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出典:Wikipedia
出典:『Wikipedia』 (2011/05/09 16:24 UTC 版)
In Egyptian mythology, Nefertem (possibly translated as the beautiful one who closes or the one who does not close; also read as Nefertum, Nefer-Tem, Nefer-Temu) was originally a lotus flower at the creation of the world, who had arisen from the primal waters. Nefertem represented both the first sunlight and the delightful smell of the Egyptian blue lotus flower, having arisen from the primal waters within an Egyptian blue water-lily, Nymphaea caerulea. (This flower is widely used in Egyptian art, religion and literature. In much of the literature about ancient Egypt, it is called the "(blue) lotus". However, the true lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, was not found in Egypt until the time of the Persian invasion, when it was introduced as a food crop. Some of the titles of Nefertem were "He Who is Beautiful" and "Water-Lily of the Sun", and a version of the Book of the Dead says,