Hor-nechen-chered

Hor-nechen-chered is an ancient Egyptian deity, a name given to Horus as a toddler . Hor-nechen-chered is only mentioned under this name in the Old Kingdom in the pyramid texts.

Etymology and representation

In the written sources the names for Horus as a child change more often . The most commonly used variant includes the lexeme nechen , followed by chered and only once hwn . In addition, Horus, the small child in the other minor forms child in chemmis and child inside his nest is called.

The name of Horus is therefore mostly extended by the two terms nechen and chered as an epithet . Chered stands as a title for a child without a certain age, but in combination with nechen alludes to the phase of life of an infant or toddler, which is why the epithet in this case stands for young child or small child .

The more detailed descriptions in the pyramid texts show the striking difference to the later iconography , for example of Harpocrates , that the index finger of the Hor-nechen-chered is in the mouth instead of on the lower lip of the mouth . The background to this divergent early iconography is the aim of depicting Horus as a very young child.

Content of the pyramid texts

Text 663-664

“The snake is dangerous for Horus as a small child with his finger in his mouth. The king ( Pharaoh ) is also the little Horus child with his finger in his mouth. If it gets dangerous for him he will step on the line, but if he is wise he will not step on you. "

- Pyramid text 663c-664c

Text 1214-1215

As the son of Isis-weret and Osiris , Horus, the little child, is described in relation to his stay in Chemmis :

“The big Isis, who ties her belt in Chemmis by bringing her djais material and smoking it in front of her son Horus, the little child, so that he can cross the country in his two white sandals, and goes to his father To see Osiris. "

- Pyramid text 1214c-1215b

The process described describes the so-called tjes-medjeh - ritual , through which the reaching of adulthood is symbolically described. The belt and the sandals are included as additional items to make it clear that the little Horus child is no longer naked and thus leaves the child's status behind.

Text 1320

In connection with the king's ascension to heaven , one can read:

"He (the king) is Horus, the child, the young man, when this king ascends and goes to heaven."

- Pyramid text 1320c-d

literature

Wolfgang Kosack : The ancient Egyptian pyramid texts. In a new German translation; completely edited and edited by Wolfgang Kosack. Christoph Brunner, Berlin 2012, ISBN 978-3-9524018-1-1 .
Christian Leitz u. a .: Lexicon of the Egyptian gods and names of gods . (LGG), Vol. 5: Ḥ - ḫ (= Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta. [OLA] Volume 114). Peeters, Leuven 2002, ISBN 90-429-1150-6 , p. 266.
Sandra Sandri: Har-Pa-Chered (Harpokrates). The genesis of an Egyptian child of gods (= Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta. Volume 151). Peeters, Leuven 2006, ISBN 90-429-1761-X .

Individual evidence

↑ Sandra Sandri: Har-Pa-Chered (Harpokrates). Leuven 2006, p. 15.
↑ ^a ^b Sandra Sandri: Har-Pa-Chered (Harpokrates). Leuven 2006, p. 8.
↑ PJ1553.A1 1908 cop3. The ancient Egyptian pyramid texts based on the paper prints and photographs of the Berlin Museum - pyramid text 663c . Spruch 378, p. 364. From: lib.uchicago.edu , last accessed on September 16, 2014.

[1] Sandra Sandri: Har-Pa-Chered (Harpokrates). Leuven 2006, p. 15.

[S8-2] Sandra Sandri: Har-Pa-Chered (Harpokrates). Leuven 2006, p. 8.

[3] PJ1553.A1 1908 cop3. The ancient Egyptian pyramid texts based on the paper prints and photographs of the Berlin Museum - pyramid text 663c . Spruch 378, p. 364. From: lib.uchicago.edu , last accessed on September 16, 2014.