Nu, Egyptian Primeval Deity
Nu (Nun) was the personification of the dark watery abyss that existed at the beginning of time, which contained the potential for all life. Nu was one part of four pairs of entities that existed within these formless, chaotic waters. Eventually, the four pairs combine to form an egg or mound (Atum), from which a bird, air, and/or Shu/Tefnut arose.
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A common view is that Atum, the creator god in Egyptian mythology who became “Ra” once he started to rule over humans, was self-created out of Nu. Beyond Atum, Nu was also responsible for the creation of Apep (Ra’s eternal enemy) after Neith (mother of all gods) spat into its waters.
Nu was generally not viewed or worshipped as a god and had no religious temples of its own. Instead, Nu was thought to live both outside the universe and within every body of water.
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Interestingly, Nu was considered as having both a positive and a negative side. Nu suggested to Ra to scorch humanity for lacking in their reverence to him, but also offered to protect Shu and Tefnut (Ra’s children) from the forces of chaos (represented as demonic snakes) within its waters.
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