Older spelling - Qeb
Newer spelling - Seb
Stupid spelling - Jeb

Geb was the Egyptian earth god, son of Shu (god of air) and Tefnut (goddess of rain). Traditionally, this role would be fulfilled by a goddess - fertility being generally symbolized by the feminine - but Geb couldn't be bothered with mythological details. His secondary role was that of a minor god of death, back on masculine ground, and his responsibility here was to imprison the souls of the evil dead, preventing them from passing into the afterlife.

He was usually depicted as lying on his back, penis erect, with the naked Nut (sky god) lying above. Occasionally, however, they'd draw the poor bastard with Shu standing upon Geb, coming between the two lovers. Despite daddy's meddlings, Geb managed to father four children with Nut - Osiris, Seth, Isis and Nepthys. Unfortunately, due to ancient Egypt's extreme shortage of both gods and moral fiber, Nut was also Geb's sister.

Geb's skin was a rich green or a slimy black - representing the color of vegetable life and the color of the Nile's fertile waters, respectively. His hieroglyphic symbol (and sacred animal) was the goose and he was often referred to as "The Great Cackler".

An earthquake is said to be the laughter of Geb - similar to the Christian bedtime-explanation of thunder as 'God rearranging the furniture'.




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Egyptian Mythology