In Egyptian mythology, Nefertem (also Nefertum, Nefer-Tem, Nefer-Temu), god of perfume, the blue lotus blossom out of which Ra emerged. Widely considered a symbol of perfection, most well-known during the New Kingdom (1539-c. 1075 BC). Several ancient legends affirm he is the son of Ptah, the creator-god of Memphis, and Sekhmet, the lioness-goddess. Others claim he is the son of the cobra-goddess Wadjet of the Buto, in the Nile Delta. Most confusing within the confines of Egyptian mythology, Nefertum is simultaneously an aspect of Ra, and his grandson. Egyptian mythology (or Egyptian religion) is the name for the succession of beliefs held by the people of Egypt until the coming of Christianity and Islam. ... In Egyptian mythology, Ptah (creator) (or Tanen or Ta-tenen or Tathenen or Peteh) is a creator god and originally the chief god in the pantheon of Memphis, Egypt. ... Memphis was the wife of Epaphus, the founder of Memphis, Egypt in Greek mythology. ... Sekhmet In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet (also spelt Sachmet, Sakhet, and Sakhmet), was originally the war goddess of Upper Egypt, although when the first Pharoah of the 12th dynasty moved the capital of Egypt to Memphis, her cult centre moved as well. ... In Egyptian mythology, Buto (papyrus colored--referring to the color of the cobra) was a snake (especially cobra) goddess and patron of the oracle in the city of the same name. ... In Egyptian mythology, Buto (papyrus colored--referring to the color of the cobra) was a snake (especially cobra) goddess and patron of the oracle in the city of the same name, located 95 km East of Alexandria: originally two cities, Per and Wadjit merged into one the Greeks called Buto. ... The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the River Nile spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. ... The Eye of Ra, also called the Eye of Horus This article is about the Egyptian god. ...

In one of the most recognized form of the Egyptian creation myth, Atum escaped from the chaotic waters of Nun in the shape of a Bennu bird(similar to a phoenix or heron) by willing it so. In this form, he created his children Shu and Tefnut, god and goddess of the dry and moist air. They split the sky from the waters, and made room for their children Geb and Nut - deities of the land and the sky. When the waters of Nun receded, a mound of earth appeared - the first solid dry land. "Upon this First Place, arose the first Lotus, Nefertum, from which the sun (Ra) emerged" (The Ogdoad - Egyptian Book of the Dead). The phoenix from the Aberdeen Bestiary. ... Genera Ardea Zebrilus Philherodias Tigrisoma Ardeola Bubulcus Egretta Agamia Butorides Tigriornis Tigrisoma Gorsachius Syrigma Zonerodius Nycticorax see also: Bittern Heron and reeds, Haronobu Suzuki (1754-1770) Herons are medium to large long-legged, long-necked wading birds of the family Ardeidae, which also includes the egrets and bitterns. ... Shu may refer to: Shu (Egyptian deity) 蜀 (Shǔ), an abbreviation of Sichuan province of the Peoples Republic of China, as well as the following historical regimes that existed in this region: Shu Han, a kingdom during the Three Kingdoms Period Former Shu, a kingdom during the Five Dynasties... In Egyptian mythology, Tefnut is a goddess of water and fertility. ... Amongst the group who believed in the Ennead, a form of Egyptian mythology centred in Heliopolis, Geb (also spelt Seb, and Keb) was the personification of the earth, and indeed this is what his name means - earth, and thus it was said that when he laughed, it caused earthquakes. ... Wiktionary has a definition of: Nut A nut is a type of fruit borne by certain flowering plants. ... The Eye of Ra, also called the Eye of Horus This article is about the Egyptian god. ...

Ptah, Sekhmet, and Nefertum are members of the Sacred Triad of the ancient city of MenNefer, or, as it is known in Greek, Memphis - the city that served Upper and Lower Egypt as its administrative capital for over three thousand years. In Egyptian mythology, Ptah (creator) (or Tanen or Ta-tenen or Tathenen or Peteh) is a creator god and originally the chief god in the pantheon of Memphis, Egypt. ... Sekhmet In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet (also spelt Sachmet, Sakhet, and Sakhmet), was originally the war goddess of Upper Egypt, although when the first Pharoah of the 12th dynasty moved the capital of Egypt to Memphis, her cult centre moved as well. ... In Egyptian mythology, Nefertum (also Nefertum, Nefer-Tem, Nefer-Temu) is the god of the lotus plant and a solar deity associated with the sunrise. ... Memphis was the wife of Epaphus, the founder of Memphis, Egypt in Greek mythology. ...

As the power of Memphis grew, their chief god, Ptah, was said to be the original creator, and thus of all the other gods, including any lesser creators, who create the remaining gods having first being created by Ptah. Consequently, the creator aspect of Atum-Ra, namely Nefertum, came to be merely the son of Ptah, rather than the creator proper. As son of Ptah, it was said that either Sekhmet, or Bast (whichever was considered wife of Ptah), was his mother. As a god now only associated with the lotus rather than creation, he became a god of perfume and luck. Memphis was the ancient capital of the Old Kingdom of Egypt from its foundation until around 1300 BC. The ruins are 19 km (12 mi. ... In Egyptian mythology, Ptah (creator) (or Tanen or Ta-tenen or Tathenen or Peteh) is a creator god and originally the chief god in the pantheon of Memphis, Egypt. ... Sekhmet In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet (also spelt Sachmet, Sakhet, and Sakhmet), was originally the war goddess of Upper Egypt, although when the first Pharoah of the 12th dynasty moved the capital of Egypt to Memphis, her cult centre moved as well. ... In Egyptian mythology, Bast (also spelt Ubasti, and Pasht) is an ancient goddess, worshipped at least since the Second Dynasty, for who the centre of her cult was in Per-Bast (Bubastis in greek), which was named after her. ...

In art, Nefertum is usually depicted as a beautiful young man having lotus flowers around his head, although, as the son of Bast, he also sometimes has the head of a lion or is a lion or cat reclining. Nefertem was associated both with the scent of the lotus flower and its narcotic effect, which in ancient Egypt was used for medical anesthetics. The ancient Egyptians often carried small statuettes of him as good-luck charms. Resources Great Museums in the World (Louvre, Metropolitan Museum, MoMA, Picasso …) CGFA: A Virtual Art Museum Art-Atlas. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The Lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae. ...

- Edited by Harry Hazell, Egyptology student

Sources:

Falulkner, Dr. Raymond, The Egyptian Book of the Dead - The Ogdoad,

 Chronicle Books, 1994 

Zandee, Jan, Hieroglyphs of the "Hymns to Amun"

 Papyrus Leiden I 350, 1948 

Tartasky, Lorraine, "Sekhmet: Lioness of the Sun", URL:

 http://lionessofthesun.com/lioness/Glossary/S/Sekhmet, 2003 

"The Nefertum Chapel of Sety I at Abydos" Geoff Graham, Yale University. URL:

 http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/lpb/mud-history.html, 2002