Tefnut : The Rain Goddess

Tefnut

Introduction

The Tefnut was the lunar goddess of water, moisture, and humidity. She was also a goddess of the sun and dryness. She was the daughter of a god and the mother of the earth’s deities. As a creative force, she was known as the Tongue of Ptah.

Her name is related to water, and it means “she of moisture.” In ancient Egypt, Tefnut was regarded as the goddess of rainfall and moisture, and she was the twin sister of the air god Shu. The Tefnut was a predynastic deity that was worshipped in the city of Heliopolis in ancient Egypt.

Physical Traits

Tefnut is usually depicted as a lioness or a woman with a lion’s head. She wears a solar disk and a uraeus (a cobra) on her head, symbolizing her connection to Ra and her role as his eye. She also carries a scepter and an ankh, representing power and life.

Sometimes, Tefnut is shown as a woman with human features. She may also take the form of a cobra or a cat. She is often paired with Shu, holding hands or embracing him. Together, they support Nut above Geb, creating the space for life to exist.

Family

The Heliopolitan cosmological model indicates that Tefnut was created by Atum, who emerged from Nun’s primordial waters. He spat out Shu and Tefnut and separated them from the chaos. Together with Geb, they produced Nut and Osiris, who then became the gods Set, Nephthys, and Isis. Some versions of the story indicate that Ra created Tefnut, while others claim that she was created by Amun.

Other names

Tefnut can be translated as “she who spits” or “she of moisture.” Her name is made up of four phonetic signs, and the n sign refers to waves on water, though it was never used to refer to water. It’s also possible that her name is an onomatopoeia about the sound of spitting.

Powers and Abilities

Although she was often regarded as a goddess of the moon, Tefnut was actually a leonine deity that was associated with rain, dew, and moist air. Such things were very important to the Earth’s daily life and growth. Because of her leonine shape, Tefnut is associated with anger and grudges. Her absence caused various hazards such as drought and heat waves, and it can also cause bad harvests. Tefnut was able to maintain cosmic harmony due to her divine and ancient ancestry. As a goddess, this Egyptian deity was responsible for regulating the waters of Egypt, ensuring that the planet’s bounty was returned to the people, and maintaining peace throughout the nation.

Modern Day Influence

The Egyptian deity Tefnut, who is also referred to as the eye of Ra, is a part of modern pop culture. Tefnut is a deity in Assassin’s Creed, and she is the mother of Isis and Osiris, as well as the grandmother of Horus. Tefnut is one of twelve gods featured in the graphic novel “The Wicked + The Divine,” who are reincarnated every 90 years. In the comics, she is depicted as a flaming woman with a lion’s head and a crush on Shu.

In Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, Tefnut appears as an old deity who came to the country with the immigrants. According to Gaiman, she is a woman with a large lion’s head who spit on people to offer blessings. Tefnut is an Egyptian deity that can be summoned by a magician in Rick Riordan’s The Kane Chronicles. In the book, she is depicted as a woman with a lion’s head who can control fire and water. She also helps Ra against Apophis.