[OT] Egyptian Cosmogonies

Egyptian cosmogonies are similar to those in the Middle East, but are dominated by the Sun and the Nile.  Kings and some other noblemen could be gods, and regular people immortal.  The Egyptian universe also emerged from primeval waters, with space hollowed out by Nun.  The female Nut acted like the firmament holding back the waters (sometimes a cow or shell).  The Sun (Ra) enters her mouth, passing through her star speckled body and emerging from her birth canal nine months later, from the spring equinox to the winter solstice (note Christian dating of the birth of Christ is based on conception on the spring equinox and birth at the winter solstice). Thus, Ra becomes a self-creating god, i.e. the Universe is self-creating and eternal. [http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~js/ast123/lectures/lec01.html]

The Egyptians realized the sun was the source of the day, who pushed back the darkness of the abyss.  Major cities had their own unique theologies, often placing themselves at the focal point of creation.

Hermopolis (meaning "eight-town", after the Ogdoad)

Nu and Naunet are the primal waters with other god pairs (Ogdoad - Eight original gods) representing the never ending size of the waters, the darkness (Kuk and Kauket), & the mystery of the waters.  The female gods are snakes, who merge with the male frogs causing  a great upheaval and the pyramid mounds rises & the sun God rises from the pyramids to light the world.

Heliopolis

Atum, the sun god came from the waters of Nun through an act of will, creating everything else. Atum appeared on the mound and sneezed out the air gods Shu and Tefnutave., whose existence represented the emergence of an empty space amid the waters.  Shu and Tefnut coupled to produce the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut, who defined the limits of the world. Geb and Nut in turn gave rise to four children, who represented the forces of life: Osiris (fertility and regeneration); Isis (motherhood); Se (male sexuality); and Nephthys (female complement of Set). They are part of the Ennead, the nine original gods (apparently a variation of the Ogdoad in Hermopolis).  The city Heliopolis was built to rise out of the waters.   Mankind is formed from the tears of Atum after he weeps for joy on finding his lost children in the abyss.

Memphsis

Similar to Helopolis, but included Ptah, the patron of craftsmen.  Atum was given form when he named him. By speaking their names, Ptah produced the gods and all other things (Compare "And God said, let there be ... and there was ...").

Thebes

Amon was the chief god, associated with the sun as Amon-Ra, who was self-created, and then created all else.  He sailed through the sky in his boat each day.  Amon was not merely a member of the Ogdoad (gods of the primordian waters), but the hidden force behind all things, existing separately from the created world as the first creator.  One Theban myth likened Amon's act of creation to the call of a goose, which broke the stillness of the primeval waters and caused the Ogdoad and Ennead to form.  Amon eventually became the supreme god of the Egyptian pantheon.

Greece had two traditions, one based on  scientific observation and the other on myth.  The mythical tradition begins with chaos.  Gaia (mother earth) arose from chaos giving birth to Uraunus (the sky) who holds back the chaos.  As in the middle east, a revolt among the gods leaves Zeus as the chief god.