Kenmet (Egyptian mythology)
| Kenmet in hieroglyphics | ||||||||
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| Middle realm |
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| Gr.-Roman. time |
Kenmet Knmt [translation not possible] |
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Kenmet (also Kenmut, Chnoubis, Chnoumis, Chnouphis, Knuphis ) is documented as the ancient Egyptian snake deity of the sky for the first time in the coffin texts of the Middle Kingdom and the associated diagonal star clocks . At the same time, Kenmet appears in the Nutbuch as dean Kenmet of the same name in the role of the constellation responsible for the Nile flood .
In the secondary literature often established connection of the names Chnoubis, Chnoumis (and similar) with the deity Khnum is untenable because, for example, the on gems occurring so-called Chnouphiszeichen the dean Kenmet belongs.
background
Representations and functions
In the Middle Kingdom, Kenmet is iconographically represented as an erect snake crossed by three smaller snakes, as well as a snake with a falcon - or a human head. At the same time, Kenmet embodies the characteristics of a ram ( Ba ), Re and Isis .
During the third interim period , Kenmet worships the activities of Amun-Re in the context of his manifestations as Re-Harachte , Harachte , Chepri , Atum and Harmachis .
In Greco-Roman times , Kenmet's function of Isis was equated with the character traits of Sopdet as the bearer of the eye of Re .
Mythological aspects
In the New Kingdom Kenmet depicts the life of Horus with the two heavenly turtles . Kenmet is the deity who sets out on the 15th of Achet IV to bring the time of Osiris ( October season ).
In the Greco-Roman times, Kenmet as Horus of Letopolis ( Hem , northwest of Memphis ) embodied the time of sowing, which is why Kenmet was also named as recipient in the sacrificial cult . In addition, Kenmet was a chronocrat of the first hour of the night in this epoch and stood as an armed man at the head of the divine stars in their orbit .
See also
literature
- Christian Leitz u. a .: Lexicon of the Egyptian gods and names of gods . Peeters, Leuven 2002, ISBN 90-429-1146-8 , p. 290.
- Alexandra von Lieven : Floor plan of the course of the stars - the so-called groove book . The Carsten Niebuhr Institute of Ancient Eastern Studies (among others), Copenhagen 2007, ISBN 978-87-635-0406-5 .
- Alexandra von Lieven: The sky over Esna - A case study on religious astronomy in Egypt using the example of the cosmological ceiling and architrave inscriptions in the temple of Esna . Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2000, ISBN 3-447-04324-5 .
- Joachim Friedrich Quack , Kim Ryholt: Hieratic texts from the collection - The Carlsberg papyri 7 - . Museum Tusculanum Press, Copenhagen 2006, ISBN 87-635-0405-7 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Alexandra von Lieven: The sky over Esna . P. 59.