Resolution 8

       This myth concludes with the creation of man and all of the other creatures of earth. Ra was finally satisfied with the world he and the other gods had created, and now he roamed the world in his boat, Mesektet, guarding it from the darkness. Order, or as much as could be achieved, had been brought to the world and I continued to enforce truth and justice among man kind and the gods. Many versions of this myth also claim that Ra made himself the first ruler of man. He ruled for many years in a land of peace a prosperity before retiring to his duties in the heavens above and the underworld bellow. The gods and goddesses took up their roles in the running of the universe, and for many years, we have basked in the worship of mankind, providing them with a way of life, protection and sustenance in return.

Thus, the end of this first chapter of the world is simply the beginning to a much greater saga; a prequel to the many myths that have formed over the years.  

Climax 7

       The last event in the shaping of the world was the creation of man and all of the other living creatures that now walk upon this earth. Some say that man was fashioned on a pottery wheel and brought to life by the breath of Ra. Others say he was born of Ra's silvery tears. Man was blessed with fertile land along the mighty Nile River where they could grow crops and they were protected by many miles of desert in every direction. There were other places where man existed, of course, but I suppose they were not as important. The other gods and goddesses don't mention them much. Never the less, this marked the beginning of the world as we know it, therefore making it the climax of the creation of the earth. 

       There has been some hiccups in the relationship between Ra and humankind. After all, he did set Hathor against them for being rebellious, and this resulted in a massive slaughter. Rivers ran red from blood and Hathor rejoiced in her efforts. Ra quickly lost his lust for punishment after this, and now that the kinks have been worked out, all of us gods and goddesses work to keep the world and all of its inhabitants safe. 

Hathor - Goddess of Love

Conflict 6

       In this next blog post, I will explain the conflict that lies in the Egyptian creation myth. To do so, lets journey back to the dark place I told you of two posts ago. The black waters of Nun lash at the barren hill upon which the first gods and goddesses stand. They are surrounded by chaos. There is no balance. No light or dark. No seasons or tides. Not even life and death. The conflict lies in the need to create a world amid the chaos of these ancient waters. Balance must be achieved, or this world will not survive and flower into the diverse planet that it is destined to be.
       When they were born, Shu and Tefnut were assigned the task of beginning to banish the chaos and bring peace to the world which was to be created. They did so in my name. With them at my side, I began to lay down the laws that would bring order to the world. Therefore, this conflict served as the driving force behind the story of Egyptian creation. It also allowed for other conflicts, such as Shu and Tefnut becoming lost in the waters of chaos, that could themselves be considered myths in in their own right.
       Why am I telling you this? Only because this conflict essentially caused the creation of the world, in Egyptian eyes, and all of the events that came with it.

Character Development 5

       Being one of the more important gods in the story of Egyptian creation is Atum, also associated with Ra. Therefore, it is only fitting that I introduce him first. He is the god of creation and has one all seeing eye that is the sun as you and I see it today. He is quite the family man, seeing as he spit out his son Shu, and vomited up his daughter Tefnut, both of whom he loved enough to send his eye in search of them when they got lost in the waters of Nun (chaos).

Atum

       Shu, god of air, and Tefnut, goddess of moisture are also present in this tale, as they began to set about building the world which Atum had begun. They themselves had two children and were very dedicated to carrying out their task to divide the chaos. For this of course, they needed my help. 

Shu and Tefnut

       Their two children, Geb, god of the earth and Nut, the blue star covered goddess of the sky, where slightly less focused on the task. They were the greatest of lovers, but in the end, Shu separated them so they might perform their duties in the creation of the world. This, however, did not prevent the birth of Isis, Osiris, Set, and Nephthys. Isis is the beautiful and intelligent mother goddess, while her husband Osiris, who was killed by his brother Set, is the ruler of the underworld. Set, the god of evil and chaos. He now resides in the heavens, his voice booming over the earth in deafening thunder. Lastly, helping the souls of the deceased as they set off towards the underworld, and comforting those who these souls leave behind is the kind and sympathetic Nephthys, the funerary goddess.  

Geb and Nut

       Two more figures besides myself were involved in this tale, though perhaps, they played a small role. Hathor, goddess of love and fertility, has a happy but mischievous way about her. Thoth, my ibis headed husband, is the lord of wisdom. He writes everything down, and has thought deeply about time, science, astronomy, art, mathematics, and who knows what else. 

Thoth

       Lastly, I of course am present in this myth, but I shall not repeat all that I have already told you about myself. You should know, however, that both Thoth and I were created by Atum (also Ra) himself; Thoth from his word, and I from his thoughts.

setting 4

       Over the next few posts, I have taken it upon myself to explain the story of creation in Egyptian mythology and to show you what role I played within it. But before I tell this tale in full, let me paint a picture of what it looked like at the time. 
       In the beginning, the world was black and full of raging waters. These were the waters of Nun, or chaos, my enemy. If you were to journey back in time to see it, you would only know the feel of cold wetness and stifling darkness. This, I suppose, was all that Ra knew when he willed himself into flesh and created a mound of earth in the midst of the great ocean so that he could have land to stand upon. This mound was simply that; a barren hill. No animals or plants or air or rivers. You could stand at the very top of the hill, and not feel the sting of cold winds on your face. All that could be heard was the crashing waves upon the edge of the mound and the darkness, with no sun or sky to break it, was complete. But when Ra created his children, Shu and Tefnut, the creation of the world could begin. This is also where I come into the story, but I shall save that for another day. 
       Once Geb, god of the earth, and Nut, goddess of the sky were born, the earth and sky where created. The earth began to take shape, and the roiling seas no longer ruled the universe. The smell of sea salt was replaced with the rich scent of lotus flowers. Now fields and mountains and deserts took shape in a lush landscape, carved by the great Nile River and lighted by the blazing sun. Bird song rang through the wild and animals moved through the tall knife blade grasses. When walking during the day, the sun beat down on your back, and at night, the cool winds washed over your face while the moon smiled down on the sleeping land. 
       But despite all of this, Nun still had not been banished from the world, and though the ancient waters of chaos have receded since the beginning of time, I still work tirelessly to keep them from washing in and flooding the world. 

Cultural References 3

       One of the more interesting cultural influences that I have had on the modern age centers around my forty-two principles. My principles outline a guide as to how a man should live his life in order to continue to the afterlife, and a modified version served as the basic law of ancient Egypt. Similarly, the ten commandments describe how a man can live a good life. The ten commandments where written around 1450 B.C. by Moses, over 2,000 years after my principles came into place in Egyptian life. Moses lived in Egypt at the time that the ten commandments were written, and many of them bear surprising resemblance to some of my principles. For example, one principle is "I have not stolen" or "thou shalt not steal nor take that which does not belong to you". This bears striking resemblance to the commandment of "you shall not steal". 
        Moses lived in Egypt at a time where my principles were still valued and upheld. As he grew up in an Egyptian house hold, he would have been under the influence of the forty-two principles, which could have influence the writing or wording of the ten commandments. 
       What ever the case, the commandments bear a surprising similarity to the principles that my husband put into writing so many years ago. 


       My influence is not only apparent in the past, but it reaches to the present. One example of this is the online magazine, The Spirit of Ma'at. This magazine has articles surrounding ways in which to live a better, more balanced life through spirituality, truth, and new sciences. This magazine was founded in the hope that it would provide a way for people to see the truth in the world around them and be better off because of it. In other words, it was founded in my name.

       I have also influenced a number of artists in the modern day and age, who have created their own depictions of me. There are many paintings, animations, and sculptures that have been created by lesser known artists. Therefore, though I am not as well remembered today as I was many years ago, I still inspire humanity in a small way.  One example is a dance company called MAAT Dance, which is pushing a contemporary art movement in Cairo and Egypt as a whole. They are dedicated to expanding cultrue and the arts throughout Egypt and introducing to other societies as well, which some might consider an act worthy of the afterlife.  

Attributes 2

      When the world was young, my husband Thoth put into writing 42 principles of Ma'at by which man kind should live in order for their lives to be good. When someone dies, I weigh the heart of their soul - called the Ib - against the ostrich feather that I wear upon my head. If they lived by my principles in their previous lives, the scales will balance out and they will be lead into the afterlife. If their heart is troubled by sin, then the scale will tip and their heart shall be devoured by Ammut (or thrown into a lake of fire, if I see fit). I over see this process and review the deeds of soul's past life. The principles of Ma'at embody what I stand for, and in the beginning of time, it was I who brought peace and balance to the world, preventing chaos from taking it. My other duty is to help my father, Ra, as he travels in his boat across the sky. I help guide his ship on its coarse through the heavens, and I sometimes even journey with him on his daily travels, leaving the underworld for a brief time.

Weighing of the Heart

      
       I am most often symbolized by an ostrich feather, which also stands for "that which is straight" or truth. Often, I carry the Was Scepter in one hand, signifying power, and the Ankh in the other, standing for eternal life. Another symbol that is used to represent me is the primeval mound where the creator stood at the beginning of time and created the gods and goddesses in the name of what I stand for.

       As the goddess of truth, justice, and balance, I am also regarded with great importance by the judges and courts of ancient Egypt. Those whom believed in my principles took great care to live by them, least they be deemed unworthy to live in the afterlife. Of all the peoples of Egypt, the pharaohs took the greatest care to uphold my principles, for it is I who gave them the power to rule, and it is they who would be most harshly judged in the underworld. If any culture is associated with me, it is that of abiding by the rules and upholding balance in day to day life in order to eliminate chaos.  

       Due to these facts, I can not be considered good or evil, for a balance must exist within the world between the two if man kind is to live in harmony with their world, themselves, and the gods. Therefore, I am the friend and enemy of all. But my greatest enemy, if there must be one, is chaos, whom I try to banish from the world.