Son of the Creator God Ptah and Goddess of War & Medicine, Sekhmet, Nefertum (Nefertem) is a creature of eternal beauty. At the time of Creation he rises from the waters as a blue lotus flower, which is forever his symbol. With Ptah and Sekhmet he's part of the tutelary trinity of Memphis, Egypt. Despite no dedicated cult or temple, he has other sites of worship.
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Nefertum represents the first sunlight, and also the fragrance of the blue water lily. A version of the Book of the Dead reads:
Rise like Nefertem from the blue water lily, to the nostrils of Ra (the creator and sungod), and come forth upon the horizon each day.
His flowers are specific, the Egyptian blue lotus or Nymphaea caerulea (lit. blue water lilies). They're blue to bluish purple in color. Along with the white lotus they're indigenous to Egypt.
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When the sun comes up the water lilies spread their petals and let the fragrance rise to greet the dawn. People associate the lotus flower with the sun as it closes at night and opens through the day.
Nefertum has a number of epithets including
He Who is Beautiful
Water-Lily of the Sun
His name means "he who sees beauty" or "beautiful one".
In artistic depictions he appears with a stylized lotus flower crown and blue head cloth. In the picture below he's shown at left looking left. He wears the divine beard and carries a staff and an ankh. The Ankh is the symbol and essence of all life.
His mother's identity is called into question. Although Nefertum rules in Memphis in a family triad with Sekhmet, in other regions he's thought to have Bastet as his mother. In this case he might be shown with the head of a cat or lion, and often in reclining position.
Statuettes and figurines of Nefertum are often found in excavation sites. In ancient Egypt they were carried as magic charms for good luck. Small sculptures are created in pottery, bronze (left), stone or Egyptian faience.
The cast bronze piece at left (c. 660 BCE) is larger than an average good-luck statuette. It has a hook on back and probably ritual significance.
Besides the Blue Lotus, the symbols of Nefertum include the cat or lion. This is only in the areas his mother is presumed to be Bastet, who had a lion's head before it changed to that of a cat. The change occurred to help harmonize and synch the goddesses.
Greeting the Sun every morning, Nefertum is the Good Son who functions at a level between esoteric and intuitive. He's a patron of beauty wherever it may be found. Mortal worries and even soap operas of the Gods have little effect on him.
As a God of rebirth, he has a kind and generous personality. A sculpture of the God's head emerging from a water lily is found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun, indicating the importance of Nefertum to the Pharaohs.
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Nefertum enjoys a long reign, from the Old Kingdom of c. 2649 - 2130 BCE at least to the early days of the Romans. He's a God of the Sun, Beauty and Perfume.
Apart from Memphis, Nefertum has a temple with Sekhmet in Leontopolis in the north of Egypt. Otherwise he has no specific cult center, but is worshipped throughout the lands. Nefertum acknowledges the conflicts of fortune, and helps people see and share the beauty of the world.
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The paints are red and yellow ochre, colors of iron oxide or the Earth. The emergence of the God's head signifies rebirth of the Pharoah. Kohl supplies the dark colors of the eyes and brows. Egyptians line their eyes with kohl as it mitigates the full power of the sun, just like football players blacken under the eyes. It's also considered medicinal against eye ailments.
Kohl can be used by all levels of ancient Egyptian society and is popular throughout the Kingdom. Kohl is created with the stone galena (lead sulphide) which is ground on a palette and mixed with oils or animal fats.
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The lead sulphide / galena is non-toxic and safe for regular use. Science has proven some benefits of the mineral galena to the eye, including a boost of immunity against eye ailments. In ancient times kohl is worn for protection and beauty. It's dyed black with ashes or carbon, and applied with a cosmetic stick.
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