a time when not much was known. To continue to cling on to these myths as valid explanations as to how the universe began would, in my opinion, be ignorant. Although, the desire for humans to be able explain one’s surroundings is interesting.

The Egyptian put together the best explanation they could come up with given how much was know about the world around them. The human urge to better explain and understand things around us should be celebrated and encouraged even if it leads to an ever-change and ever-evolving view of our world and universe.