The Myth of How Tefnut Left Egypt Summary

The Myth of How Tefnut Left Egypt is an ancient Egyptian myth about the goddess Tefnut, her quarrel with her father Ra, and how her return to Egypt brings an end to a devastating drought.

The Myth of How Tefnut Left Egypt Main Characters analysis

• Tefnut — the goddess of rain and the beloved daughter of the sun god Ra. After quarreling with her father, she flees to the Nubian Desert and refuses to return at first.
• Ra — the sun god and Tefnut’s father. When Tefnut leaves Egypt, he is devastated, and the country suffers from a terrible drought. He sends Shu and Thoth to bring her back.
• Shu — the god of wind and Ra’s son. Ra sends him to Nubia to find Tefnut and persuade her to return to Egypt.
• Thoth — the god of the Moon and wisdom, associated with writing, geometry, astronomy, the calendar, magic, and medicine. He eventually succeeds in persuading Tefnut to return.
• The Kite and the Cat — the animals in the instructive story told by Thoth to Tefnut. Their failure to keep their promises leads to the loss of their children.

The Myth of How Tefnut Left Egypt Summary

Tefnut, the goddess of rain, was the beloved daughter of the Sun God Ra and helped him maintain the order of the world. But one day, Tefnut quarreled with her father and fled to the Nubian Desert.

Devastated by the loss of his daughter, Ra could not be comforted. A terrible drought struck Egypt, and people began to die from thirst and hunger.

Then great Ra summoned his son, the wind god Shu, and asked him to bring Tefnut back.

Taking the form of a lion, Shu traveled to Nubia and soon found Tefnut. She had transformed herself into a wild cat and was hunting antelopes in the desert. But Shu was unable to persuade her to return.

Ra then decided to send Thoth to Tefnut. Thoth, the god of the Moon and wisdom, was regarded as the inventor of writing, geometry, astronomy, and the calendar, as well as the patron of magic and medicine.

Thoth transformed himself into a small, funny-looking baboon and tried to persuade Tefnut to come back. But the angry goddess wanted to tear him apart for his audacity.

Thoth then decided to tell her an instructive tale about a kite and a cat who lost their children because they failed to keep their promises. For telling her this story, he received a promise from Tefnut that she would not harm him.

In the end, Thoth finally managed to soften the angry goddess’s heart. Touched by his words, Tefnut decided to return to Egypt.

The entire land of Egypt rejoiced. The Nile once again filled with life-giving waters, and its banks became lush and green. People welcomed the goddess with joyful songs and dances. They beat tambourines, shook sistrums, and sang songs of greeting.

Geese and gazelles were sacrificed in honor of Tefnut. Her return was celebrated with rivers of wine and beer, while people offered her flowers and branches of date palms. Ra, weeping with happiness, embraced his daughter and held a magnificent feast in her honor. One of the most honored places at the feast rightfully belonged to the god Thoth, who had shed the skin of the small, funny-looking baboon.

From that time on, every year, when the season of drought came to an end, the people of Egypt celebrated the return of Tefnut.