The lotus
flower appeared in legends originating both from India and from
ancient Egypt. It palyed an important part in ancient Egyptian
religion.
The lotus
flower played a prominent role in the version of the creation
story that originated in Heliopolis. Before the universe came
into being, there was an infinite ocean of inert water which
constituted the primeval being named Nun. Out of Nun emerged a
lotus flower, together with a single mound of dry land. The lotus
blossoms opened, and out stepped the self-created sun god, Atum,
as a child.
A slightly different version of the creation story originated in Hermopolis. In that version, the sun god who formed himself from the chaos of Nun emerged from the lotus petals as Ra. The lotus is a flower which opens and closes each day. His history went on to say that the petals of the lotus blossom enfolded him when he returned to it each night.
The lotus
flower has been featured extensively throughout the art of
ancient Egypt. In various works of art, you may see it held in
the hand of a god or human, serving as a border to outline a
section of the artwork, unfolding to reveal various gods or
humans, and many other depictions.
In the Near East (Mesopotamia), the lotus was the flower of Lilith, the Sumero-Babylonian goddess that Jews claimed was Adam's first wife.
|Ancient History | Other |More History |
