When you’re the only being to emerge from the dark and endless abyss of pre-creation, things can get a little lonely. That’s why Atum, a self-created deity of Egyptian mythology, made his children.

A primaeval cosmic god, Atum’s name comes from the Egyptian verb ‘tm‘, which means ‘to complete’ or ‘to finish’. But he couldn’t have been that complete, as he quickly rushed to create his kids, Shu and Tefnut, so he could get some much needed conversation.

Atum’s worship centred around Heliopolis, a major city in ancient Egypt. Sadly, all that’s left is the Temple of Re-Atum obelisk, located in Al-Masalla of Al-Matariyyah, Cairo. It stands almost 21 metres high and weighs the same as 20 African elephants.