The blessing of grain represented in god ‘Nepri’ and his affiliate gods of grain: ‘Osiris’ and ‘Renenutet’

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Minia University

Abstract

For the Ancient Egyptians, cereals were not simply food .  Cereals were deeply ingrained in their thought and spirit as a symbol of goodness and benefaction. The natural phenomenon of the sprouting of new green shoots from the heart of the earth after casting the seeds, in a regular cyclic period of time, reaffirmed  their deeply implanted belief of rebirth after death.
The Ancient Egyptian deified cereals in the form of god ‘Nepri’, who was both the god of cereals and cereals themselves. ‘Nepri’ together with ‘Osiris’ and ‘Renenutet’were considered beneficial gods causing all good and productivity. The determinative used in writing the name of god ‘Nepri’ was three grains of corn. The religious importance of corn went so far that Ancient Egyptian texts inform us that it is ‘Osiris’who made corn from his own liquid or water (the water that is in   him). These Texts mention how cereals represented by gods ‘Osiris’ and ‘Nepri’ are the source of life to gods ( the gods live by me ) as states ‘Osiris’. The earliest association of ‘Osiris’ with corn seems to occur in the Dramatic Ramesseum Papyrus ( 12th Dynasty ) as states ‘Griffiths’. The texts acknowledge too the benefit of sun rays to the plants causing them to  germinate and grow.
 The aim of the study is to shed light on the numerous aspects reflecting the rooted importance assigned to cereals in the Ancient Egyptian belief and conscience. The researcher has started by showing the identification of both gods ‘Nepri’ and ‘Osiris’, then, the importance of the two gods starting with god ‘Nepri’, taking in consideration that most of the time it is difficult to separate between the roles of the two gods, being closely entwined. The study, next, approaches the importance of god ‘Osiris’ and finally, the importance of goddess ‘Renenutet

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