Hennu
Encyclopedia
In Egyptian mythology
, the hennu boat (also henu, Manuel de Codage
transliteration: Hnw) was a symbol of the god Seker
of Memphis
. Depending on the era or the prevailing dynasty of Egypt
, the hennu boat sailed toward either dawn or dusk.
In the Pyramid Texts
of Unas (PT 214, 138c) one of the steps the deceased had to take, after leaving his property to his son, after purifying himself, etc was:
You will descend on ropes of bronze, in the arms of Horus as his name is "Being in the Hennu barque."
On the holiday of the god Seker, a stone—possibly a representation of the god—was put on the Hennu barque and pulled with a sled over the fields, while people followed it wearing garlands of onions. A harpist's song from the tomb of Djehutimes (TT 32) describes the practice as follows:
[He] pulled [So]kar by placing the Hennu barque on its sled, going around the walls with his following.
At times the Hennu barque was identified with Seker himself, as in pKairo CG 51189 (pYuya) where it is stated: I have appeared as Hennu.
which is followed two lines below by this passage: I have appeared as Sokar.
Egyptian mythology
Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals which were an integral part of ancient Egyptian society. It centered on the Egyptians' interaction with a multitude of deities who were believed to be present in, and in control of, the forces and elements of nature...
, the hennu boat (also henu, Manuel de Codage
Manuel de Codage
The Manuel de Codage is a standard system for the computer-encoding of transliterations of Egyptian hieroglyphic texts.-History:...
transliteration: Hnw) was a symbol of the god Seker
Seker
Seker or Sokar is a falcon god of the Memphite necropolis. Although the meaning of his name remains uncertain the Egyptians themselves in the Pyramid Texts linked his name to the anguished cry of Osiris to Isis 'Sy-k-ri' , in the underworld. Seker is strongly linked with two other gods, Ptah the...
of Memphis
Memphis, Egypt
Memphis was the ancient capital of Aneb-Hetch, the first nome of Lower Egypt. Its ruins are located near the town of Helwan, south of Cairo.According to legend related by Manetho, the city was founded by the pharaoh Menes around 3000 BC. Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, it remained an...
. Depending on the era or the prevailing dynasty of Egypt
History of Ancient Egypt
The History of Ancient Egypt spans the period from the early predynastic settlements of the northern Nile Valley to the Roman conquest in 30 BC...
, the hennu boat sailed toward either dawn or dusk.
In the Pyramid Texts
Pyramid Texts
The Pyramid Texts are a collection of ancient Egyptian religious texts from the time of the Old Kingdom. The pyramid texts are possibly the oldest known religious texts in the world. Written in Old Egyptian, the pyramid texts were carved on the walls and sarcophagi of the pyramids at Saqqara during...
of Unas (PT 214, 138c) one of the steps the deceased had to take, after leaving his property to his son, after purifying himself, etc was:
You will descend on ropes of bronze, in the arms of Horus as his name is "Being in the Hennu barque."
On the holiday of the god Seker, a stone—possibly a representation of the god—was put on the Hennu barque and pulled with a sled over the fields, while people followed it wearing garlands of onions. A harpist's song from the tomb of Djehutimes (TT 32) describes the practice as follows:
[He] pulled [So]kar by placing the Hennu barque on its sled, going around the walls with his following.
At times the Hennu barque was identified with Seker himself, as in pKairo CG 51189 (pYuya) where it is stated: I have appeared as Hennu.
which is followed two lines below by this passage: I have appeared as Sokar.
Other divine barks
- The NeshmetNeshmetThe Neshmet bark was a boat belonging to the god Nun in which the ancient Egyptian god Osiris was transported on the river Nile during the Osiris festival at Abydos...
- The sun barks of ReRaRa is the ancient Egyptian sun god. By the Fifth Dynasty he had become a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the mid-day sun...
: the morning bark, mandjet, and the evening bark, mesktet.