Shu - Revision history

Cymen at 14:44, 10 July 2005

2005-07-10T14:44:21Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:44, 10 July 2005
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	==Worship==		==Worship==

	Shu and [[Tefnut]], unlike most other prominent Egyptian deities, does not seem to have any centre of worship, or any known temples dedicated to either of them, together or separately. Various cities, such as Iunet and Behdet, appear to have districts named after him. He is only known to have been worshipped as part of the Ennead worship at Iunu ~~and, naturally~~, [[Heliopolis]].		Shu and [[Tefnut]], unlike most other prominent Egyptian deities, does not seem to have any centre of worship, or any known temples dedicated to either of them, together or separately. Various cities, such as Iunet and Behdet, appear to have districts named after him. He is only known to have been worshipped as part of the early [[Ennead]] worship at Iunu, which later gave the Ennead cult status as the town grew into sprawling city the Greeks called [[Heliopolis]].

	Akenaten and his wife Nefertiti were said to have initially tried to depict themselves as Shu and [[Tefnut]] on earth. This did not appear to be widely accepted by Egyptians, which some historians speculate led to Akenaten's pushing forward of a more monotheistic worship of [[Aten]], the sun disk. To justify his previous statements of he and his wife being Shu and [[Tefnut]], he then claimed Shu actually lived within the sun disk.		[[Akenaten]] and his wife Nefertiti were said to have initially tried to depict themselves as Shu and [[Tefnut]] on earth. This did not appear to be widely accepted by Egyptians, which some historians speculate led to Akenaten's pushing forward of a more monotheistic worship of [[Aten]], the sun disk. To justify his previous statements of he and his wife being Shu and [[Tefnut]], he then claimed Shu actually lived within the sun disk.

	==References==		==References==

Cymen at 20:23, 9 July 2005

2005-07-09T20:23:55Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:23, 9 July 2005
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	He normally was depicted as a man wearing ostrich feathers on his head. He typically shown with his arms raised, holding up [[Nut]] while standing on [[Geb]]. Sometimes he held a sceptre and ankh in his hands, symbols of power and life, and was sometimes written as having control of snakes. When with [[Tefnut]], Shu is often shown as a lion to match his wife's leonine form.		He normally was depicted as a man wearing ostrich feathers on his head. He typically shown with his arms raised, holding up [[Nut]] while standing on [[Geb]]. Sometimes he held a sceptre and ankh in his hands, symbols of power and life, and was sometimes written as having control of snakes. When with [[Tefnut]], Shu is often shown as a lion to match his wife's leonine form.

	Later, Shu became increasingly identified with the war god [[Anhur]] (GR: Onuris). Anhur can be translated as "Sky Bearer", and also had a lioness consort. Both gods were also said to have recovered their consorts from Nubia when they ran away in defiance after an argument. Eventually, with Shu being seen more as a concept or force and [[Anhur]] as an actual god, the two were merged to form Anhur-Shu.		Later, Shu became increasingly identified with the war god [[Anhur]] (GR: Onuris). Anhur can be translated as "Sky Bearer", wore a headdress of ostrich feathers, and also had a lioness consort. Both gods were also said to have recovered their consorts from Nubia when they ran away in defiance after an argument. Eventually, with Shu being seen more as a concept or force and [[Anhur]] as an actual god, the two were merged to form Anhur-Shu.

	==His role==		==His role==

Cymen at 20:20, 9 July 2005

2005-07-09T20:20:24Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:20, 9 July 2005
Line 22:		Line 22:
	==Worship==		==Worship==

	Shu and [[Tefnut]], unlike most other prominent Egyptian deities, does not seem to have any centre of worship, or any known temples dedicated to either of them, together or separately. Various cities, such as Iunet and Behdet, appear to have districts named after him. He is only known to have been worshipped as part of the Ennead worship at Iunu.		Shu and [[Tefnut]], unlike most other prominent Egyptian deities, does not seem to have any centre of worship, or any known temples dedicated to either of them, together or separately. Various cities, such as Iunet and Behdet, appear to have districts named after him. He is only known to have been worshipped as part of the Ennead worship at Iunu and, naturally, [[Heliopolis]].

	Akenaten and his wife Nefertiti were said to have initially tried to depict themselves as Shu and [[Tefnut]] on earth. This did not appear to be widely accepted by Egyptians, which some historians speculate led to Akenaten's pushing forward of a more monotheistic worship of [[Aten]], the sun disk. To justify his previous statements of he and his wife being Shu and [[Tefnut]], he then claimed Shu actually lived within the sun disk.		Akenaten and his wife Nefertiti were said to have initially tried to depict themselves as Shu and [[Tefnut]] on earth. This did not appear to be widely accepted by Egyptians, which some historians speculate led to Akenaten's pushing forward of a more monotheistic worship of [[Aten]], the sun disk. To justify his previous statements of he and his wife being Shu and [[Tefnut]], he then claimed Shu actually lived within the sun disk.

Cymen: rewrite and expansion - down with out of date Wikipedia copies!

2005-07-09T20:06:28Z

rewrite and expansion - down with out of date Wikipedia copies!

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:06, 9 July 2005
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	{{egyptiangods}}		{{egyptiangods}}
	~~{{partial}}~~		'''Shu''' was the Egyptian god of air and the atmosphere, and the creator of wind. His primary task was to separate the sky, [[Nut]], and the earth, [[Geb]].

	In Egyptian mythology, '''Shu''' is one of the primordial sky gods and one of the Ennead. He was created by [[Ra]] from his [[semen]] or mucus. With his sister, [[Tefnut]], he was the father of [[Nuit]] and [[Seb]]. His daughter, Nuit, was the sky goddess whom he held over the Earth (Seb), separating the two.		==General description==

	~~In art~~, ~~Shu was portrayed wearing an ostrich feather~~.		Shu's name is the root of the words 'dry', 'parched', 'withered' and 'light', specifying him to be the dry component of the air where his sister and wife, [[Tefnut]], is the moisture.

	Tefnut and Shu ~~once argued~~, and ~~she left Egypt~~. Shu ~~quickly decided~~ he ~~missed her~~, ~~but she changed~~ into a ~~cat that destroyed~~ any ~~man~~ or ~~god that approached~~. [[~~Thoth~~]], ~~disguised~~, ~~eventually succeeded in convincing her to return~~.		Shu was one of the [[Ennead]], both he and his twin sister [[Tefnut]] being the first deities to be created by [[Atum]]. He was the father of [[Nut]] and [[Geb]].

			He normally was depicted as a man wearing ostrich feathers on his head. He typically shown with his arms raised, holding up [[Nut]] while standing on [[Geb]]. Sometimes he held a sceptre and ankh in his hands, symbols of power and life, and was sometimes written as having control of snakes. When with [[Tefnut]], Shu is often shown as a lion to match his wife's leonine form.

			Later, Shu became increasingly identified with the war god [[Anhur]] (GR: Onuris). Anhur can be translated as "Sky Bearer", and also had a lioness consort. Both gods were also said to have recovered their consorts from Nubia when they ran away in defiance after an argument. Eventually, with Shu being seen more as a concept or force and [[Anhur]] as an actual god, the two were merged to form Anhur-Shu.

			==His role==

			Shu's main role was to hold up the sky from the earth, aided by the four Pillars of Shu at each cardinal point, much like the Greek [[titan]] [[Atlas]]. This created the space for life on earth to be created, making Shu more of a god of the atmosphere (as the space in between sky and earth) rather than the sky. Shu thus also ruled over the winds, which were seen as the breath of life. He was often beseeched to provide good winds for the many Egyptian boats.

			His links to life were strengthened as Shu became seen as the resurrector of [[Ra]] and the [[Pharaoh]] each morning, causing the sun to rise. In addition, he helped to protect [[Ra]] from [[Apep]] in the underworld with spells. He was also thought to be involved with ordinary spirits after death, participating in the judgement in the Halls of [[Ma'at]]. He was the leader of the torturers and executors, taking on the role of the god of punishment for those not worthy of the afterlife. More happily, he also held up the ladder which [[Egyptian soul\|souls]] used to climb into the afterlife. Many Egyptians thus saw him as a metaphorical bridge between contrasting ideals, such as day and night, sky and earth, and life and death.

			Sunlight was also seen by the Egyptians to exist in Shu's domain of the air, and so Shu was sometimes referred to as the god of light. He was never a solar deity, despite his sporadic portrayals of wearing the sun disk. The sun disk was more likely present because he was sometimes seen as the second Pharaoh of Egypt, succeeding [[Ra]].

			==Worship==

			Shu and [[Tefnut]], unlike most other prominent Egyptian deities, does not seem to have any centre of worship, or any known temples dedicated to either of them, together or separately. Various cities, such as Iunet and Behdet, appear to have districts named after him. He is only known to have been worshipped as part of the Ennead worship at Iunu.

			Akenaten and his wife Nefertiti were said to have initially tried to depict themselves as Shu and [[Tefnut]] on earth. This did not appear to be widely accepted by Egyptians, which some historians speculate led to Akenaten's pushing forward of a more monotheistic worship of [[Aten]], the sun disk. To justify his previous statements of he and his wife being Shu and [[Tefnut]], he then claimed Shu actually lived within the sun disk.

	==References==		==References==
	*Wikipedia. (2005). ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shu_%28Egyptian_deity%29 Shu (Egyptian deity)]''. Retrieved on 02/28/2005.

	[[Category: Egyptian ~~Gods~~]]		*[http://www.egyptianmyths.net/shu.htm Ancient Egypt: the Mythology - Shu]
			*[http://www.crystalinks.com/shu.html Crystalinks.com: Shu]
			*[http://www.touregypt.net/godsofegypt/shu.htm Tour Egypt: Shu]
			*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shu_%28Egyptian_deity%29 Wikipedia: Shu (2005)]

			[[Category:Egyptian Godforms]]

Ash at 22:54, 1 March 2005

2005-03-01T22:54:44Z

New page

{{egyptiangods}}
{{partial}}

In Egyptian mythology, '''Shu''' is one of the primordial sky gods and one of the Ennead. He was created by [[Ra]] from his [[semen]] or mucus. With his sister, [[Tefnut]], he was the father of [[Nuit]] and [[Seb]]. His daughter, Nuit, was the sky goddess whom he held over the Earth (Seb), separating the two.

In art, Shu was portrayed wearing an ostrich feather.

Tefnut and Shu once argued, and she left Egypt. Shu quickly decided he missed her, but she changed into a cat that destroyed any man or god that approached. [[Thoth]], disguised, eventually succeeded in convincing her to return.

==References==
*Wikipedia. (2005). ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shu_%28Egyptian_deity%29 Shu (Egyptian deity)]''. Retrieved on 02/28/2005.

[[Category: Egyptian Gods]]