The Star-Bearer: A Creation Myth from Ancient Egypt

In the beginning, nothing moves in the inky silence . . . until the golden godchild Atum gradually unfolds from a lotus bud. From him come the gods of the air and rain and their children — Geb, god of Earth, and Nut, goddess of the sky. Geb and Nut are inseparable. They clasp one another and share whispered secrets, leaving no space between the sky and the earth for Atum to continue creating. So Atum has no choice but to have them forcibly separated, leaving Geb enraged and Nut sad and lonely . . . The beautiful story that follows explains, according to Ancient Egyptian beliefs, how day, night and the starry universe were first created.