Read about It. Рахимбергенова М.Х. - 11 стр.

                                TEXT III                                       formed the vault, which is arched over Geb, the god of earth, who lies
                                                                               prostrate beneath her from where, at the eastern horizon, she is poised
      Read the text and do all the tasks given below.                          on her toes to where, at the western horizon, bending down with out-
                                                                               stretched arms, she rests on her fingertips. In the darkness are seen the
        CREATION LEGEND OF SUN WORSHIPPERS                                     stars that sparkle on her body and over her great unwearied limbs.
                                                                                      When Ra, according to his wish, uttered the deep thoughts of his
        The myths from which this chapter has been constructed date            mind, that which he named had being. When he gazed into space, that
from the New Kingdom period, especially the Nineteenth and Twenti-             which he desired to see appeared before him. He created all the things
eth Dynasties (1552–1701 BC). Ra is the first human god (the pharaoh),         that move in the waters and on the dry land. Now, mankind were born
then a world god like Ptah in his giant form and lastly a cosmic deity.        from his eye, and Ra, the Creator, who was ruler of the gods, became
The priests were evidently engaged in systematising the theology of the        the first king on earth. He went about among people. He took a form
sun cult. Ra, the sun, is shown to be greater than his father, Nu, and a       like theirs, and to him the centuries were as years.
concession is made to the worshippers of Isis in the legend, which cred-              Ra had many names that were not known to gods or men, and he
its Ra with imparting to her the power she possessed. Horus is given           had one secret name that gave him his divine power. The goddess Isis,
recognition. He acquires the «eyes» of Ra (the sun and moon). Thoth            who dwelt in the world as a woman, grew weary of the ways of man-
also, as Ah, has control of the moon. The result of the compromising           kind. She sought rather to be among the mighty gods. She was an en-
process was to leave everything vague and even confused, but the               chantress, and she wished greatly to have power equal with Ra in the
greatness of Ra was made manifest.                                             heavens and on the earth. In her heart, therefore, she yearned to know
        At the beginning the world was a waste of water called Mi, and it      the secret name of the ruling god, which was hidden in his heart and
was the home of the Great Father. He was Nu, for he was the deep, and          was never spoken aloud.
he gave life to the sun god who said: «Lo! I am Khepera at dawn, Ra at                Each day Ra walked out, and the gods in his train followed him,
high noon and Atum at eventide.» The god of brightness first appeared          and he sat on his throne and uttered decrees. He had grown old, and as
as a shining egg that floated on the water’s breast, and the spirits of the    he spoke, moisture dripped from his mouth and fell on the ground. Isis
deep, who were the Fathers and the Mothers, were with him there, as he         followed him, and when she found his saliva she baked it with the earth
was with Nu, for they were the companions of Nu.                               on which it lay. She shaped the substance into the form of a spear, and it
        Now Ra was greater than Nu, from whom he arose. He was the             became a poisonous serpent. She lifted it up; she threw it from her, and
divine father and strong ruler of gods, and those whom he first created,       it lay on the path along which Ra would travel when he went up and
according to his wish, were Shu, the wind god, and his consort, Tefnut,        down his kingdom, surveying what he had made. Now the serpent that
who had the head of a lioness and was called The Spitter because she           Isis had created was invisible to both gods and men.
sent the rain. In afterlife these two deities shone as stars amidst the con-          Soon there came a day when Ra, the aged god, walked along the
stellations of heaven and were called The Twins.                               path, followed by his companions. He came near to the serpent, which
        Then Geb, the earth god, came into being and Nut, the goddess of       was waiting for him, and the serpent stung him. The burning venom
the firmament, who became the parents of Osiris and his consort, Isis,         entered his body, and Ra was stricken with great pain. A loud and
and also of Seth and his consort, Nepthys.                                     mighty cry broke from his lips, and it was heard in highest heaven.
        Ra spoke at the beginning of Creation, and ordered the earth and              Then the gods who were with him spoke, saying, «What has hap-
the heavens to rise out of the waste of water. In the brightness of his        pened to you?» and «What thing is this?»
majesty they appeared, and Shu, the uplifter, raised Nut on high. She

                                    21                                                                            22