Egyptian Child Gods

Nefertem

Mythology of Nefertem

Nefertem is often thought of as the god of perfumes, but this association is a secondary one and he was primarily the youthful god of the lotus blossom which rose from the primeval waters according to Egyptian myth. Nefertem was thus not only identified with the blue lotus (Nymphaea caerulae) but also with the sun god who emerged from it, and his association with Ra is common. In the Pyramid Texts he is called 'the lotus blossom which is before the nose of Ra' (PT 266), showing that his association with perfume was an early and natural one. In later times Nefertem was also closely associated with Horus the son of Ra and the two deities were sometimes merged. At Memphis, Nefertem came to be grouped with the pre-eminent Ptah and his consort Sekhmet in a particularly important triad in which he was commonly viewed as their child.Other ancient Egyptian cities also claimed Nefertem, however. At Buto he was the son of the cobra goddess Wadjett and he was also sometimes viewed as the son of the feline goddess Bastet.

Iconography of Nefertem

In his representations, Nefertem is usually depicted anthropomorphically as a male god wearing a lotus blossom upon his head. Sometimes this lotus headdress is augmented by two upright plumes and twin necklace counterpoises which which hang at its sides. Occasionally Nefertem is also depicted as a lion-headed god (in reference to his leonine 'mother' Sekhmet) or standing on the back of a lion (perhaps also relating to his solar connections). In a few cases, depictions of Nefertem as a lion wearing his distinction lotus headdress also are found. The god usually wears a short kilt and may hold a khepesh sickle sword - perhaps in association with one of his epithets, khener tawy 'protector of the Two Lands'. Because of his association with the primeval creation myths Nefertem may be represented as a child seated on a lotus blossom, and a variation on this motif is found in examples which show only the head of the god emerging from the lotus - as in the famous painted wooden example found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. In these images the association of Nefertem and the infant sun god is particularly close, and such depictions might be seen as representing the king as one or the other, or even both of these Egyptian gods.

Worship of Nefertem

Nefertem's mythological characteristics meant that he was primarily a deity of royal and divine monuments. He was not commonly worshipped and, in fact, was popularly more often feared as the son of the ferocious Sekhmet. Amuletic 'divine decrees' of the Third Intermediate Period, made when a child was born, thus often promise to protect the child from manifestations of Nefertem along with other Egyptian gods who were considered potentially harmful. On the other land, a few protective amulets depicting the god were also made in this period.