Atum is the Heliopolis creator and solar Netjer (god) - and one of the more mysterious of the Netjeru. He was a personification of the primeval chaos before the beginning of creation, and was self created - raising from the waters of Nun and creating the primeval mound, and 'masturbated' the world into being, his hand representing the female principle, or female aspect of himself. Sometimes it is described that he 'spat' the first Netjeru into being, Shu and Tefnut. In this way he is the first of the nine of the Heliopolis Ennead.

In his solar aspect he was later identified with Re to form the Re-Atum. Atum was also a protective Netjer and it was Atum who lifted the dead king from his pyramid to the heavens in order to transform him into a star-god. Atum is most often shown as a man wearing the double crown. His sacred animals were the bull, the lion, and the ichneumon (a form of Egyptian mongoose). He also was represented as the scarab emerging from it's ball of dung as Atum emerged from the primeval mound. His other form is primordial serpent and in this form he is supposed to return at the end of the world.

For a more complete view of Atum by Nefeti Meritamen: Atum