The Ogdoad were the eight original beings before there were any beings. They come in husband-wife pairs: Heh and Hauhet, the rulers of infinity, Kuk and Kauket, the rulers of darkness, Nun and Naunet, the rulers of primordial waters, and the secretive Amun and Amaunet, who rule hidden things.

The males have frog heads while the females have snake heads. This may have deep symbolic importance, or perhaps they just felt like it. Because there was no-one around to tell them any better, they may also have evolved into baboons at some point.

The legends tell how the Ogdoad got together and built a little island in the middle of Chaos. Not the most scenic of spots but real estate was limited in those days.

A Cosmic Egg was placed on this island and Sun God Atum hatched out. The Ogdoad greeted the first sunrise with howls.

There are many versions of this sort of thing and there are rumors that Thoth himself may have laid the Cosmic Egg. There are other claims that he was a baboon at the time, making this slightly improbable but not to be ruled out. It is just as well the Sun didn’t evolve as a newspaper at the time or who knows what absurd stories would’ve been circulated.

With the arrival of Atum the Ogdoad withdrew. Now they take a back seat while the newer Gods get on with running things.

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Article last revised on November 12, 2018 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders

References: Coming soon.

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