Mehen
| Mehen | |
|---|---|
 Mehen surrounding Ra, in the form of a man with a ram head, on his Solar Barque |
| Part of a series on |
| Ancient Egyptian religion |
|---|
 |
 Ancient Egypt portal |
In Egyptian mythology, the name Mehen (Coptic: Ⲙⲉϩⲉⲛ), meaning 'coiled one', referred to a mythological snake-god and to a board game.[1]
Snake god
[edit]The earliest known references to Mehen occur in the Coffin Texts.[2] Mehen is a protective deity who is depicted as a snake which coils around the sun god Ra during his journey through the night, for instance in the Amduat.[3]
In the German-Egyptian dictionary by R. Hannig,[4] it is said that the Mehen (mḥn) or the Mehenet (mḥnt) snake is equivalent to the Ouroboros.
Relationship between snake-god and Mehen game
[edit]
The precise relationship between the deity and the Mehen game is unknown.[citation needed] For instance, it is unknown whether the game derives from the mythological character or the character derives from the game.[citation needed]
It is known that the object known as mehen depicts a game rather than a religious fetish as demonstrated in tomb paintings, game boards, and equipment.[citation needed] The rules and method of playing the game are unknown, although rules have been created in modern times based on assessments of how it may have been played.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ Discussion of the game by University College London
- ^ The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by R. Wilkinson ISBN 0-500-05120-8
- ^ The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife by Erik Hornung ISBN 0-8014-8515-0
- ^ Hannig, R. 1995. Die Sprache der Pharaonen: Großes Handwörterbuch Ägyptisch-Deutsch
External links
[edit]- Mehen at BoardGameGeek
- Mehen boardgame with suggested playing rules at Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery schools liaison
