Ptah, << puh TAH, >> was an important god in Egyptian mythology associated with creation and the arts. Ptah was first worshiped in the Egyptian capital of Memphis. He was originally regarded as the principle creator of the universe. Texts from Memphis describe him as existing before anything else. He brought the structure of the heavens and Earth into being through the thought of his heart and the magic of his word.
Ptah is usually pictured as a partially mummified figure holding a staff. The staff combines three important symbols. The ankh, a cross with a loop at the top, stands for life. The djed, which resembles a human backbone, represents stability. The was, or scepter, is a symbol of authority. Ptah is often shown with green skin, signifying his power to generate and renew life. In later images, however, he is pictured as a bow-legged, naked dwarf. Some scholars suggest the dwarf form represents the partially-formed states of creation that Ptah worked with often.
Over time, Ptah took on and absorbed aspects of other Egyptian gods. For example, Ptah took on the qualities of Tatenen, an ancient Memphis god of the Earth. In this form, Ptah became associated with the smelting and forging of metals. It was Ptah’s fire that gave the god Re the power to be reborn each day as the rising sun. The cult that formed around this aspect of Ptah included masons and smiths. Ptah is usually shown wearing a tight-fitting skullcap commonly worn by craftsmen. The Ptah cult functioned both as a religious fraternity and professional guild.
Worship of Ptah likely spread throughout Egypt as Memphis became politically important. As demand grew for Egyptian architectural knowledge and for skilled masons and crafters around the Mediterranean, Ptah later became associated with the Greek god Hephaestus and the Roman god Vulcan. These gods of fire and smiths were also pictured as physically imperfect.
