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The lotus flower
appeared in legends originating from ancient Egypt. It played an
important part in ancient Egyptian religion. The pure white lotus
flower, the only plant to fruit and flower simultaneously, emerges from
the depths of the muddy swamp. Growing from the mud at the bottom of
ponds and streams, the exquisite Lotus flower rises above the water and
is usually white or pink with 15 or more oval, spreading petals, and a
peculiar, flat seedcase at its center.
Sesen
A Lotus Flower. This is a
symbol of the sun, of creation and rebirth. Because at night the flower closes
and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again. According to one
creation myth it was a giant lotus which first rose out of the watery chaos at
the beginning of time. From this giant lotus the sun itself rose on the first
day. A symbol of Upper Egypt
.The lotus flower
played a prominent role in the version of the creation story that originated in
Heliopolis. Before the universe came into being, there was an infinite ocean of
inert water which constituted the primeval being named Nun. Out of Nun emerged a
lotus flower, together with a single mound of dry land. The lotus blossoms
opened, and out stepped the self-created sun god, Atum, as a child. A slightly different version of the creation story originated in
Hermopolis. In that version, the sun god who formed himself from the chaos of
Nun emerged from the lotus petals as Ra. The lotus is a flower which opens and
closes each day. His history went on to say that the petals of the lotus blossom
enfolded him when he returned to it each night.
The lotus flower
has been featured extensively throughout the art of ancient Egypt. In various
works of art, you may see it held in the hand of a god or human, serving as a
border to outline a section of the artwork, unfolding to reveal various gods or
humans, and many other depictions. The ancient Egyptians from the 4th dynasty
greatly valued the sacred lotus, in religious ceremonies and funerals.
The ancient Egyptians developed the art of counting to a high degree,
but their system of numeration was very crude. For example, the number 1,000 was
symbolized by a picture of a lotus flower, and the number 2,000 was symbolized
by a picture of two lotus flowers growing out of a bush.
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