In the

creation myth A creation myth (or cosmogonic myth) is a symbolic narrative of how the world began and how people first came to inhabit it., "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the universe and its inhabitants came to be. Creation myths develop ...

of the Heliopolitan form of

ancient Egyptian religion Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals that formed an integral part of ancient Egyptian culture. It centered on the Egyptians' interactions with many deities believed to be present in, and in control ...

, Benben was the mound that arose from the primordial waters Nu upon which the

creator deity A creator deity or creator god (often called the Creator) is a deity responsible for the creation of the Earth, world, and universe in human religion and mythology. In monotheism, the single God is often also the creator. A number of monolatr ...

Atum Atum (, Egyptian: ''jtm(w)'' or ''tm(w)'', ''reconstructed'' ; Coptic ''Atoum''), sometimes rendered as Atem or Tem, is an important deity in Egyptian mythology. Name Atum's name is thought to be derived from the verb ''tm'' which means 'to com ...

settled. The Benben stone (also known as a

pyramidion A pyramidion (plural: pyramidia) is the uppermost piece or capstone of an Egyptian pyramid or obelisk. Speakers of the Ancient Egyptian language referred to pyramidia as ''benbenet'' and associated the pyramid as a whole with the sacred ...

) is the top stone of the pyramid. It is also related to the

obelisk An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by Anc ...

Primeval mound

Pyramidion of the Pyramid of Amenemhet III at Dahshur

In the

Pyramid Texts The Pyramid Texts are the oldest ancient Egyptian funerary texts, dating to the late Old Kingdom. They are the earliest known corpus of ancient Egyptian religious texts. Written in Old Egyptian, the pyramid texts were carved onto the subterrane ...

, e.g. Utterances 587 and 600, Atum himself is at times referred to as "mound". It was said to have turned into a small pyramid, located in Heliopolis (

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

: ''Annu'' or ''Iunu''), within which Atum was said to dwell. Other cities developed their own myths of the primeval mound. At

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, the god

Tatenen Tatenen (also Ta-tenen, Tatjenen, Tathenen, Tanen, Tenen, Tanenu, and Tanuu) was the deity of the primordial mound in ancient Egyptian religion. His name means "risen land"

Benben stone

The Benben stone, named after the mound, was a sacred stone in the

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

of Ra at Heliopolis (

: ''Annu'' or ''Iunu''). It was the location on which the first rays of the sun fell. It is thought to have been the prototype for later

s and the capstones of the great pyramids were based on its design. The capstone or the tip of the pyramid is also called a

. In ancient Egypt, these were probably gilded so they shone in sunlight. Many Benben stones, often carved with images and inscriptions, are found in museums around the world. The bird deity

Bennu Bennu is an ancient Egyptian deity linked with the Sun, creation, and rebirth. He may have been the original inspiration for the phoenix legends that developed in Greek mythology. Roles According to Egyptian mythology, Bennu was a self-create ...

, which was probably the inspiration for the

phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, was venerated at Heliopolis, where it was said to be living on the Benben stone or on the holy willow tree. According to Barry Kemp, the connection between the benben, the phoenix, and the sun may well have been based on alliteration: the rising, ''weben'', of the sun sending its rays towards the benben, on which the bennu bird lives. Utterance 600, § 1652 of the

speaks of Atum as ''you rose up, as the benben, in the Mansion of the Bennu in Heliopolis''.

Historical development

From the earliest times, the portrayal of Benben was stylized in two ways; the first was as a pointed, pyramidal form, which was probably the model for pyramids and obelisks. The other form was round-topped; this was probably the origin of Benben as a free standing votive object and an object of veneration. During the

Fifth Dynasty The Fifth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (notated Dynasty V) is often combined with Dynasties Third Dynasty of Egypt, III, Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, IV and Sixth Dynasty of Egypt, VI under the group title the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom. The Fifth ...

, the portrayal of benben was formalized as a squat obelisk. Later, during the Middle Kingdom, this became a long, thin obelisk. In the

Amarna Period The Amarna Period was an era of History of Ancient Egypt, Egyptian history during the later half of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt, Eighteenth Dynasty when the royal residence of the pharaoh and his queen was shifted to Akhetaten ('Horizon of the ...

tomb of

Panehesy Panehesy (also transcribed as PinhasyAldred, Cyril, Akhenaten: King of Egypt ,Thames and Hudson, 1991 (paperback), , pg 16,18,24,66,131,222 or PanehsyKemp, Barry, The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and its People, Thames and Hudson, 2012 ...

, the benben is seen as a large, round-topped stela standing on a raised platform.Joyce Tyldesley
''The Penguin Book of Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt.''
Penguin UK, 2010

References

Bibliography

*Manfred Lurker ''Lexikon der Götter und Symbole der alten Ägypter'', Scherz 1998 *Barry John Kemp ''Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization'', Routledge 1991, p. 88 *Katheryn A. Bard ''Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt'', Routledge 1999, p. 205 *George Hart ''Egyptian Myths'', University of Texas Press 1990, pp. 11, 12, 16 {{Ancient Egyptian religion footer Ancient Egyptian obelisks Ancient Egyptian pyramids Locations in Egyptian mythology Mythological objects Sacred rocks

Primeval mound

Historical development

See also

References

Bibliography