# Tatenen

Tatenen (also Ta-tenen, Tatjenen, Tathenen, Tanen, Tenen, Tanenu, and Tanuu) was the deity of the primordial mound in ancient Egyptian religion. His name means "risen land" or "exalted earth", as well as referring to the silt of the Nile. As a primeval chthonic deity, Tatenen was identified with creation. Both feminine and masculine, he was an androgynous protector of nature from the Memphis area (then known as Men-nefer), the ancient capital of the Inebu-hedj nome in Lower Egypt.
Tatenen represented the Earth and was born in the moment it rose from the watery chaos, analogous to the primeval mound of the benben and mastaba and the later pyramids. He was seen as the source of "food and viands, divine offers, all good things", as his realms were the deep regions beneath the earth "from which everything emerges", specifically including plants, vegetables, and minerals. In the Third Intermediate Period hymn, The Great Hymn of Khnum, he is identified with the creator god Khnum, who created "all that is" on his potter's wheel. This fortuity granted him the titles of both "creator and mother who gave birth to all gods" and "father of all the gods". He also personified Egypt (due to his associations with rebirth and the Nile) and was an aspect of the earth-god Geb, as a source of artistic inspiration, as well as assisting the dead in their journey to the afterlife.
He is first attested in the inscriptions that mostly appear on coffins during the First Intermediate Period and Middle Kingdom. In those inscriptions his name appears as Tanenu or Tanuu, 'the inert land', a name which characterizes him as a deity of the primeval condition of the earth. Middle Kingdom texts provide the first examples of the form Tatenen.
With a staff, Tatenen repelled the evil serpent Apep from the Primeval Mound. He also had a magical mace dedicated to the falcon, venerated as "The Great White of the Earth Creator". In one interpretation, Tatenen brought the Djed-pillars of stability to the country, although this is more commonly attributed to Ptah.

## Ptah-Tatenen

Both Tatenen and Ptah were Memphite deities. Tatenen was the more ancient, combined in the Old Kingdom with Ptah as Ptah-Tatenen, in their capacity as creator deities. By the Nineteenth Dynasty Ptah-Tatenen is his sole form, and he is worshiped as royal creator god. Ptah-Tatenen can be seen as father of the Ogdoad of Hermopolis, the eight deities who themselves embody the primeval elements from before creation.

## Portrayal

Part of a series on :
Ancient Egyptian religion :
Beliefs
Afterlife
Creation myths
Isfet
Maat
Maa Kheru
Mythology
Numerology
Osiris myth
Philosophy
Soul :
Practices
Canopic jars
Embalming ritual
Funerals
Mortuary temples
Offering formula
Opening of the mouth
Pyramids
Temples
Veneration of the dead :
Deities (list)Ogdoad
Amun and Amunet
Heh and Hauhet
Kek and Kauket
Nu and Naunet
Ennead
Atum
Geb
Isis
Nephthys
Nut
Osiris
Set
Shu
Tefnut
Triads
Theban Triad
Elephantine Triad
A
Aani
Aati
Abtu
Ahmose-Nefertari
Aker
Akhty
Amenhotep I
Amenhotep, son of Hapu
Amesemi
Am-heh
Ammit
Amu-Aa
Anat
Andjety
Anhur
Anput
Anubis
Anuket
Apedemak
Apep
Apesh
Apis
Aqen
Arensnuphis
Ash
Assessors of Maat
Astarte
Aten
B
Baal
Baalat Gebal
Babi
Banebdjedet
Ba-Pef
Bastet
Bat
Bata
Bennu
Bes
Beset
Buchis
C
Cavern deities of the underworld
D
Dedun
Dionysus-Osiris
Djed
Djedefhor
Duamutef
Duau
G
Gate deities of the underworld
Gengen-Wer
H
Ha
Hapi
Hapy
Harmachis
Harpocrates
Harsomtus
Hathor
Hatmehit
Hauron
Hedetet
Hedjhotep
Heka
Hemen
Hemsut
Henet
Heqaib
Heqet
Hermanubis
Hermes Trismegistus
Heru-ur
Heryshaf
Hesat
Horus
Hu
I
Iabet
Iah
Iat
Igai
Ihy
Ikhemu-sek
Imentet
Imhotep
Imsety
Ipy
Irer
Ishtar
Iunit
Iusaaset
J
Jupiter Ammon
K
Kagemni I
Kebechet
Khensit
Khenti-Amentiu
Khenti-kheti
Khepri
Khereduankh
Kherty
Khnum
Khonsu
Kneph
Kolanthes
Kothar-wa-Khasis
M
Maahes
Maat
Mafdet
Mandulis
Medjed
Mehen
Mehet-Weret
Mehit
Menhit
Meret
Meretseger
Meskhenet
Min
Mnevis
Montu
Mut
N
Nebethetepet
Nebtuwi
Nefertem
Nehebkau
Nehmetawy
Neith
Nekhbet
Nemty
Neper
Nepit
P
Pakhet
Perit
Petbe
Ptah
Ptahhotep
Q
Qebehsenuef
Qebui
Qed-her
Qetesh
R
Ra
Raet-Tawy
Rekhyt
Rem
Renenutet
Renpet
Renpetneferet
Repyt
Resheph
S
Sah
Satis
Sebiumeker
Sedjem
Seker
Sekhmet
Serapis
Serket
Seshat
Shai
Shed
Shesmetet
Shezmu
Sia
Sobek
Sopdet
Sopdu
Souls of Pe and Nekhen
T
Ta-Bitjet
Tatenen
Taweret
Tayt
Teka-her
Thoth
Tjenenyet
Tutu
U
Unut
W
Wadjet
Wadj-wer
Weneg
Wepset
Wepwawet
Werethekau
Wosret
Y
Yam :
Creatures
Akhekh
Criosphinx
Griffin
Hieracosphinx
Medjed
Serpopard
Set animal
Sphinx
Uraeus :
Characters
Dedi
Djadjaemankh
Rededjet
Ubaoner :
Locations
Aaru
Akhet
Benben
Duat
Land of Manu
The Indestructibles :
Symbols and objects
Ankh
Anra scarab
Atef
Cartouche
Cowroid
Corn mummy
Crook and flail
Crown of justification
Deshret
Djed
Egyptian obelisk
Egyptian pool
Eye of Horus
Eye of Ra
Hedjet
Hemhem crown
Hennu
Horus on the Crocodiles
Hypocephalus
Imiut fetish
Khepresh
Kneph
Menat
Modius
Nebu
Nemes
Neshmet
Ouroboros
Pschent
Scarab
Seqtet boat
Serekh
Shen ring
Solar barque
Tyet
Ushabti
Vulture crown
Was-sceptre
Winged sun :
Writings
Amduat
Books of Breathing
Book of Caverns
Book of the Dead
Book of the Earth
Book of Gates
Book of the Heavenly Cow
Book of Traversing Eternity
Coffin Texts
The Contendings of Horus and Seth
Enigmatic Book of the Netherworld
Festival Songs of Isis and Nephthys
Great Hymn to the Aten
Litany of the Eye of Horus
Litany of Re
Pyramid Texts
Spell of the Twelve Caves :
Festivals
Beautiful Festival of the Valley
Cattle count
Coronation of the pharaoh
Min festival
Mysteries of Osiris
Opet Festival
Sed festival :
Related religions
Atenism
Church of the Most High Goddess
Gnosticism
Hermeticism
Kemetic Orthodoxy
Kemetism
Mysteries of Isis
Temple of Set
Thelema :
Ancient Egypt portal :
vte :
Tatenen's ambiguous portrayal may be a result of his being merged with Ptah. He was most commonly depicted in human form, sometimes with green skin, usually seated with a pharaonic beard, wearing either an Atef-crown (as Ptah-Sokar) or, more commonly, a pair of ram's horns surmounted by a sun disk and two tall feathers. As Tanenu or Tanuu, obviously a chthonic deity, he carried two snakes on his head. He was both feminine and masculine because of his status as a primeval, creator deity. Some depictions show Tatenen with a green complexion (face and arms), as he had connections to fertility and a chthonic association with plants.