Shu
The Egyptian God
Shu
-
Name: Shu -
Gender Male: Shu was a God -
Depiction / Description
/ Symbol: Shu was depicted with the body of a man wearing an ostrich
feather or occasionally with the head of a lion -
One of the 'twin lion
gods' with his sister, and wife, Tefnet -
Jurisdiction: Shu was
described as being God of Wind and Air -
Mythical Family or
Relatives: Shu was believed to have been created by
the Sun God Atum, Ra or
Re, the Lord of Creation, who spat out the elements of moisture (the Goddess Tefnut) and air (the God Shu)The twins, Shu and Tefnut gave birth to the Earth God, Geb, and the Sky Goddess, Nut.
Information about
the Egyptian God Shu
The Egyptian God, Shu, was seen as the God of Wind and Air and therefore closely associated with
weather prayers. The God Shu was one of the Ennead, the collective name
given to the nine original deities (Gods and Goddesses) of the cosmogony of Heliopolis (the birthplace of the Gods) in the creation myths and legends. With his twin sister
Tefnut, the God of Water,
and their offspring (the Earth God, Geb and the Sky Goddess, Nut) the
four made up the quartet of major elements: earth, air, sky and water.
The Egyptians believed that Shu was the second divine pharaoh who ruled
after Atum Ra but he abdicated the throne, allowing his son Geb to rule,
and Shu himself returned to the skies. The Egyptians believed that Shu
was also the God of Punishment in the Land of the Dead and the bridge
between life and death.
Description &
Depiction of the Egyptian God Shu - Part Human & Part Animal
The Egyptian Gods or Goddesses, such as Shu, were often depicted as
being part human and part animal. In the description of the Egyptian
God Shu he was most frequently depicted wearing and ostrich feather but
was also seen with the body of a human
and with with the head of an animal - a Lion. In the Ancient Egyptian
religion certain animals were seen as sacred as they believed that the
Spirit of a God resided in these animals, such as the Lion, which were
revered and worshipped as reincarnated Gods during their lifetimes.
The Egyptian the
God Shu - Creation and Relatives
The early Egyptian priests evolved a
creation myth, or Cosmogony, to explain how some of the Gods and
Goddesses came into being. The early Egyptian priests then evolved a
Family tree, the relatives of the main Egyptian Gods, like Shu, to
explain how some of the Gods and Goddesses were related.
Temple of Shu
The Temples dedicated to Shu, the God of Wind and Air, were believed to be the
dwelling place of this famous Egyptian God. Although no temples have been
traced dedicated to Shu he was such an important God that small temples
might well have built in
his honor. Only the Pharaoh and the
Priests of Shu were allowed inside the temple and the priests would
undergo ritual purification in a deep stone pool before they entered the
Inner Sanctum of the Temple. This not only cleansed them but also gave
them contact with the primeval moisture of life. Ordinary Egyptians were
only allowed to come to the gates, or forecourt, of the temple of Shu
to pay homage and offer gifts to the God / Goddess. The Priests of Shu
would collect the gifts and say prayers on behalf of the person in the
confines of the temple. The priests of Shu, the God of Wind and Air, would
conduct ceremonies, sacrifices and chant magical incantations, sometimes
referred to as spells. The temple of Shu would consist of heavy gates
which accessed a massive hall with great stone columns, and then a
series of many other rooms through which processions of priests would
pass. These rooms, or chambers, were lit by candles and incense would be
burnt to purify the air of the Temple. The chambers gradually decreased
in size, the lighting in the temple was deliberately and significantly
reduced to create an atmosphere of deepening mystery until the priests
reached the chapel and the shrine which contained the Naos. The Naos was
the stone tabernacle inside the shrine which housed the great Statue of
Shu, the God of Wind and Air.
The Statue of Shu
The large statue of the God Shu, the God of Wind and Air was situated in the
inner sanctum of the Egyptian temple. The statue of Shu would have been
depicted with the body of a man / woman and the head of Lion. This
sacred statue, in the dwelling place of the God, was the embodiment of
Shu. Food and drink would be offered to the God. The High Priest of
Shu, would conduct ceremonies and offer prayers and incantations but
there was another important priest, called the Medjty, who was
responsible for the toiletries. The statue of Shu would have been
washed and oiled. The statue was then dressed in fine linen and eye
make-up, powder and rouge was applied and sacred oil rubbed on the
forehead of the statue. The statue of Shu, with its head of the Lion,
was only seen by ordinary Egyptians at important festivals when the
effigy was paraded in magnificent processions.
The Egyptian God
Shu
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