| According to a Greek version of this tale, Nut and Geb were so closely intertwined that there was no room for anything bewteen them. This angered Atum, who ordered their father Shu, god of air, to seperate them. Shu did so by standing on Geb and hoisting Nut above his head so that they could not touch each other. Nut, however was already pregnant. In his wraith Atum cursed her: she was allowed to give birth, he announced, but she was forbidden to do so on any of the 360 days that made up the year at that time. Among the gods whom Atum created was Thoth, god of wisdom. Thoth loved Nut and decided to help her by challenging the other gods to a game of draughts in which he gambled for more time. He won five days, and by adding them to the existing year he created time for Nut to give birth on successive days to her five children: Osiris, Horus, Seth, Isis and Nephthys. Thoth's wisdom and cunning had gained Egypt a full calendar year. |
