Khnum, the ram-headed god, was one of the earliest and longest worshiped gods of Ancient Egypt. He was the Ram God of the Nile, God of Silt, God of Fertility and the potter god of creation. He was a god of the sun, predating Ra, and became the protector of Ra as they traveled through the underworld every evening on the solar barque.
Khnum was Lord of the Cataract, a god of the yearly inundation and the fertile black soil that came with the flood. He was seen as a fertility god because of his association with the Nile silt. Pottery was created out of the soil of the Nile, and it was believed that Khnum created the first humans, and the gods, on his potter’s wheel with the silt of the Nile. It was he who molded the First Egg from which the sun hatched and was “Father of the Fathers of the Gods and Goddesses, Lord of Created Things from Himself, Maker of Heaven and Earth and the Duat and Water and the Mountains.”
The following is a a morning hymn to Khnum, from the temple of Esna:
Wake well in peace, wake well in peace,
Khnum-Amun, the ancient,
issued from Nun,
In peace, awake peaceably!
Wake, lord of fields, Great Khnum,
who makes his domain in the meadow,
In peace, awake peaceably!
Wake, lord of gods and men,
lord of the war cry,
In peace, awake peaceably!
Wake, mighty planner,
great power in Egypt,
In peace, awake peaceably!
Wake, lord of life,
wooer of women,
to whom come gods and men as he bids,
In peace, awake peaceably!
Wake, ram great of majesty,
tall-plumed, sharp-horned,
In peace, awake peaceably!
Wake, great lion,
slayer of rebels,
In peace, awake peaceably!
Wake, crocodile-king, Mighty victor,
who conquers as he wishes,
In peace, awake peaceably!
Wake, veiled-faced one,
who shuts his eyes to his foes,
as he bears arms,
In peace, awake peaceably!
Wake, leader of herdsmen,
who grasps the stick,
smites his attacker,
In peace, awake peaceably!
Wake, great crocodile who says,
“Each of you shall slay his fellow,”
In peace awake, peaceably!
Wake, Shu, strong-armed,
his father’s champion,
slayer of rebels,
In peace, awake peaceably!
Wake, fighting ram who chases his foes,
herdsman of his followers,
In peace, awake peaceably!
Wake, multiform one,
who changes shape at will,
In peace, awake peaceably!
Wake, Khnum who fashions as he wishes,
who sets every man in his place!
In peace, awake peaceably!
Iseum Sanctuary 
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