#Hymn to Aten

[femmchantress]

One of my all-time favorite little wonders of ancient history is the clear similarities between the Great Hymn of the Aten and Psalm 104 and just like what that says about the travel of people and ideas and belief in the eastern Mediterranean of the Bronze Age and how interconnected the world has always been and how nothing’s ever happened in a vacuum

[effectivefortheaten]

DAILY INSPIRATION

IN THIS TRANSITIONAL PERIOD THE ATEN HAS INSPIRED ME TO LEAVE YOU ALL WITH SOME WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND COMFORT. I FEEL THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS IS TO TELL YOU ALL HOW GREAT THE ATEN IS. AND BY EXTENSION HOW GREAT I AM. SO ENCLOSED IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE GREAT HYMN THAT I HAD SUNG TO ME BY THE ROYAL MUSICIANS THIS MORNING.

YOU ARE IN MY HEART

THERE IS NO OTHER WHO KNOWS YOU

ONLY YOUR SON, NEFERKHEPRURE, SOLE-ONE-OF-RE,

WHOM YOU HAVE TAUGHT YOUR WAYS AND YOUR MIGHT

[...] WHEN YOU RISE YOU STIR FOR THE KING

EVERY LEG IS ON THE MOVE SINCE YOU CREATED THE EARTH

YOU ROUSE THEM FOR YOUR SON, AKHENATEN, WHO CAM EFROM YOUR BODY

THE KING WHO LIVES BY MA'AT, THE LORD OF TWO LANDS,

NEFERHEPRURE, SOLE-ONE-OFRE,

THE SON OF RE WHO LIVES BY MA'AT, THE LORD OF CROWNS,

AKHENATEN, GREAT IN HIS LIFETIME,

AND THE GREAT QUEEN OF HIS HEART, THE LADY OF TWO LANDS,

NEFER-NEFRU-ATEN NEFERTITI, WHO LIVES FOREVER WITH HIM.

WISHING YOU ALL A "HAPPY HUMP DAY" IF THE ATEN WILLS IT BE ONE

[divinelodia]

How plentiful it is, what you have made, although they are hidden from view. Sole God, without another beside you. You created the earth as you wished, When you were by yourself, before mankind, All cattle and kine, all beings on land, who fare upon their feet, And all beings in the air, who fly with their wings.

[talonabraxas]

"Splendid You rise in the lightland of the sky, O living Aten, creator of life ! You have dawned in the eastern lightland. You fill every land with your beauty." -Great Hymn to the Aten, 1-4.

Aten/Aton Talon Abraxas

Ancient Egyptian Aten: Sun God And Creator Deity Symbols: sun disk, heat and light of the sun Cult Center: Akhetaten (Tel El-Amarna) Aten was a being who represented the god or spirit of the sun, and the actual solar disk. He was depicted as a disk with rays reaching to the earth. At the end of the rays were human hands which often extended the ankh to the pharaoh. Aten's origins are unclear and he may have been a provincial Sun-god worshipped in one of the small villages near Heliopolis. Aten was called the creator of man and the nurturing spirit of the world. In the Book of the Dead, Aten is called on by the deceased, "Hail, Aten, thou lord of beams of light, when thou shinest, all faces live." It is impossible to discuss Aten without mentioned his biggest promoter, the pharaoh Amenhotep IV, or Akhenaten. Early in his reign, Akhenaten worshipped both Amon (the chief god in Thebes at the time) and Aten. The first as part of his public duties, the latter in private. When he restored and enlarged the temple of Aten first built by his father Amenhotep III, relations between him and priests of Amon became strained. The priests were a major power in Egypt and if another god became supreme they would lose their own prestige. Eventually, relations became so strained that Akhenaten decided to built his own capital by the Nile, which he called, "Akhetaten", the Horizon of the Aten. At Akhetaten, Akhenaten formed a new state religion, focusing on the worship of the Aten. It stated that Aten was the supreme god and their were no others, save for Akhenaten himself. It has been said that Akhenaten formed the first monotheistic religion around Aten. However, this is not the case. Akhenaten himself was considered to be a creator god and like Aten was born again every day. Aten was only accessible to the people through Akhenaten because Akhenaten was both man and part of the cosmos. Akhenaten systematically began a campaign to erase all traces of the old gods, especially Amon. He erased the name of Amon from the temples and public works. He even went so far as to erase his own father's cartouche because the word "Amon" was featured in it. Even the word "gods" was unacceptable because it implied there were other deities besides Aten. It is clear that the Egyptian people never accepted their king's religion and view of the world. Even at his own capital, Akhetaten, amulets featuring Bes and Tauret have been found. Following Akhenaten's death, Atenism died rapidly. Mostly because the people never really believed in it and also because Akhenaten's successors did all they could to erase Akhenaten and Aten from the public eye. Eventually, Akhetaten became abandoned and the name "Akhenaten" conjured the dim memory of a "heretic king."

[a-d-nox]

aten, the sun god (asteroid 2062)

Aton, sometimes written as Aten was a sun god. Most notably, the Pharaoh Akhenaten re-centered religion around Aton by claiming that Aton was the only god. Akhenaten built a whole city to serve as a worship epicenter for Aton. It is on Akhenaten's tomb that a hymn to Aton was written claiming that Aton is all powerful and the creator / sole god that he would follow into the underworld. IN MY OPINION Aten in your chart can represent a) where there is warmth in your life, b) where you have loyalty from an important individual, and/or c) where you receive a lot of devotion from an individual for simply existing.

i encourage you to look into the aspects of aten along with the sign, degree, and house placement. for the more advanced astrologers, take a look at the persona chart of aten AND/OR add the other characters involved to see how they support or impede aten!

OTHER RELATED ASTEROIDS: akhenaten (326290)!

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[santoschristos]

A Hymn to Ra A HYMN TO RA, WHEN HE RISES IN THE EAST. Hail, thou Aten, thou lord of rays, who risest on the horizon day by day! “Hail, thou Disk, thou lord of rays, who risest on the horizon day by day! Shine thou with thy beams of light upon the face of Osiris Ani, who is victorious; for he singeth hymns of praise unto thee at dawn, and he maketh thee to set at eventide with words of adoration. May the soul of Osiris Ani, the triumphant one, come forth with thee into heaven, may he go forth in the Mātet boat. May he come into port in the Sektet boat, and may he cleave his path among the never-resting stars in the heavens.”

[templeofoccultpractices]

Aten

Other names:Aton, Atonu, or Itn

Major cult center:Amarna

Symbol:Sun disk and reaching rays of light.

Domain:Sky and sun

Aten also Aton, Atonu, or Itn was the focus of Atenism, the religious system established in ancient Egypt by the Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh  Akhenaten. The Aten was the disc of the sun and originally an aspect of Ra, the sun god in traditional ancient Egyptian religion. Akhenaten, however, made it the sole focus of official worship during his reign. In his poem "Great Hymn to the Aten", Akhenaten praises Aten as the creator, giver of life, and nurturing spirit of the world. Aten does not have a creation myth or family but is mentioned in the  Book of the Dead. The worship of Aten was initially dismantled by  Tutankhamun and later eradicated by Tutankhamun's former military general Horemheb.

The cult-centre of Aten was at the new city Akhetaten; some other cult cities include Thebes and Heliopolis. The principles of Aten's cult were recorded on the rock walls of tombs of Amarna. Significantly different from other ancient Egyptian temples, temples of Aten were open-roofed to allow the rays of the sun. Doorways had broken lintels and raised thresholds. No statues of Aten were allowed; those were seen as idolatry.However, these were typically replaced by functionally equivalent representations of Akhenaten and his family venerating the Aten and receiving the ankh (breath of life) from him. Priests had less to do since offerings (fruits, flowers, cakes) were limited, and oracles were not needed.

Worship

In the worship of the Aten, the daily service of purification, anointment and clothing of the divine image was not performed. Incense was burnt several times a day. Hymns sung to Aten were accompanied by harp-music. Aten's ceremonies in Akhetaten involved giving offerings to Aten with a swipe of the royal scepter. Instead of barque-processions, the royal family rode in a chariot on festival days. Elite women were known to worship the Aten in sun-shade temples in Akhetaten.

Religion

The solar Aten was extensively worshipped as a god in the reign of Amenhotep III when it was depicted as a falcon-headed man much like Ra. In the reign of Amenhotep III's successor, Amenhotep IV, the Aten became the central god of the Egyptian state religion, and Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten to reflect his close link with the new supreme deity.

The principles of Aten's religion were recorded on the rock tomb walls of Akhetaten. In the religion of Aten (Atenism), night is a time to fear. Work is done best when the sun, Aten, is present. Aten cares for every creature, and created a Nile river in the sky (rain) for the Syrians.Aten created all countries and people. The rays of the sun disk only holds out life to the royal family; everyone else receives life from Akhenaten and Nefertiti in exchange for loyalty to Aten. Aten is depicted caring for the people through Akhenaten by Aten's hands extending towards the royalty, giving them ankhs representing life being given to humanity through both Aten and Akhenaten. In Akhenaten's Hymn to Aten, a love for humanity and the Earth is depicted in Aten's mannerisms:

Aten bends low, near the earth, to watch over his creation; he takes his place in the sky for the same purpose; he wearies himself in the service of the creatures; he shines for them all; he gives them sun and sends them rain. The unborn child and the baby chick are cared for; and Akhenaten asks his divine father to 'lift up' the creatures for his sake so that they might aspire to the condition of perfection of his father, Aten

Akhenaten represented himself not as a god, but as a son of Aten, shifting the previous methods of pharaohs claiming to be the embodiment of Horus. Akhenaten positioned himself as the only intermediary who could speak to Aten. This contributes to the belief that Atenism should be considered a monotheistic religion where "the living Aten beside whom there is no other; he was the sole god".

There is only one known instance of the Aten talking, "said by the 'Living Aten': my rays illuminate…"

Aten is an evolution of the idea of a sun-god in Egyptian mythology, deriving a lot of his concepts of power and representation from the earlier god Ra but building on top of the power Ra represents. Aten carried absolute power in the universe, representing the life-giving force of light to the world as well as merging with the concept and goddess Ma'at to develop further responsibilities for Aten beyond the power of light itself.

Iconography

Aten, by nature, was everywhere and intangible because he was the sunlight and energy in the world. Therefore, he did not have physical representations that other Egyptian gods had; he was represented by the sun disc and reaching rays of light. The explanation as to why Aten could not be fully represented was that Aten was beyond creation. Thus the scenes of gods carved in stone previously depicted animals and human forms, now showed Aten as an orb above with life-giving rays stretching toward the royal figure. This power transcended human or animal form.

Later, iconoclasm was enforced, and even sun disc depictions of Aten were prohibited in an edict issued by Akhenaten. In the edict, he stipulated that Aten's name was to be spelt phonetically.

──────⊰In Workings⊱──────

Ideas for honoring or working with/worshipping Aten

*Please know basic protections and energy work before attempting any deity work.*

*It is important to note that everyone's experiences are different and will work with spirits for different reasons. Some people may like a spirit while others will not and that's okay. Ask these spirits what they will work with you on as well as ask them if they can help you with whatever it is you need.*

Aten representing the sun itself. Giving life to all things and providing for nature. Appreciation for the light Aten gives.

During Amenhotep-Akhenatens reign using any form of statue was seen as idolatry. So it's entirely up to you if you find it appropriate or not to have one for Aten. It may be appropriate to do outdoor offerings since Aten is the sun itself.

Altar

Make alter outside or under a window or skylight.Burn Inscence.

⬩Altar cloth (maybe one of the sun)

⬩Chalice or cup

⬩Offering bowl

⬩Yellow or white candles (you can use any color)

⬩Incense and incense burner

⬩No statues were used but that's up to you

For more information on basic deity work and altar setups check out the deity work post.

Basic offerings:Bread, Cakes, Flowers, Frankincense, Fruits, Myrrh, Water

Rituals

Say or sing Atens hymn and play harp music. Use a wand or sceptre and wave it in front of the sun.

⬩Honoring the sun

⬩Summer solstice

Great Hymn to the Aten

Thou appearest beautifully on the horizon of heaven,

Thou living Aton, the beginning of life!

When thou art risen on the eastern horizon,

Thou hast filled every land with thy beauty.

Thou art gracious, great, glistening, and high over every land;

Thy rays encompass the lands to the limit of all that thou hast made:

As thou art Re, thou reachest to the end of them;

(Thou) subduest them (for) thy beloved son.

Though thou art far away, thy rays are on earth;

Though thou art in their faces, no one knows thy going.

When thou settest in the western horizon,

The land is in darkness, in the manner of death.

They sleep in a room, with heads wrapped up,

Nor sees one eye the other.

All their goods which are under their heads might be stolen,

(But) they would not perceive (it).

Every lion is come forth from his den;

All creeping things, they sting.

Darkness is a shroud, and the earth is in stillness,

For he who made them rests in his horizon.

At daybreak, when thou arisest on the horizon,

When thou shinest as the Aton by day,

Thou drivest away the darkness and givest thy rays.

The Two Lands are in festivity every day,

Awake and standing upon (their) feet,

For thou hast raised them up.

Washing their bodies, taking (their) clothing,

Their arms are (raised) in praise at thy appearance.

All the world, they do their work.

All beasts are content with their pasturage;

Trees and plants are flourishing.

The birds which fly from their nests,

Their wings are (stretched out) in praise to thy ka.

All beasts spring upon (their) feeet.

Whatever flies and alights,

They live when thou hast risen (for) them.

The ships are sailing north and south as well,

For every way is open at thy appearance.

The fish in the river dart before thy face;

Thy rays are in the midst of the great green sea.

Creator of seed in women,

Thou who makest fluid into man,

Who maintainest the son in the womb of his mother,

Who soothest him with that which stills his weeping,

Thou nurse (even) in the womb,

Who givest breath to sustain all that he has made!

When he descends from the womb to breathe

On the day when he is born,

Thou openest his mouth completely,

Thou suppliest his necessities.

When the chick in the egg speaks within the shell,

Thou givest him breath within it to maintain him.

When thou hast made him his fulfillment within the egg, to break it,

He comes forth from the egg to speak at his completed (time);

He walks upon his legs when he comes forth from it.

How manifold it is, what thou hast made!

They are hidden from the face (of man).

O sole god, like whom there is no other!

Thou didst create the world according to thy desire,

Whilst thou wert alone: All men, cattle, and wild beasts,

Whatever is on earth, going upon (its) feet,

And what is on high, flying with its wings.

The countries of Syria and Nubia, the land of Egypt,

Thou settest every man in his place,

Thou suppliest their necessities:

Everyone has his food, and his time of life is reckoned.

Their tongues are separate in speech,

And their natures as well;

Their skins are distinguished,

As thou distinguishest the foreign peoples.

Thou makest a Nile in the underworld,

Thou bringest forth as thou desirest

To maintain the people (of Egypt)

According as thou madest them for thyself,

The lord of all of them, wearying (himself) with them,

The lord of every land, rising for them,

The Aton of the day, great of majesty.

All distant foreign countries, thou makest their life (also),

For thou hast set a Nile in heaven,

That it may descend for them and make waves upon the mountains,

Like the great green sea,

To water their fields in their towns.

How effective they are, thy plans, O lord of eternity!

The Nile in heaven, it is for the foreign peoples

And for the beasts of every desert that go upon (their) feet;

(While the true) Nile comes from the underworld for Egypt.

Thy rays suckle every meadow.

When thou risest, they live, they grow for thee.

Thou makest the seasons in order to rear all that thou hast made,

The winter to cool them,

And the heat that they may taste thee.

Thou hast made the distant sky in order to rise therein,

In order to see all that thou dost make.

Whilst thou wert alone,

Rising in thy form as the living Aton,

Appearing, shining, withdrawing or aproaching,

Thou madest millions of forms of thyself alone.

Cities, towns, fields, road, and river --

Every eye beholds thee over against them,

For thou art the Aton of the day over the earth....

Thou are in my heart,

And there is no other that knows thee

Save thy son Nefer-kheperu-Re Wa-en-Re,

For thou hast made him well-versed in thy plans and in thy strength.

The world came into being by thy hand,

According as thou hast made them.

When thou hast risen they live,

When thou settest they die.

Thou art lifetime thy own self,

For one lives (only) through thee.

Eyes are (fixed) on beauty until thou settest.

All work is laid aside when thou settest in the west.

(But) when (thou) risest (again),

[Everything is] made to flourish for the king,

Since thou didst found the earth

And raise them up for thy son,

Who came forth from thy body: the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Ak-en-Aton, .and the Chief Wife of the King Nefert-iti, living and youthful forever and ever.

𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓

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[concupiscience]

Great Hymn to the Aten (excerpts)

How manifold it is, what thou hast made!

They are hidden from the face (of man).

O sole god, like whom there is no other!

Thou didst create the world according to thy desire,

Whilst thou wert alone: All men, cattle, and wild beasts,

Whatever is on Earth, going upon (its) feet,

And what is on high, flying with its wings.

The countries of Syria and Nubia, the land of Egypt,

Thou settest every man in his place,

Thou suppliest their necessities:

Everyone has his food, and his time of life is reckoned.

Their tongues are separate in speech,

And their natures as well;

Their skins are distinguished,

As thou distinguishest the foreign peoples.

Thou makest a Nile in the underworld, 

Thou bringest forth as thou desirest 

To maintain the people (of Egypt)

According as thou madest them for thyself,

The lord of all of them, wearying (himself) with them,

The lord of every land, rising for them,

The Aton of the day, great of majesty.

You are in my heart,

There is no other who knows you,

Only your son, Neferkheprure, Sole-one-of-Re [Akhenaten],

Whom you have taught your ways and your might.

[Those on] Earth come from your hand as you made them.

When you have dawned they live.

When you set they die;

You yourself are lifetime, one lives by you.

All eyes are on [your] beauty until you set.

All labor ceases when you rest in the west;

When you rise you stir [everyone] for the King,

Every leg is on the move since you founded the Earth.

You rouse them for your son who came from your body.

The King who lives by Maat, the Lord of the Two Lands,

Neferkheprure, Sole-one-of-Re,

The Son of Re who lives by Maat. the Lord of crowns,

Akhenaten, great in his lifetime;

(And) the great Queen whom he loves, the Lady of the Two Lands,

Nefer-nefru-Aten Nefertiti, living forever.

[ladyanneboleyn2]

Hymn To The Aten (sung in Ancient Egyptian)

[egypthistoryproject]

Work cited

Breasted, James Henry. “The Earliest Boats on the Nile.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 4, no. 2/3 (1917): 174–76. https://doi.org/10.2307/3853883.

Hertzler, J. O. “The Social Wisdom in the Ancient Egyptian Precepts.” Social Forces12, no. 2 (1933): 174–86. https://doi.org/10.2307/2569739.

https://doi.org/10.2307/2569739

“Internet History Sourcebooks Project: Ancient History.” Accessed April 23, 2024. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/rosetta-stone-translation.asp.

“Internet History Sourcebooks Project: Ancient History.” Accessed April 23, 2024. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/nubia1.asp.

“Internet History Sourcebooks Project: Ancient History.” Accessed April 23, 2024. https://sourcebooks.web.fordham.edu/ancient/hymn-nile.asp.

“Internet History Sourcebooks Project: Ancient History.” Accessed April 23, 2024. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/ptahhotep.asp.

Kirwan, L. P. “Nubia and Nubian Origins.” The Geographical Journal 140, no. 1 (1974): 43–51. https://doi.org/10.2307/1797006.

“The Restoration Stela of Tutankhamen,” March 19, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070319034926/http://nefertiti.iwebland.com/tutankamun_restoration.htm.

Urbanus, Jason. “In the Time of the Rosetta Stone.” Archaeology 70, no. 6 (2017): 50–55. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26349029.

Weiss, Daniel. “The Cult of Amun.” Archaeology 68, no. 3 (2015): 48–51. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24364739.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/24364739

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26349029

[artist-tyrant]

Great Hymn to Aten By Akhenaton

"One God, like whom there is no other. Thou didst create the earth by thy heart (or will), thou alone existing, men and women, cattle, beasts of every kind that are upon the earth, and that move upon feet (or legs), all the creatures that are in the sky and that fly with their wings, [and] the deserts of Syria and Kesh (Nubia), and the Land of Egypt. Thou settest every person in his place. Thou providest their daily food, every man having the portion allotted to him, [thou] dost compute the duration of his life. Their tongues are different in speech, their characteristics (or forms), and likewise their skins [in colour], giving distinguishing marks to the dwellers in foreign lands. Thou makest Hapi (the Nile) in the Tuat (Underworld), thou bringest it when thou wishest to make mortals to live, inasmuch as thou hast made them for thyself, their Lord who dost support them to the uttermost, O thou Lord of every land, thou shinest upon them, O ATEN of the day, thou great one of majesty. Thou makest the life of all remote lands. Thou settest a Nile in heaven, which cometh down to them... One thou didst make ... Thou art in my heart. There is no other who knoweth thee except thy son Akhenaton. Thou hast made him wise to understand thy plans [and] thy power. The earth came into being by thy hand, even as thou hast created them (i.e., men). Thou risest, they live; thou settest, they die. As for thee, there is duration of life in thy members, life is in thee. [All] eyes [gaze upon] thy beauties until thou settest, [when] all labours are relinquished. Thou settest in the West, thou risest, making to flourish ... for the King. Every man who [standeth on his] foot, since thou didst lay the foundation of the earth, thou hast raised up for thy son who came forth from thy body, the King of the South and the North, Living in Truth, Lord of Crowns, Akhenaton, great in the duration of his life [and for] the Royal Wife, great of majesty, Lady of the Two Lands, Nefertiti, living [and] young for ever and ever."

[pandeism]

Them: What are your favorite two older hymns? Me: The Great Hymn to the Aten, and the Hiraṇyagarbha Sūkta #hymns #olderhymns #🌿 #PanDeismAnAnthology #🌌 #Pandeism #Replying #TheGreatHymntotheAten #HiraṇyagarbhaSūkta https://www.instagram.com/p/CnWV5l6Ouvo/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[atypikal1-blog-blog]

The hymn suggests that Akhenaten considered Aten (the disk, orb, sphere, globe of the sun) as the only god, and creator of the universe, particularly in the verses translated as[1]: How manifold it is, what thou hast made! They are hidden from the face (of man). O sole god, like whom there is no other! Thou didst create the world according to thy desire, Whilst thou wert alone: All men, cattle, and wild beasts, Whatever is on earth, going upon (its) feet, And what is on high, flying with its wings. The countries of Syria and Nubia, the land of Egypt, Thou settest every man in his place, Thou suppliest their necessities: Everyone has his food, and his time of life is reckoned. Their tongues are separate in speech, And their natures as well; Their skins are distinguished, As thou distinguishest the foreign peoples. Thou makest a Nile in the underworld, Thou bringest forth as thou desirest To maintain the people (of Egypt) According as thou madest them for thyself, The lord of all of them, wearying (himself) with them, The lord of every land, rising for them, The Aton of the day, great of majesty.

[talonabraxas]

“Hymn To The Sun’’ (Akhenaton) You appear beautifully on the horizon of heaven, You living Aton, the beginning of life. When you have arisen on the eastern horizon, You have filled every land with your beauty, You are great, gracious, glistening, and high over every land; Your rays encompass the lands to the limit of all that you have created: Though you are far away, Your rays are on earth; Though you are in their faces, no one knows Your ways.

Aten, Egyptian Sun God Talon Abraxas

[talonabraxas]

Aten - Sun God, Solar Disk Talon Abraxas

The Cult Of Aten The God And Disk Of The Sun, It's Origin

Amongst all the mass of the religious literature of Ancient Egypt, there is no document that may be considered to contain a reasoned and connected account of the ideas and beliefs which the Egyptians associated with the god Aten. The causes of his rise into favour towards the close of the XVIIIth dynasty can be surmised, and the principal dogmas which the founder of his cult and his followers promulgated are discoverable in the Hymns that are found on the walls of the rock-hewn tombs of Tall al-'Amarnah; but the true history of the rise, development and fall of the cult can never be completely known. The word aten or athen is a very old word for the "disk" or "face of the sun," and Atenism was beyond doubt an old form of worship of the sun. But there were many forms of sun-worship older than the cult of Aten, and several solar gods were worshipped in Egypt many. many centuries before Aten was regarded as a special form of the great solar god at all. One of the oldest forms of the Sun-god worshipped in Egypt was HER (Horus), who in the earliest times seems to have represented the "height" or "face" of heaven by day. He was symbolized by the sparrowhawk, the right eye of the bird representing the sun and his left the moon.

[talonabraxas]

Aten, Egyptian Sun God Talon Abraxas The Great Hymn to the Aten

Praise of Re Har-akhti, Rejoicing on the Horizon, in His Name as Shu Who Is in the Aton-disc, living forever and ever; the living great Aton who is in jubilee, lord of all that the Aton encircles, lord of heaven, lord of earth, lord of the House of Aton in Akhet-Aton; (and praise of) the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, who lives on truth, the Lord of the Two Lands: Nefer-kheperu-Re Wa-en-Re; the Son of Re, who lives on truth, the Lord of Diadems: Akh-en-Aton, long in his lifetime; (and praise of) the Chief Wife of the King, his beloved, the Lady of the Two Lands: Nefer-neferu-Aton Nefert-iti, living, healthy, and youthful forever and ever; (by) the Fan-Bearer on the Right Hand of the King ... Eye.

He says:

Thou appearest beautifully on the horizon of heaven, Thou living Aton, the beginning of life! When thou art risen on the eastern horizon, Thou hast filled every land with thy beauty. Thou art gracious, great, glistening, and high over every land; Thy rays encompass the lands to the limit of all that thou hast made: As thou art Re, thou reachest to the end of them; (Thou) subduest them (for) thy beloved son. Though thou art far away, thy rays are on earth; Though thou art in their faces, no one knows thy going.