Geb’s Laughter and Earthquakes

Yesterday 𓋴𓆑𓇳 was quite the interesting day in NY as we experienced an earthquake 𓏌𓅩𓂋𓇾 in the morning and an aftershock in the evening! We don’t have earthquakes 𓏌𓅩𓂋𓇾𓏦 in NY very often so it was quite the experience for many of us! 

The ancient Egyptians believed that Geb’s 𓅬𓃀𓀭 laughter is what caused earthquakes 𓏌𓅩𓂋𓇾𓏦 to happen! Geb 𓅬𓃀𓀭 is the god 𓊹 of the Earth’s 𓇾𓇾 surface, which the ancient Egyptians called the Upper Earth. Anything that occurred on the Earth’s 𓇾𓇾 surface was considered to be Geb’s 𓅬𓃀𓀭 domain! 

The deity Tatanen 𓁯 is often associated with things that come from the interior of the Earth 𓇾𓇾 (Lower Earth) such as minerals, rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦, and plants 𓆾𓆰𓆰𓆰! While today we know that earthquakes 𓏌𓅩𓂋𓇾𓏦 come from the interior of the Earth, the ancient Egyptians didn’t know that but it’s still so cool they made this distinction!

The god Geb 𓅬𓃀𓀭 can be depicted in art in a couple of different ways! 

Wereshnefer’s sarcophagus at the MET showing Geb and Nut

On Wereshnefer’s sarcophagus is one depiction: Nut 𓏌𓏏𓇯𓀭, the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of the sky/cosmos 𓊪𓏏𓇯, is seen as a woman arched over the rounded Earth 𓇾𓇾 and is supported by Shu 𓇋𓅱𓀭, the god 𓊹 of the atmosphere.  At Nut’s 𓏌𓏏𓇯𓀭 feet is Geb 𓅬𓃀𓀭 who is represented by feet with two arms holding the rounded Earth 𓇾𓇾! 

Wereshnefer’s sarcophagus at the MET showing Geb and Nut labeled with their names in heiroglyphs

On the painted depiction, Geb 𓅬𓃀𓀭 is seen lying underneath the rest of the figures such as Nut 𓏌𓏏𓇯𓀭 and Shu 𓆄𓅱𓀭, the god 𓊹 of the atmosphere. 

A painted sarcophagus at the Brooklyn Museum depicting Nut, Shu, Geb and Khnum

A painted sarcophagus at the Brooklyn Museum depicting Nut, Shu, Geb and Khnum with their names labeled in hieroglyphs

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

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