Geb

Geb


 * Other N****ames:**

Seb, Keb, Kebu, Gebhassenef, Sibu, Sivu


 * Meaning of Name:**

“Goose” or “Earth” (the same hieroglyphic was used for both words.)


 * Hieroglyphics:**




 * Titles:**

“Bull of Nut"

//Wadj Wer// ("The Great Green")

//Gengen Wer// (“Great Honker”)

//Negeg Wer// ("Great Cackler")

**Family:**

Geb was thought to be the son of Shu and Tefnut, the brother-husband of Nut, and the father of Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys. Sometimes he was considered to be the father of Neheb-Kau (by Renenutet), Horus, and Sekhmet.

One of the Ennead, Geb was the personification of the earth, the god of agriculture. The earth itself was referred to as “The House of Geb.” The royal throne was known as the "Throne of Geb" and he was supposed to have been one of the first rulers of the earth, the third divine pharaoh, reigning after his father, Shu, and before Osiris. Kingship itself was the "Legacy of Geb." In the Book of the Dead the pharaoh states: "I am decreed to be the Heir, the Lord of the Earth of Geb. Geb hath refreshed me, and he hath caused me to ascend His throne."

As a vegetation god, Geb was shown lying down with green patches or plants on his body. Geb was called the “Great Cackler” or “Great Honker” and as such, was often represented as a goose. It was in this form that he was said to have laid the egg from which the sun was hatched. Geb was even thought to have made other gods, by breaking the stillness of the universe by uttering a great cosmic honk.

The laughter of Geb was thought to cause earthquakes, and barley was said to grow from his ribs. Living creatures were said to “crawl on the back of Geb.” As a god of the earth, Geb also represented the grave and it is stated in the Pyramid Texts, for example, that the deceased king “will not enter unto Geb” or “sleep within His house” – rather, that the pharaoh would enter heaven through the stars. Geb also assisted in the ritual of weighing the heart of the deceased in the Duat.

Geb was pictured as a man with a goose on his head, or as a White-fronted Goose. In rare instances he was pictured as a man with the head of a hare, or as a crocodile. Occasionally he wore the Red Crown. As the earth, Geb was often pictured as lying beneath the sky goddess Nut, leaning on one elbow with one knee bent toward the sky, echoing the shape of two mountains and a valley. The Egyptian gods were offered symbols of their power - the king offered Geb flowers, bread, and wine, and he in turn ensured that the crops flourished and the earth was fertile.

The Egyptian hieroglyphic for goose was used in words such as “fat” and “plumb” - further connecting Geb with the richness of the earth. The self-sacrificing nature of the goose was much admired – geese were thought to love their young so much that they readily gave themselves up to hunters, if only their children might be spared. Thought to likewise sacrifice himself for humanity’s sins, Geb was called the “Beautiful Goose, Greatly Beloved.”

Geb was associated with healing and was particularly invoked in spells combating scorpion stings. His healing powers were wide-ranging, and one magical text describes how Osiris commanded Geb to restrain malicious spirits which caused colds and fevers. When the god Set was in one of his fits of fury, he could only be calmed with medicine dispensed by Geb. Hapi, bountiful god of the Nile inundation, was said to be the “friend of Geb.” It is interesting to note that it is very rare to find an ancient religion with the earth personified in the form of a man instead of a woman.


 * Feast and Holy Days**

February 15 (Geb Goes Forth)


 * Quotes from the Book of the Dead and other sources:**

Hymns of Geb


 * Outside of Egypt:**

The Greeks identified Geb with their own earth-god, Kronos.