Tefnut, often referred to as Tefenet or Tefnet, was a significant goddess in ancient Egyptian mythology, embodying moisture while also being intricately linked to both solar and lunar elements. Known as one of the “Eyes of Ra,” Tefnut personified both the lunar moisture and the solar dryness. Her name translates to “She of moisture,” deriving from Egyptian terms related to moisture and the act of salivation.
In artistic representations, Tefnut is usually depicted as a lioness or a woman with a lion’s head, adorned with a solar disk and the Uraeus, and brandishing a sceptre (symbolizing power) alongside the ankh (symbolizing life). Occasionally, she is illustrated as a cobra as well. Her lunar aspect associates her with the night sky, dew, mist, and rain, while her solar attributes depict her as a protector of the sun god, bearing titles such as “Lady of the Flame” and “Uraeus on the Head of all the Gods.” She shared this protective role alongside deities like Sekhmet, Hathor, Mut, Bast, Isis, Wadjet, and Nekhbet.
Tefnut’s familial connections are intricate and noteworthy. Initially linked to a god named Tefen, the Pyramid Texts suggest that together, she and Tefen played a role in the weighing of hearts within the afterlife process. The text mentions, “Tefen and Tefnut have weighed Unas, and Ma’at has listened, and Shu has borne witness.” Over time, Tefen faded into relative obscurity, while Tefnut continued to evolve, maintaining her association with Ma’at. In regions such as Heliopolis (Iunu, On) and Thebes (Waset), she is depicted as the daughter of a creator god (Amun, Atum, or Ra), the sister-wife of Shu and the mother of Geb and Nut. Her imagery sometimes includes assisting Shu to support Nut (the sky) above Geb (the earth). In Memphis, she was identified as the “Tongue of Ptah,” credited with aiding in life’s creation. Notably, a part of Denderah was called “The House of Tefnut,” where she was venerated in her lioness form at Leontopolis (Nay-ta-hut).
Legends detail her activities and adventures: one such story recounts how, after Shu and Tefnut ventured into the chaos of Nun, their father Ra feared he had lost them and dispatched his eye to locate them. Upon their return, Ra’s tears formed the first humans, signifying their importance in creation lore.
Another tale reveals a conflict between Tefnut and Ra when Tefnut left Egypt, taking water and moisture with her to Nubia, which led to drought in Egypt, causing great suffering among the people. In her lioness form, Tefnut rampaged through Nubia until Ra dispatched Thoth and Shu to bring her back. Tefnut returned, bringing the annual inundation, and celebrated her journey through the towns of Egypt, marking the occasion with immense joy among the inhabitants.
Some interpretations suggest that this tale may originally have involved Anhur (also known as Onuris) and his wife, Menhet, associated with Shu, while other variations suggest that Hathor or Sekhmet, in her form as the “Eye of Re,” may have been the one who left for Nubia after being sedated with blood-red beer.
During the reign of Akhenaten, despite the significant shift in religious focus away from many traditional gods, Tefnut and Shu remained relevant, often depicted alongside Akhenaten and Nefertiti as twin lion gods. This detail points to a more nuanced understanding of Atenism, indicating it was not purely monotheistic but rather a henotheistic solar faith.
