The Creation from a Kemetic perspective

[Adramelek]

The following Creation myth was transcribed by Don Webb:

The Book of Knowing the Spiral Force of Ra and the Felling of Apep

"The Lord of the Limit says I Have Come Into Being and by my Coming Into Being the way of Coming Into Being Came Into Being.

I Came Into Being in the shape of Xepera, who Came Into Being on the First Occasion. I Came Into Being in the shape of Xepera, and that is how "Being" Came Into Being. I was the First Cause of First Causes and my name was more primeval than the primeval ones I made.

I did all I desired in this land and pervaded all of it.

Being Alone I knit my own hand before I made Shu or spat Tefnut. I used my mouth and "Magic" was my Name. It was I who Came Into Being in my shape. I Came Into Being and there Came Into Being a number of primeval ones. I alone achieved this. There was none who could act in my place. I alone achieved this in my soul; I created some of them in Nun as Inert Ones, when I could as yet find no place to stand. I considered my Mind, and I surveyed with my sight and I alone acieved all that was made; I planned in my Mind I created another being, and manifold were the Shapes of Xepera; their Children Came Into Being after the manner of those Shapes.

It was I who spat out Shu and expectorated Tefnut. I aroused myself with my hand and swallowed my own seed spat it forth again as Shu and Tefnut. They went beyond me into Nun where they rejoiced. I who had Come Into Being alone now new of three other gods. I waited for two eternities for Shu and Tefnut to return to me.

Nun brought them up. I made an Eye and sent after them. My Eye brought them back to me and I united myself. I wept over the whole of my beng and from my tears did mankind Come Into Being. My Eye was angered that I had grown another Eye in its absence. I pulled my second Eye from my face and made it the arranger of destiny.

And Shu and Tefnut begat Geb and Nuit and Geg and Nuit begat in one birth Osiris, Horus the blinded, Set, Isis and Nepthys and they begat and begat and created many children on Earth and are linked to children bearing their Forms.

They made conjuration that they might fell their foes. They made magic spells for felling Apep. He is imprisoned in the arms of Aker, he has neither arms nor legs, and is bound in one place, according to Ra who obstructs him, for Ra has commanded that he be felled on account of his evil character. Children fell him and sunder his soul from his shade - he is despoiled and there will be no portion for him in the Land of Desire. Those in the North, in the West, in the South, and in the East have felled him.

O you sages of the Earth and you Nine Gods who came into being from my flesh, be vigilant in felling Apep. Exorcise him and destroy his name, do not permit his name to be spread abroad; his children shall not exist, his seat shall not exist, and he shall have neither soul nor body nor spirit, for he belongs to the Eye of Ra, and it has power over him and it devours him. I am he who has committed Apep to the Flame. I have allotted him to the heat, I have given him over to the Eye of Ra which has parched him. It has consumed his body, soul, spririt, shade, and magic. He shall never copulate nor become erect for ever."

Xeper and Remanifest.
/Adramelek\

 

[te_lanus]

interesting

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Thanks for this Adramalek, there is also creation stories involving other names besides Ra though. There's a creation story for Ptah, one for Khnum, etc. The way Kemetic Orthodox see it is these are just myths to explain something not entirely understood about the primordial beginnings of the universe. I could argue that Apep is just the evil inclination like Satan.

 

[EtuMalku]

I could argue that Apep is just the evil inclination like Satan.

And you could be wrong.
The Deities of Egypt are Principles of the Universe. Evil is a subjective matter.
Apep/Apophis is the Principle of the al Khemical idea of atrophy, all physical things break down and dissipate.

This is a part of the Egyptian trinity of Apophis/atrophy - Kheperu/transformation - Maat/balance

All creation stories have been based off this concept.


EM

 

[Adramelek]

Another interesting point in Egyptian creation myth is that out of all the Neteru, Set had such a strong Desire to Exist that he tore forth from his mother's womb. This is why one of His titles is "He who mightely broke forth".

 

[Rainbow Mage]

This is why KO have a Monist view of the Neteru, because these myths are so non-literal, and then there's the fact that the ancients sometimes syncretized names, examples: Amun-Ra, Ptah-Sokar, Sokar-Wesir, Sobek-Ra, Sekhmet-Hethert, Wepwawet-Anpu, etc. The idea was that all these are merely emminations of one divine wellspring (God).

 

[Adramelek]

This, HM, is similar to how I view the many Neteru and god-forms as relfections of certain aspects of the Powers of Darkness.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

I'm not sure you could call the Neteru of Kemet either light or dark. I tend to see humans as bound by dualities. We can see from the myths that Netjer is both. Some of the names are dark, while some of them are what we would call light. Set is the most notable among the dark ones, but another that comes to mind is Sekhmet and Anpu.

 

[Adramelek]

I see where your coming from, but Setians look upon things through the spectrum of the Light of Night. You see the Setian explores the Darkness and with each mystery that we uncover, with each new understanding we attain we are become illuminated by the light of knowledge, like a new bright star being born in the limitless blackness of the vast Universe both within and without.

 

[Cosmos]

As a Baha'i Under the Provisions of the Covenant who has also researched the teachings of several African Master Teachers in Reik Heti Khemeti (Khemetic Mind Science) or Pyramid Science, I find the mythos of the Kamau amazing and inspirational and show an amazing journey of our spiritual evolution as a race. We have a unique perspective on the spiritual allegories contained in the Mejtu Nejter. Our belief is that some of the characters that are known today as deities are in fact deified historic personages, such as Atum-Re (a.k.a Adam) and Osiris (a.k.a Nimrod). This is an interpretation based upon evaluation of the scriptures of the religions and historic narrations.

Light and Dark are of course an all-important and universal theme in all traditions that reveals the dualistic aspect of not only Nature itself, but human nature, as well. The personified deities of good and evil or the aspects of selves are also symbolism for the Qualities and Attributes of God (i.e. Neb Ed Cher). In relation to creation as a process, the Teachings of Baha'u'llah is in accordance with the mythos of ancient civilizations confident that the universe is co-eternal and cyclic in nature, having no beginning or end.

 

[Valor]

And you could be wrong.
The Deities of Egypt are Principles of the Universe. Evil is a subjective matter.
Apep/Apophis is the Principle of the al Khemical idea of atrophy, all physical things break down and dissipate.

This is a part of the Egyptian trinity of Apophis/atrophy - Kheperu/transformation - Maat/balance

All creation stories have been based off this concept.


EM

Well said and learned EM.:clap

Great post Adremelek!

 

[1137]

Webb wrote this? I thought it was an actual ritual practiced at the temples of Amun-Ra. I actually found this thread looking for a transcription on Google!

 

[1137]

This clearly states that Set was NOT the one who Came Into Being it seems, but rather Kephri.

 

[Adramelek]

Webb wrote this? I thought it was an actual ritual practiced at the temples of Amun-Ra. I actually found this thread looking for a transcription on Google!

I found it in chapter 7 "Remanifestations and Resources" of Don Webb's book "The Seven Faces of Darkness". It is a spell formulated by Webb.

 

[1137]

I found it in chapter 7 "Remanifestations and Resources" of Don Webb's book "The Seven Faces of Darkness". It is a spell formulated by Webb.

Actually I have learned this is incorrect. Xepera Xeper Xeperu is a very old form of Egyptian grammar, and the Felling of Apep is indeed a historical document. It almost seems to be a form of Setian Gnosticism. Khepri comes into being, eventually the gods evolve into Being, then the now blind, separated, dreaming Khepri tears it's way into matter as Set, who slays Apep and cause the creation of the universe.

 

[Adramelek]

Actually I have learned this is incorrect. Xepera Xeper Xeperu is a very old form of Egyptian grammar, and the Felling of Apep is indeed a historical document. It almost seems to be a form of Setian Gnosticism. Khepri comes into being, eventually the gods evolve into Being, then the now blind, separated, dreaming Khepri tears it's way into matter as Set, who slays Apep and cause the creation of the universe.

Webb probably wrote it inspired by an ancient Egyptian spell revolving around the Creation.

 

[Adramelek]

Also in ancient Egypt the Magickal spell "Xepera-Xeper-Xeperu" was spoken as a blessing to a person who was venturing on a long journey.

 

[1137]

Also in ancient Egypt the Magickal spell "Xepera-Xeper-Xeperu" was spoken as a blessing to a person who was venturing on a long journey.

Indeed!

 

[1137]

I'm just interested in how the Temple of Set got the idea that Set is the speaker of Xepera Xeper Xeperu.

 

[Adramelek]

I'm just interested in how the Temple of Set got the idea that Set is the speaker of Xepera Xeper Xeperu.

Xeper is the divine principle which transformed pre-historic man from what we were millions of years ago into that which we are today. As I see it, Set is the first example of Xeper incarnate, which transformed him, Set, from once being a part of the Universe into becoming the First Principle of Isolate Intelligence within the Universe. What initially sparked Set's first act of Xeper, the Will to Come Into Being? Is unknown.