Nun
Nun
In the beginning before there was anything… there was something. Or maybe someone. A giant topless, bottomless, endless space filled with water was there: The Nun (not to be confused with the ruler-wielding Catholic lady terrorizing your classmates), ancient Egypt's very first god. Is the Nun a he or a she, an it or a they, or anything or anyone at all? Does the Nun even know what's going on? These are deep mysteries for the deepest of the deeps, Shmoopers. One thing's certain, though: Say noon, not nun.
Basic Information
| Name | Nun (Nu) |
| Nickname | Watery One, The Abyss, Bubba, The Inert One, Captain Chaos, Father of the Gods |
| Sex | Male and/or female (as Nun and Naunet) |
| Current city | I exist outside and in all things |
Work & Education
| Occupation | Everything—you exist because of me |
| Education | I am education |
Beliefs
| Political views | I am politics |
Family & Friends (& Enemies)
| Parents | Don't need any; I invented parents |
| Siblings | Ha! There's only one original, yo—no siblings for me. |
| Children | Everything that exists. My first and favorite child is Atum (Tem). |
| Friends | Let's just say you won't get far without me, so everyone's well-served by befriending me. |
| Enemies | Apep |
Relationships
| Relationship status | If I am divided into male and female parts, as sometimes I am, then I am married to my female form, Naunet. |
| Interested in | Everything. For real. |
Favorites
| Quotations | "In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move." – Douglas Adams "Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last you create what you will." – George Bernard Shaw "If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." – Carl Sagan "If you gaze for long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." – Friedrich Nietzsche "You'll never sink when you are with me" – The Lumineers, "Dead Sea" |
| Books | Neuromancer by William Gibson. I'm kind of like cyberspace. I'm everywhere and nowhere at the same time. There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff. Don't blame me. I'm not omnipotent. Dr. Heidegger's Experiment by Nathaniel Hawthorne. And this is why you humans can't have nice things. And when I get bored with Earth, I can read The Martian Chronicles! Ray Bradbury is very entertaining. Cosmos by Carl Sagan. I think I did a nice job of creation. Don't you? You know, Aristotle wrote about me, as the Prime Mover? And he wasn't even an Egyptian! Cry of the Benu Bird by C. Shana Greger. A beautiful version of my most famous creation story: love it. How the World Began: World Myths (Myths and Legends from Around the World) by Gilly Cameron Cooper. I love reading creation stories. They're all so interesting. |
| Music | "Once in a Lifetime" by Talking Heads. The water is not supposed to hold you down, silly! Sometimes, in the dark, I belt out "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons. Welcome to the new age! "Love Don't Die" by the Fray. Not even in a thousand thousand years—I would know. Everything in creation is awesome. Everything. Even Legos and Tegan and Sara. "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong United. This song made me cry, but nobody noticed, because I'm made out of water. "Water Music" by Georg Friedrich Händel is almost as beautiful as I am! Speaking of classical music, there's also "The Creation" by Franz Joseph Haydn. Gorgeous! I love modern Egyptian music, too. Amr Diab is great. |
| Movies | Everybody thinks I should've liked Waterworld. But I didn't. My favorite Kevin Costner movie is Field of Dreams. Take that! The Fifth Element. I could watch this movie over and over again. Then again, I've basically got all the time in the world. There aren't any sharks in my waters anymore (they're all in your oceans now), but that doesn't stop me from loving Sharknado. Clash of the Titans. You think my kids didn't get along? Check the Greeks out. Blue Planet. Look at this awesome world I made for you! Weird Science. This is why I do all the creating: You don't make good choices. |
| TV Shows | Planet Earth. The only home you'll ever need. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey brings a tear to my giant eye. Doctor Who. Time Lords! Why didn't I think of Time Lords? Ptah, Amun, and I like challenging ourselves to Jeopardy! So far, I've never lost a match. |
Activities & Interests
| Likes | The number eight Sitting still Doing things with my hands Frogs Johnny Depp |
| Activities | Going on long cruises around the universe Swimming Creating all the things Playing poker with the Ogdoad Cleaning up oil spills (pesky humans) |
| Interests | Watercolor painting Interstellar telescopes Amniocentesis Hydroponics Wetlands preservation |
| Groups | Ancient Egyptian Gods Egyptian Mythology Chaos Rage Creative Ideas Water.org Cosmology |