Atum was one of the primordial gods who formed part of the Ennead of Heliopolis, a group of nine gods that formed part of one of Egypt’s creation myths. Heliopolis is the Greek name for the city that the Egyptians called Iunu, meaning pillars and referring to the mythical creation mound. He was also important at a Nile Delta city called Per-Tem, meaning House of Atum. His name means “to finish” or “to complete,” and he was associated both with creation and the end of days.
Creation Myth
According to the Heliopolitan creation myth, in the beginning, there was nothing but the great primordial waters of Nun. Soon, the Benben, the primordial mound, emerged from the water, and Atum created himself upon that mound. He then gave life to Shu (air) and Tefnut (moisture), who mated and gave life to Geb (earth) and Nut (sky), and the world came into being. They, in turn, gave life to Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys, who ruled over the new world.
As the oldest son, Osiris was the original ruler, married to his sister-wife, Isis. But a jealous Seth murdered him and took his place. Isis was able to reanimate Osiris and impregnate herself with Horus, but Osiris could not return to the world of the living, so she used her powerful magic to create the underworld, the Duat, for Osiris to rule. Horus then challenged Seth and retook his father’s position of ruler of the living world.
Various methods are given for how Atum created the first divine beings, from spit to semen to the spoken word. Some myths also say that Atum existed in a primordial egg in the waters of Nun, which arose with the Benben, allowing him to hatch.
When Memphis rose to prominence and promoted their patron god Ptah as the creator, they suggested that Ptah brought Atum into life through the power of his mind and voice.
Sun God
Atum was also considered a sun god. While Ra was the main sun god, he was envisioned as the scarab god Khepri, as the rising sun, and as Atum, the setting sun. Atum was often called Atum-Ra to highlight the connection between the gods. At night, Ra sails the sun barge through the underworld and fights the chaos demon Apophis. He often does this in the form of Atum, a ram-headed deity.
In the Coffin Texts, funerary texts from the First Intermediate Period, Atum has a conversation with Osiris, suggesting that, at the end of time, serpents, including Apophis, will overcome the gods and the waters of Nun will reclaim the world, and only he and Osiris will survive. For this reason, Atum was also sometimes represented as a serpent.
Underworld God
Since the setting sun was believed to be entering the underworld, Atum was also associated with the underworld. The Pyramid Texts from the Old Kingdom, he was described as taking the soul of the pharaoh from his pyramid into the underworld.
In the Book of the Dead, he features in spells that help the dead on their journey through the underworld and into the afterlife. In particular, he helped people make it past the Lake of Fire, where a deadly dog-headed demon lurks to swallow souls and snatch hearts before they could be weighed.
Appearance and Symbolism
Atum was usually depicted as a man wearing a tripartite wig or the dual white and red crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.
He was also sometimes depicted as an old man leaning on a stick, suggesting he is the dying version of the sun, which will be renewed at sunrise. He was sometimes shown with the head of a ram, especially when fighting off attacks on the sun barge.
Sometimes he was depicted as a serpent, an animal associated with creation, but also occasionally a mongoose, lion, bull, lizard, or ape. He was often represented as a lizard of amulets.
Temples and Worship
Not much of Heliopolis survives, but what does survive is an obelisk dedicated to Ra-Atum by Senusret I in the 12th dynasty, reinforcing his importance there.
In the New Kingdom, there is evidence of a royal high priestess known as the Divine Adoratrix of Amun (another important deity) who acted as the Hand of Atum in temple rituals, suggesting that their cults were connected as the god Amun rose in importance.
While Atum was overshadowed by Ra for much of Egyptian history, he was still associated with the pharaoh and considered a protector well into the Ptolemaic era. Many pharaohs were called the son of Atum, and a papyrus shows that he played an important role in new year festivals, during which the power of the pharaoh was reconfirmed. He was sometimes seen as inscribing royal names on the leaves of the sacred ished tree.
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