Geb

God of the Earth

Geb was the son of Shu, god of air, and Tefnut, goddess of moisture. His sister and partner was Nut. Their parents separated the tightly joined earth and sky, with Shu standing between them. Geb and Nut became parents of Osiris, Isis, Set and Nephthys, and sometimes Horus the Elder. This family was called the Ennead of Heliopolis when joined with Atum and the older generations. Ancient art shows Geb reclining on one elbow with a knee raised. Nut curves high above him and Shu holds her up. The pose transforms the landscape into a body: hills can be knees, plants can sprout from skin and the horizon becomes the place where earth and sky nearly meet. Geb may be coloured green or covered with vegetation.

A goose can appear on his head because the goose hieroglyph was used to write part of his name. Geb was closely connected with kingship. The throne of Egypt could be called the ‘inheritance of Geb’. In the Osiris story, kingship passes from Geb to Osiris and then, after conflict, to Horus. A new pharaoh therefore joined a divine chain of rightful rulers. Gods judging the dispute between Horus and Set sometimes appeal to Geb as an older authority. He divides their responsibilities or confirms who should inherit the land. Snakes lived in holes and moved close to the ground, so Geb could be called father of snakes. This gave him another dangerous side. Protective spells might ask him to control serpents or keep their poison away.

At the same time, the dead were buried within the earth and could be described as entering Geb. He might hold enemies down, but he could also release a worthy dead person and provide food for renewed life. Egyptian farming depended on soil renewed by the Nile flood. The black silt produced grain, vegetables and flax, while desert ground marked a harsher boundary. Several gods shared responsibility for fertility, including Osiris, Min and Renenutet. Geb’s role was the earth itself beneath those processes. Offerings ultimately came from his body, whether bread, beer, fruit or animals fed by plants. Temple hymns thanked the gods by returning a portion of the land’s produce.

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