The God(s) Of Egypt, The One and the Many Options

Greetings,

This is mainly for those of you who have worked with the Egytian ntr , but of course anyone who has any insight is urged to reply.

At the end of the 19th C. and beginning of 20th C. when E.A. Wallis Budge was the keeper of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum there was a prevailing concept that the Egyptian deities were all personified aspects of the one “true” God. Of course Budge was a product of his time as this theory was also put forth by other leading German and French Egyptologists (Lepsius, Mariette, Pierret,etc.). Outside the realm of academia, this belief also prevailed in the occult circles of the time as a means to reconcile the many gods of the Egyptians with the YHVH of the Judeo-Christian tradition. The thousands of Egyptian deities were interpreted along a similar vein to the multiple names of God in that they represented the plurality through which the One could be comprehended.

Now, more recently Egyptologists (Hornung, Baines, Silverman, Shafer, Lesko, Quirke, etc.) are moving away from this interpretation and see the ntr of the Egyptians as local and regional deifications of the forces of nature. Through syncretism (i.e. Amen + Re = Amen-Re) spurred largely by political reasons these multiple regional gods became more singular through time. There is a slightly sinister overtone to these recent interpretations as they boil down to the human struggle for control and manipulation of the masses through a singular source of power (particularly relevant in the 18th Dynasty). Nonetheless, I'm sure 100 years down the line, people will look at these interpretations as reflective of our own unstable religio-political atmosphere.

Now here is the catch (I’m quoting from Le Page Renouf):

“Throughout the whole range of ancient Egyptian literature, no facts appear to be more certainly proved than these: (1) that the doctrine of one God and that of many gods were taught by the same men; (2) that no inconsistency between the two doctrines was thought of.” (Lectures, p. 92)

Given our modern concepts of God, nothing could be more contradictory…right?

It is, however, a true statement. Whether you look at the Hermopolitan , Heliopolitan, or Memphite cosmologies the various uses of the word ntr (i.e. ‘god’) and epithets in association vary tremendously. In one inscription you may have Amen (Amun) called the “one true hidden God” (in the Judeo-Christian sense) alongside wr-ntrt Isis (the great goddess Isis) and a little further down sps-ntr Wepwawet (the glorious god Wepwawet). The mix and match of singular and plural doctrines of God or gods is of little concern to the Egyptian scribes, or somehow they have managed to reconcile both concepts into something which we cannot entirely grasp.

If you have read this far, and I still have your attention, here are my questions. What are your views on the singular and plural aspects of Egyptian divinities? How do you reconcile these in your Magical workings?

My interest in this is because I am currently working with an Egyptian ntr, and have come to the realization that there is an underlying duality (and even multiplicity) in his nature. He appears to me as one being, but there are moments when he can be two and even three distinct divinities which are somehow still one... or maybe, he is an aspect of the One???

Anyway, do post your thoughts.

F

This post has been edited by Faustopheles: Dec 11 2006, 10:39 PM

Greetings Faustopheles,

There is considered as you have described several beliefs in the origination of Neters, or Gods. As you have listed the most accepted ones I would like to recapitulate on a couple of beliefs that the Egyptians held concerning the Origins of the Gods.

E.A. Wallis Budge who wrote "The Gods of The Egyptians." describes in volume 11, page 8.,:
"Adorations be to thee, O thou creator of the gods, who hast stretched out the heavens and made solid the earth. Thou art the untiring watcher, O Amsu-Amen (or Min-Amen), the lord of eternity, and maker of everlastingness."

This particular text describes a Creation of the gods, by a Creator of the Gods, as you have discussed quite well. Then as we have discussed there does appear to be in Ancient as well as modern Religion a gathering of qualities, attributes and characteristics from several tribal or communal deities into the formation of a Deity with which Omnipotent and Omnisient Power is ascribed. This in turn seems to have cemented followers to their dedication and servitude believing that the Deity or (Dual Deity) ascribed name, was of greater ability and more able to provide for their spiritual needs, as well as their physical needs.

I have pondered for years the concepts both Theological, and Philosophical of the Origin or Existence of Deity, much as you have been describing of yourself, the drawing and desire to search for the truth behind so many various ideologies.

In reflection on the Cosmological Creation of the Universe by Deities or a Deity that was Self Born or Self-Willed into creation, and by which through the act of creation manifested aspects of its own nature in a Self-Reflected attempt to discover its own existence. What if though, that all things in creation had as it's begining or source a common origin. An Origin where both Gods and Man existed simultaneously without the necessity of one to praise, while one would recieve praise, or of one having their existence separate from the other. I personally view the separation of the gods from man or any aspect of existence as a method of reductionism. In my honest opinion I believe that "The sum is greater than it's parts" truthfully we may never know of the exact order or heiarchy of such questions as we have pondered, sometimes the importnat thing to remeber is everything in the Universe including Eternity has in some fashion existed for Eternity. For those who conceive of reincarnation we have existed in the past and we follow a pattern of our own choosing or Archetypal Image of what our perfected state would be. Yet one thing is for certain in my mind, we are as integral in the existence of the Universe as the existence of the Universe and the Deities are integral to our existence. It is an interdependence of all things in existence, we may call certain things by one name, while someone from another city may call it from another, while someone from another country may consider the same aspects of their Deity yet with an completely different name. Does this change or are we merely describing the same Archetypal Images that are inherent in the Collective Unconscious of man in a more Ancient time.

I think one of the most important points to remember in our search for Deity or Deities, is that they are an integral part of our Nature, and we are an integral part of their Nature, through the Interrelationsip of existence we share one commonality with all of Creation, and with Deity, we can truly state,
"I Am."

Respectfully,
Helel (Joseph)