The Heliopolitan cosmogony attributes creation to Atum, the first god who created himself from the primordial waters.
The Memphis creation myth, however, places Ptah, god of craftsmen and architects, to the role of the demiurge. According to this version, Atum was produced from the intellect of Ptah. Once formed, Atum carried out creation in a manner similar to the Heliopolis version.
It could be argued that the Memphite version reconciles the two belief systems, by providing a direct link between them. At the same time, though, the Memphites relegate Atum and place their own patron atop. This could perhaps be interpreted as an attempt to assert supremacy over the Heliopolitan belief system.
Are the two cosmogonies competing or reconciliatory? Would a Heliopolitan priest be offended by the Memphite version? Or would they be open to accepting Ptah as a possible alternative to the self-creation story of Atum?
