In the book of the dead, the Pharaoh says “I am decreed to be the Heir, the Lord of the Earth of Geb. It seems that Geb was largely worshiped as a goose, his sacred animal, during the pre-dynastic period. If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source. He was generally shown lying on the ground underneath Nut who was arched high above and covered with stars, or underneath Shu who was between him and Nut.2. GEB Egyptian Earth God Macho Earth God with some odd quirks. His father Shu fought with the followers of the serpent Apep, and was weakened by this battle. According to the Heliopolitan Ennead system, Geb had an important place in the creation story. Omissions? When Shu was gone, Geb sought out his mother and raped her. Geb still longed for his sister, and was often depicted lying prone with his erect phallus pointing towards her body. His grandfather was Atum (the self-created creator god), his father was Shu (the god of air) and his mother was Tefnut (the goddess of moisture). A cookie which helps me track how many visitors come to my site and what pages they look at. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. This mythological story explained why. Despite his heinous crime, Geb went on to be a good king who protected the land and its people. Geb, in ancient Egyptian religion, the god of the earth, the physical support of the world. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Your choices will not impact your visit. Geb was popularly known as the god of the earth to Ancient Egyptians. Updates? “The Ancient Egyptians”, 2007. He also supported Horus’ right to the throne following the death of Osiris. One example of this is found on the Papyrus of Tentamun, and can be found in other papyrus writings as well. This article was most recently revised and updated by. Created by Moonlight Developments. Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nephthys were the children of Geb and his sister-wife Nut (the goddess of the sky). “The Egyptian World”, 2007. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Although his name translates to “weak one” or “lame one”, Geb is Is the northernmost point of Africa farther north than the southernmost point of Europe? Thus, he could be a malevolent being as well as beneficial deity, imprisoning the dead in his body. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Geb is the Egyptian god of the Earth, fertility and farming. In Egyptian art Geb, as a portrayal of the earth, was often depicted lying by the feet of Shu, the air god, with Nut, the goddess of the sky, arched above them. I have union with women. Geb is one of the most important Egyptian God in ancient Egypt history. However, Nut was found to be pregnant and gave birth to Osiris, Horus the Elder, Set, Isis and Nephthys. Animals associated with him included geese, snakes, rabbits, bulls. Geb was known as the God of Earth. He was sometimes depicted as having green hair or skin, and also at times shown with a goose sitting on top of his head. However, when he reached out to the cobra (ureas) on the crown of Re, it read his guilt and killed all of his companions and severely wounded him. There was not a major cult center associated with Geb, but the god did have a high number of appearances in hieroglyphics throughout Egyptian temples, tombs and pyramids.2. However, it seems that his lust did not stop there. He wept when he was separated from her, and so created the oceans of the world. In the space between them, Shu created and gave life to nature.1 Even though they were separated, the siblings still had four (or five) children together. The god was important during the transfer of power from one Pharoah or king to the next. 2. You may change your settings at any time. Narratives between cities and regions may have differed from this, but many of them had the father Shu holding or supporting Nut and standing on top of Geb. It was only by the application of a lock of Ra’s hair that Geb was saved. This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. The justified dead were given words of power which allowed them to ascend to the sky, while those whose hearts were weighed down with guilt were trapped in the earth by Geb. The Phakussa Stele (Ptolemaic period) tells of Geb´s infatuation with his mother, Tefnut. Other symbols associated with him included plants such as grain or reeds. In Ancient Egypt Geb (also known as Seb, Keb, Kebb or Gebb) was a god of the earth and one of the Ennead of Heliopolis. As a result, Geb became very important to matters relating to the earth. Geb hath refreshed me, and he hath caused me to ascend his throne.” One ceremony to mark the accession of a new pharaoh involved the release of four wild geese, to the four corners of the sky, to bring luck to the new king. As the Egyptians believed that the pharaoh was the living image of Horus, the pharaoh was sometimes known as the “Heir of Geb”. Our latest podcast episode features popular TED speaker Mara Mintzer. Because of this relation to the earth, he became an important god in farming. It may seem strange to have a male earth god (most cultures associating the earth with femal power) but Geb was sometimes considered to be bisexual.