Alternate Names: Ptah-tatenen, Ptah tatenen, Ta Tenen
Ta-Tenen is the Neter which symbolizes the emergence of the fertile Nile silt from the receding waters of the inundation. He is a Neter of the Earth, and His name reflects this in it's translation: 'exalted earth'.
During the Old Kingdom, Ta-Tenen became amalgamated with the Neter Ptah , and was viewed as a manifestation of the creator Neter Ptah as a creator. In Memphis, Ta-Tenen is considered to be the deified embodiment of the 'first land'. As a creator, Ta-Tenen is considered to be a bisexual Neter. Both the father and the mother of the other Neteru. In a papyrus located within the Berlin Museum, Ta-Tenen is written to be the 'father and mother who gave birth to the Neteru'.
In the Underworld, Ta-Tenen plays a protective role. He would protect the 'royal dead' on their journey through the Underworld.
Ta-Tenen is depicted anthropomorphically (as a man) wearing a striped nemes headdress. He is also shown to be wearing a crown with two distinct plumes upon the horns of a ram. Some of his depictions, you will see his limbs and face painted green. This further emphasizes his close ties to vegetation.