#ATOZCHALLENGE;Letter A : Atum Gets His Canvas

Atum (Left Side)

Old Kingdom, 2650 – 2150 BE

He didn't remember anything. Just a cool breeze hitting his rocky face. The cool water splashing against his rocky base. He was happy for he knew nothing else. But then, there was nothing else to know about. Just silence, sporadically broken by the gushing water.

He felt comfortable standing on the water. Like a mother's lap. Soothing, protective. There was no reason to call her Nun, but he always did. She was the only thing that lapped at his base, his only contact with another being. She was always around him, comforting and loving him but never saying a word. When the waves receded, he wanted to run after her but he never could. His yearning became so unbearable that one day he found an inner strength to move along with the frothing waves.

Aghast at the sudden sensation, he looked down. He saw the frothing rise up, beckoning him to come forward. Dazed, at his wishes coming true, he took a tentative step towards her. He, who had never moved in his life, fell down with his first step. Nun rushed forward, rising him high up and with her huge waves guided him towards the shore.

He felt the first grain of sand under his feet for the first time. He was at awe, but he couldn't expresses joy, for no one was there to hear him. He felt a certain clutching in his heart. He raised his hand to touch the holes on his face and found them wet.

"Nun?" His voice was gritty, for he had never used them before. He got scared from the sound that came out, but then he used it again. "Nun?" He asked again, this time with more assertiveness for the salty water tasted just like his mother. He started crying earnestly, giving in to his emotions. Nun flowed freely through his eyes. He felt more free as his heart lightened.

He cried till his tears dried up. Then he looked around the barren land stretched in front of him. His facial muscles relaxed and he smiled. The land in front of him lightened up and he could see things more clearly.

He caught a drop of water from his eyes and whispered the word 'Shu'. The droplet flew high up in the air and turned into another being. It looked just like him -yet there was marked differences in their features. Shu looked down at the man standing tall and majestic in front of him. 

"Who am I?"

"You are Shu, the God of air."

"I can rule the air?" Shu asked gleefully, flying through the air, like a bird.

"Yes," said the man with a smile.

 The man then took another drop of his tear and blew it towards the ocean. Another being sprang up, but it looked different. Gentler, softer. She glided towards Shu and the man and asked softly, "are you my master?"

"No." Said the man gently. "I am your Creator. You on Shu's other half – Tefnut, goddess of the water."

"Then who are you?" Shu asked the man, wondering if he had the power to destroy them too since he had created them.

"I am Atum, the first man. I was the Mountain, standing there - just in the middle of the Sea Nun, till my mother showed me the path to land in here." Atum turned to look at the land stretching before. His inner voice told him clearly.. this was his blank canvas.

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Note:
The ancient Egyptian god, Atum was the creator of the world. In the earliest accounts, he was the first to emerge from the premieval waters, taking the form of a hill. He was also worshipped along with Re, as a Sun god but later these two dieties were combined as Atum-Re. Atum represented the setting sun and Re was the sun at the highest peak. Why? Now that is another tale to tell.

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This Post is linked to A to Z Challenge | Write Tribe Pro Blogger | The Book Club |

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B  for Baal