Ash (god)
Encyclopedia
Ash was the ancient Egypt
ian god of oases, as well as the Vineyards of the western Nile Delta
and thus was viewed as a benign deity
. Flinders-Petrie in his 1923 expedition to the Saqqara (also spelt Sakkara) found several references to Ash in Old Kingdom
wine jar seals: I am refreshed by this Ash was a common inscription.
In particular, he was identified by the Ancient Egypt
ians as the god of the Libu
and Tinhu tribe
s, known as the people of the oasis. Consequently Ash was known as the lord of Libya, the western border areas occupied by the Libu and Tinhu tribes, corresponds roughly with the area of modern Libya
. It is also possible that he was worshiped in Ombos, as their original chief deity.
In Egyptian mythology, as god of the oases, Ash was associated with Set
, who was originally god of the desert, and was seen as protector of the Sahara. The first known reference to Ash dates to the Protodynastic Period, but by the late 2nd Dynasty
, his importance had grown, and he was seen as protector of the royal estates, since the related god Set, in Lower Egypt
, was regarded as the patron deity of royalty itself. Ash's importance was such that he was mentioned even until the 26th Dynasty
.
Ash was usually depicted as a human
, whose head was one of the desert creatures, variously being shown as a lion
, vulture
, hawk
, snake
, or the unidentified Set-animal
. Indeed, depictions of Ash are the earliest known depictions, in ancient Egyptian art
, to show a deity as a human with the head of an animal.
Some depictions of Ash show him as having multiple heads, unlike other Egyptian deities, although some compound depictions were occasionally shown connecting gods to Min
. In an article in the journal
Ancient Egypt (in 1923), and again in an appendix to her book, The Splendor that was Egypt, Margaret Murray
expands on such depictions, and draws a parallel to a Scythia
n deity, who is referenced in Sebastian Münster
's Cosmographia universalis.
The idea of Ash as an import God is contested, as he was the God of Ombos long before Set's
introduction sometime in the 2nd Dynasty. One of his titles is "Nebuty" or "He of Nebut" indicating this position.
Ash is sometimes seen as another name for Set—similarly as one might give the name Ta-Bitjet for Serket
, Dunanwy for Anti, or Sefkhet-Abwy for Sheshat.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian god of oases, as well as the Vineyards of the western Nile Delta
Nile Delta
The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
and thus was viewed as a benign deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
. Flinders-Petrie in his 1923 expedition to the Saqqara (also spelt Sakkara) found several references to Ash in Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom is the name given to the period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement – the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods, which mark the high points of civilization in the lower Nile Valley .The term itself was...
wine jar seals: I am refreshed by this Ash was a common inscription.
In particular, he was identified by the Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ians as the god of the Libu
Libu
The Libu were an ancient Berber tribe, from which the name Libya derives....
and Tinhu tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
s, known as the people of the oasis. Consequently Ash was known as the lord of Libya, the western border areas occupied by the Libu and Tinhu tribes, corresponds roughly with the area of modern Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. It is also possible that he was worshiped in Ombos, as their original chief deity.
In Egyptian mythology, as god of the oases, Ash was associated with Set
Set (mythology)
Set was in Ancient Egyptian religion, a god of the desert, storms, and foreigners. In later myths he was also the god of darkness, and chaos...
, who was originally god of the desert, and was seen as protector of the Sahara. The first known reference to Ash dates to the Protodynastic Period, but by the late 2nd Dynasty
Second dynasty of Egypt
The second dynasty of ancient Egypt is often combined with Dynasty I under the group title Early Dynastic Period. It dates approximately from 2890 to 2686 BC. The capital at that time was Thinis.-Rulers:...
, his importance had grown, and he was seen as protector of the royal estates, since the related god Set, in Lower Egypt
Lower Egypt
Lower Egypt is the northern-most section of Egypt. It refers to the fertile Nile Delta region, which stretches from the area between El-Aiyat and Zawyet Dahshur, south of modern-day Cairo, and the Mediterranean Sea....
, was regarded as the patron deity of royalty itself. Ash's importance was such that he was mentioned even until the 26th Dynasty
Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt
The Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt was the last native dynasty to rule Egypt before the Persian conquest in 525 BC . The Dynasty's reign The Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt (also written Dynasty XXVI or Dynasty 26) was the last native dynasty to rule Egypt before the Persian conquest in 525 BC...
.
Ash was usually depicted as a human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
, whose head was one of the desert creatures, variously being shown as a lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
, vulture
Vulture
Vulture is the name given to two groups of convergently evolved scavenging birds, the New World Vultures including the well-known Californian and Andean Condors, and the Old World Vultures including the birds which are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains...
, hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
, snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
, or the unidentified Set-animal
Seth animal
The sha is assumed to be some canid, or wild dog, inhabiting the deserts of North Africa, particularly the region adjacent to the Nile Valley in Egypt. It is the totemic animal of the god Set, for which reason it is commonly known as the Set animal, Typhonian animal, or Typhonic beast...
. Indeed, depictions of Ash are the earliest known depictions, in ancient Egyptian art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, to show a deity as a human with the head of an animal.
Some depictions of Ash show him as having multiple heads, unlike other Egyptian deities, although some compound depictions were occasionally shown connecting gods to Min
Min (god)
Min is an Ancient Egyptian god whose cult originated in predynastic times . He was represented in many different forms, but was often represented in male human form, shown with an erect penis which he holds in his left hand and an upheld right arm holding a flail...
. In an article in the journal
Academic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
Ancient Egypt (in 1923), and again in an appendix to her book, The Splendor that was Egypt, Margaret Murray
Margaret Murray
Margaret Alice Murray was a prominent British Egyptologist and anthropologist. Primarily known for her work in Egyptology, which was "the core of her academic career," she is also known for her propagation of the Witch-cult hypothesis, the theory that the witch trials in the Early Modern period of...
expands on such depictions, and draws a parallel to a Scythia
Scythia
In antiquity, Scythian or Scyths were terms used by the Greeks to refer to certain Iranian groups of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who dwelt on the Pontic-Caspian steppe...
n deity, who is referenced in Sebastian Münster
Sebastian Münster
Sebastian Münster , was a German cartographer, cosmographer, and a Hebrew scholar.- Life :Münster was born at Ingelheim near Mainz, the son of Andreas Munster. He completed his studies at the Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen in 1518. His graduate adviser was Johannes Stöffler.He was appointed to...
's Cosmographia universalis.
The idea of Ash as an import God is contested, as he was the God of Ombos long before Set's
Set (mythology)
Set was in Ancient Egyptian religion, a god of the desert, storms, and foreigners. In later myths he was also the god of darkness, and chaos...
introduction sometime in the 2nd Dynasty. One of his titles is "Nebuty" or "He of Nebut" indicating this position.
Ash is sometimes seen as another name for Set—similarly as one might give the name Ta-Bitjet for Serket
Serket
In Egyptian mythology, Serket is the goddess of healing stings and bites who originally was the deification of the scorpion....
, Dunanwy for Anti, or Sefkhet-Abwy for Sheshat.