Amun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Amun |
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After the Amarna period, Amun was painted with blue skin, symbolizing his association with air and primeval creation. Amun was also depicted in a wide variety of other forms.
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| Major cult center | Thebes, Hermopolis, (as a member of the Ogdoad) |
| Symbol | two vertical plumes, the ram-headed Sphinx (Criosphinx) |
| Temple | Siwa Oasis |
| Consort | |
| Offspring | Khonsu Harpara Tjenenyet Dionysus (Libyan) |
| Greek equivalent | Zeus |
Amun was a very important god in ancient Egypt. His name meant "the hidden one" or "invisible." He was first mentioned in ancient texts from around 2350 BCE. Amun was part of a group of eight gods in a creation story from a city called Hermopolis.
Over time, Amun became the special protector god of Thebes. This city became very powerful. Later, Amun joined with the sun god, Ra, to become Amun-Ra. This made him one of the most powerful gods in all of Egypt. People believed he was the king of the gods. Amun-Ra was seen as a creator god who made everything. He was also a champion for people who were poor or in trouble.
Amun-Ra was worshipped not only in Egypt but also in places like Libya and Nubia. The ancient Greeks and Romans even connected him with their own main gods, Zeus and Jupiter.
Contents
Amun: The Hidden God of Ancient Egypt
Amun's Beginnings and Rise to Power
Amun's name, written as imn in ancient Egyptian, meant "the hidden one." This idea of being hidden or invisible was important to his worship. He was sometimes called "the great god whose name is unknown."
After a period of disorder in Egypt, Amun became the main god of Thebes. This happened around the 21st century BCE. In Thebes, Amun formed a special family with his wife, Mut, and their son, the moon god Khonsu. This group was known as the "Theban Triad."
The Great Temple of Karnak
The story of Amun as Thebes' patron god really took off around the 20th century BCE. This was when the building of the Precinct of Amun-Ra at Karnak began. Thebes was not a very important city before this time.
Many pharaohs added to the Karnak temple complex. The most significant building work happened during the 18th Dynasty. During this time, Thebes became the capital of a united Egypt. The temple grew to be one of the largest religious sites in the world.
Amun-Ra: King of the Gods
When Egyptian pharaohs drove out foreign rulers called the Hyksos, Thebes became the most important city. Amun, as Thebes' god, became important across the whole country. The pharaohs believed Amun helped them win battles. They spent a lot of their wealth building grand temples for him.
Amun as a Champion of Justice
Because Amun helped the pharaohs defeat foreign rulers, people saw him as a protector. He was believed to help those who were less fortunate and to uphold justice. People who prayed to Amun often confessed their mistakes first. They believed he was merciful and would forgive them.
Amun and the Ram Symbol
Later, when Egypt conquered the land of Kush, they connected Amun with a local Kushite god. This god was often shown with a ram's head. Because rams were seen as symbols of strength and the power to create life, Amun also became a god of fertility. He even took on some traits of another fertility god named Min, becoming Amun-Min.
Eventually, Amun was also linked with the powerful sun god Ra. This led to the creation of Amun-Ra. In hymns, Amun-Ra was praised as the "Lord of truth, father of the gods, maker of men, creator of all animals."
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Amun (New Kingdom)
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Amun (Post Amarna)
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Amun-Ra (New Kingdom)
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Amun-Ra (Post Amarna)
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Amun as a Ram Headed man (New Kingdom)
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Amun-Min
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Amun-Ra-Min
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The Amarna Period: A Time of Change
During the 18th Dynasty, a pharaoh named Akhenaten (originally Amenhotep IV) made a big change. He decided to worship only one god, the Aten, which was shown as the sun disk. He even removed the names and symbols of other gods, including Amun. Akhenaten moved the capital city away from Thebes. This change was very unpopular with the priests of Amun, who lost their power.
After Akhenaten's death, his young son, Tutankhaten, became pharaoh. He quickly brought back the old gods and changed his name to Tutankhamun. This meant "living image of Amun." The worship of Amun-Ra was fully restored. Later, another pharaoh, Horemheb, erased Akhenaten's name from records. He made sure that the worship of Amun-Ra was firmly back in place.
Amun's Enduring Beliefs
As Amun-Ra, he was seen as a god of wind, the sun, creation, and fertility. People prayed to him for mercy, believing he would listen to those in distress. They thought their suffering might be due to their own or others' mistakes.
Ancient texts describe Amun-Ra as a merciful god. They say his anger passes quickly. He was believed to calm stormy seas for sailors who called his name. People felt that Amun was more powerful than many others if they kept him in their hearts.
Powerful Priests and Amun's Influence
During the Third Intermediate Period (around 1080 to 943 BCE), the High Priests of Amun in Thebes became incredibly powerful. They controlled much of Egypt's wealth and land. They were almost as powerful as the pharaohs themselves. Some high priests even became pharaohs.
However, around the 10th century BCE, Amun's power over all of Egypt slowly began to lessen. But in Thebes and especially in Nubia, his worship remained strong.
Amun's Legacy Beyond Egypt
Amun in Nubia and Sudan
Amun continued to be worshipped in Nubia (modern-day Sudan) for a long time. There, his name was pronounced Amane or Amani. Priests of Amun in cities like Meroe had great influence. They even helped choose rulers and guide military plans.
A famous temple dedicated to Amun in Nubia is at Jebel Barkal. This temple was built into a large sandstone mound. It was seen as a very sacred place. Both Nubians and Egyptians believed this mountain was a source of divine kingship.
Amun and Alexander the Great
The Siwa Oasis in Western Egypt had a famous oracle of Amun. An oracle was a place where people believed they could get advice from a god. The ancient Greeks learned about Amun through this oracle. They often connected Amun with their chief god, Zeus.
When Alexander the Great came to Egypt in 332 BCE, he visited the oracle at Siwa. There, he was declared a son of Amun. After his death, coins showed Alexander with the Horns of Ammon. This symbolized his divine connection to Amun. Even in the Quran, Alexander is called "Dhu al-Qarnayn" (The Two-Horned One), referring to these depictions.
Words from Amun: Ammonia and Ammonites
Amun's name, through its Greek form Ammon, has influenced several words we use today. For example, the chemical ammonia gets its name from "sal ammoniacus." This was a salt collected near a temple of Jupiter-Amun in ancient Libya.
The spiral shells of ancient sea creatures called ammonites also get their name from Amun. Their shape reminded people of a ram's horns, which were a symbol of Amun. Even parts of the brain, in the hippocampus, are called cornu ammonis (Amun's Horns) because of their curved shape.
The ancient Greek historian Herodotus shared a story about why Amun was sometimes shown with a ram's head. He said Amun, wanting to show himself to his son Khonsu without revealing his full divine form, hid behind a ram's fleece.
See also
In Spanish: Amón para niños
