Nefertum – God Of Lotus Blossom, Perfumes, Aromatherapy, Beauty In Egyptian Mythology

A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com - In the religion of the ancient Egyptians, Nefertum (in Greek: Iphtimis) is the personification of the refreshing and most beautiful smell, which, according to the myths, was to set free the creative energy of Re-Atum, and on this belief is based the connection of the name ‘Nefertum’ with Atum.

A carved statue of God Nefertum unearthed in Egypt’s Saqqara Necropolis - Read more

Aromatic oils used in rituals like mummifications, anointing the deceased to ensure his eternal life possessed this smell.

Nefertum (Nefertem) was often believed to be the god of perfumes, but in the first place, he was the young and very handsome god of the lotus blossom, which has its beginnings in the primeval waters. Especially blue Lotus (Nymphaea cerulean) plays a significant role in the Egyptian story of creation because the sun god, Ra, emerged from this flower. It all happened at the very beginning.

He is associated with the primordial lotus flower and mentioned as “the lotus blossom which is before the nose of Ra” in the Pyramid Texts (266) dated to c. 2350 BC and his importance continued, and he became an even more prominent deity during the New Kingdom (1539 BC-1075 BC and later.

Born out of a lotus flower on the mound of creation, as the son of Ptah and the lion-goddess Sakhmet, Nefertum formed with his parents the so-called the Ptah-Sekhmet-Nefertum triad – the center of cult located at Memphis.

Interestingly, although Nefertum was commonly considered the child of Ptah-Sekhmet, in other Egyptian cities like at Buto, he was thought to be the son of the cobra goddess Wadjet, or the son of the goddess Bast. Nefertum was closely connected with both the sun, creation, and Lotus and, more broadly, sweet-smelling, pleasant things to ordinary ancient Egyptians.

Later, Nefertum’s protective aspect became more extended, and the ancient Egyptians considered him a symbol of good fortune.

Amulets and statuettes (especially copper alloy ones) displayed Nefertum as a lotus flower with two feathers, a man with a lotus on his head, and a human figure in a tight robe (Ptah) with the head of a lion, referring to his leonine mother - Sekhmet.

In some depictions, the god is wearing a short kilt and holding a “khepesh,” a sickle sword that was associated with one of Nefertum’s famous epithets: “khener tawy” which means “Protector of the Two Lands.”

Nefertum was not commonly worshiped like many other gods in the Egyptian pantheon.

He was often feared rather than admired because the people of those ancient times were afraid to come in conflict with his ferocious mother, Sekhmet. Although they knew she had the power to ward off diseases and epidemics, she was still feared that she might harm; especially “the seven arrows of Sekhmet” were believed to bring troubles and bad fortune.

Therefore, her son Nefertum was also among the deities who were considered potentially harmful. On the other hand, the Egyptians kept many protective amulets depicting Nefertum.

He occasionally wears a headdress with two plumes and two necklace counterpoises. Once in Egypt, he was considered a symbol of fertility-related to the goddess Hathor, who was closely associated with Bast.

For many ordinary people in ancient Egypt and even now in modern times, Nefertum is the lord of fragrance and perfume. He reminds us that perfume can be more than just a pleasant fragrance. He presides over ritual, erotic, therapeutic, and shamanic uses of incense. Nefertum brought a water lily to the solar deity Ra to ease his suffering, and he can be depicted as a human head emerging from a water lily.

image source

The lotus flower flourishes on the banks of the Nile. It opens its large petals with the rising of the sun. To the ancient Egyptians, it represented the sun because it banished the darkness. The Blue Lotus was the sacred flower of Hathor, the cow goddess of magic, fertility, and healing, representing her powers of healing and regeneration.

This symbol also means creation and rebirth. Nefertem was the god of healing, medicine, and beauty and strongly associated with the Lotus and often depicted in Egyptian art with a large lotus blossom forming his crown. The Lotus was the only flowering plant in Egypt that bloomed nonstop throughout the year. Held by gods and goddesses near the nose of royal kings, queens, and pharaohs as its scent, this flower was believed to be restorative and protective.

The Egyptian Lotus is considered a symbol of Upper Egypt and the sacred plant, representing beauty, prosperity, birth, and resurrection after death. It is also associated with Heliopolis in Lower Egypt. The Lotus was also closely related to funeral ceremonies and the cult of Osiris.

Depictions of the Four Sons of Horus frequently displayed them standing on a lotus in front of Osiris.

Written by – A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer

Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com