Primeval Bound Analysis

- = Primeval Mound = -
By Sophia Stiles
Dear Paradox, Here I am at Egypt again, sent on another mission. However, this time I got to research something of my choice, so I chose the Primeval Mound. Below is a transcript of the interview I had with a man named Aruk who offered to explain to me what the Primeval Mound was in the temple of Karnak. Just so you know, later we took and break and continued our interview outside the temple, not the inside. Hope you enjoy! - = + = - Aruk: So, foreigner, are you seeking my knowledge about the Primeval Mound? [cough, cough] Me: Yes. I will be asking you about what the mound is … and then I’ll decide what else to ask you about from there. Aruk: Alright. So let’s get started. First of all, I’m
assuming you know this, but the Primeval Mound is something from Egyptian mythology Me: OF COURSE I WOULD KNOW THAT!!!!!!
ANYBODY WOULD KNOW!!! [glares intensively] Aruk: FIRST OF ALL, WE ARE IN A TEMPLE!!! FUN FACT - DID YOU EVER KNOW THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO STAY QUIET IN A TEMPLE?!!! YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THE GODS!! [fumes] Me: WELL YOU’RE YELLING TOO!! Ok. Breath in, breath out. Stay calm. Ok. As you were saying… Aruk: Where was I again? Me: [blinks] The Egyptian mythology part. Aruk: Ah, yes. The Primeval Mound was the first land to rise about the primeval ocean at the dawn of time, so I guess you could see that this topic is very important to us Egyptians. Me: Of course. Could you tell me more about that? It’s very interesting! Aruk: I’m glad you like listening to it. So the Primeval Mound was the place where the spirit of the creator could take on a form and begin the work of– Me: Yes? Aruk: [glares] As I was saying… the Primeval Mound was the place where the spirit of the creator could take on a form and begin the work of creation. It is in the center of the cosmos, and is a place of continuous creation. Me: Uhhh, what’s a
cosmos?? Aruk: Ah, cosmos. Such a wonderful word. From the words of the creator, a cosmos is the universe seen a well-ordered whole. I hope you remember this word for the rest of your life. I will remember it for the rest of mine. Me: STOP WITH THE PRESSURING! OH MY EMURA! NOW I’M MAD!! Aruk: Ignoring the yelling, your statement of “oh my Emaira!” is not correct. Since the god who embodied the Mound was Tatenen, you should be saying “oh my Tatenen!” instead of that! How dare you insult him! Me: UH, EXCUSE ME?!! In my religion, the most important god is Emura, which, BTW, is the goddess of life. So how dare you insult Emura! SHE WILL PUNISH YOU FOR THIS AS WELL AS YOUR MISPRONUNCIATION OF HER NAME!!! [fumes]
Aruk: Uh-oh… Me: As you were saying… Aruk: Yes. AS I WAS SAYING, the mound can be shown rounded, or stepped. The pyramidion-shaped benben stone of Heliopolis looks very like the image of the Primeval Mound, but actually, there is an equal chance of being an image of the mound as there is of it being a similar picture. I’m actually not that sure… [blushes] Me: HAHAHA!! Ok, you know what? I might get punished by the gods if I keep on yelling, so I might as well keep quiet. Aruk: FINALLY! Now I’m proud that I’m actually getting some sense into you! Me: Thanks a lot, Aruk. Is there anything else I should about the Primeval Mound before I leave? Aruk: Sadly, yes. Meaning I have to stay with you even longer— Me: I delight in making people annoyed. Aruk: [hands over ears] For the next part of our interview, I will be explaining how mounds are featured in many different myths. Me: Cool. Could you continue? Aruk: Yes. In Memphis, Tatenen was worshipped as a form of the creator god Ptah. However, at Thebes, he became a form of Amun instead. A high hill of sand is mentioned in the cosmology of Heliopolis. Atum, otherwise known as the creator god, was sometimes identified with this hill. Me: Wow! That’s a lot of mounds! Aruk: Yes, that is a lot of mounds. And so, at Hermopolis, the primeval forces known as the Ogdoad came together to form a mound or island for the primeval egg. Me: Ok, but what is the Ogdode? Aruk: Ogdoad. Ogdod were a group of eight deities or gods worshipped in Hermopolis. Me: Oh, I see now. May you please continue? Aruk: This is the confusing part, so listen carefully - the broken shell of this “world egg” was used by the creator to make the first land. But as I said earlier in our interview, this is only part of Egyptian mythology, so who knows if it is really the truth or not. Me: The story of the Primeval Mound is really interesting, but it’s also so confusing at the same time! Aruk: It sure is.
Let’s take a five-minute break so you can think about that information. - = + = - Aruk: You’re back. I’ve been waiting for you. Me: I was enjoying the outdoors. Aruk: Then we can continue our interview outside, if you would like. Me: That would be nice. Aruk: Ok. So now, I’m am going to talk about how the Mound was related to the first beings. One theory is that the first being was a bird, such as a phoenix, a goose, or an ibis. However, despite the type of bird, its first perch was the Mound. Me: That isn’t all, is it. Aruk: No, it isn’t even close to done. The trees that are shown growing out of the Mound may be the sacred grove from which falcon gods such as Horus and Sopdu are said to have emerged. The Mound is a really important concept for us Egyptians. You know, every major Egyptian temple claimed that its sanctuary was built on the site of the Primeval Mound. The sanctuary was the place where the god of the temple became manifest, as the creator first became manifest on the Mound. Me: As you know, my vocabulary directed towards Egyptians and religion isn’t actually that great. Could you tell me what a manifest is? Aruk: Oh, manifest? A manifest is ____________ (to be continued) Me: Oh.
Thanks! Aruk: By the New Kingdom, the god Osiris had developed strong associations with the Primeval Mound. Like the Ogdoad of Hermopolis, he could be thought of as being buried in or under the Mound. His soul could be shown as a bird perching in a tree or grove growing from the Mound. In some underworld books, the souls of Ra and Osiris meet in bird form on top of the mound to bring new life to the dead. The resurrected Osiris was shown enthroned on the Mound at the center of the underworld. Me: Wow! That’s a lot of information about the Primeval Mound! Aruk: Yes, it is. I have ran out of information to provide you with about the Primeval Mound. I hope you have fun back in Paradox and get more ideas about the creation of the universe. Come back if you do! Me: Thank you for taking your time to explain this concept with me. I wish Egypt great wealth and prosperity! As you can probably see, I now have a lot of knowledge about the Primeval Mound after talking to Aruk. I should be returning home now, and hope to learn even more about other civilizations' religion. It was quite interesting! Hope to see you soon,
Sophia