Khnum

Khnum (actually Chenemu ) is an Egyptian god, is attested since the Old Kingdom. The thing it was in Egyptian mythology role as Neb Qebehu ( "Lord of Qebehu " ) took Khnum in particular only since the New Kingdom, even though its earliest documents are attested in connection with Elephantine already in the Old Kingdom. There he first came not as a creation deity, but as a " helper of Sopdet and Satis " in appearance.

During the Middle Kingdom, a separate cult of the Khnum is evident with respect to the Nile flood, because he was no longer mentioned since the construction of the Satis Temple there in his former position. Only in the 19th Dynasty of the New Kingdom took over the title of Khnum Neb Abu ( "Lord of Elephantine "). Previously, an incremental contribution of the goddess Satis, the term " mistress of Elephantine ."

Reading and pronunciation of the name

The reading and pronunciation Khnum is known from the Greek. Each language has historical spellings that have little to do with logic - here " Khnum " instead of " Chenemu ", although the 'w ' of the transcription is clearly at the end of the word, and actually written hieroglyphs actually as " Chenem - u" would read. Chenemu was pronounced probably Xanamu. In the Arabic language, this corresponds to Yanam, which translates today " sheep " means. The Gods name may therefore also refer to the sheep.

Representation

In earlier times, exclusively animal -faceted, he was depicted as a ram-headed god in human form since about 2400 BC.

Significance and places of worship

Khnum was above all a creator God who created on the potter's wheel, both gods and humans as well as animals and plants, and could raise using a wand to life. As a fertility god and husband of Heket he was lord of procreation and birth.

Khnum was especially true since the New Kingdom as the patron god of Elephantine and the area around the first cataract, which is why his later most common epithet "Lord of the cataract " ( Neb Qebehu ) was. Here he formed with Satis and their daughter Anukis since the New Kingdom, the triad of Elephantine. In Esna was the triad of Khnum, Menhit and the Son Heka. During the first interval (8th dynasty ), he merged by the general cult of the sun with the sun god Re to Khnum -Re, first documented in the Temple of Debod.

Khnum was worshiped rare in many places in Upper Egypt and Nubia in Lower Egypt. Among the most important cult centers: Elephantine, the Bigge at Philae, Esna and hat - who. Other cult centers of God lay in Schashotep ( Rifeh ) Herwer ( Khnum, "Lord of Herwer " ), in the 16th nome of Upper Egypt and at Tarkhan in the first Lower Egyptian nome.