Akhty (deity)
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Early Kingdom diction:
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Later diction:
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Akhty (also read Netjer-akhty) was a Ancient Egyptian deity. He was seldomly mentioned.
Depiction
Akhty was depicted as a northern bald ibis. The bird depiction was often guided by the hieroglyphic sign for "god", Netjer.[1][2]
Attestations
The earliest mention of this deity appears on stone vessel inscriptions from the reign of king (pharaoh) Hotepsekhemwy (2nd dynasty). Egyptologists such as Wolfgang Helck believe that Akhty was a dynasty deity and ancestor god. Akhty was also depicted (and thus worshipped) under Hotepsekhemwy's successors, Raneb and Nynetjer. During the Old Kingdom period, Akhty's name only appears in connection with private names (such as Akhetaa) and priest titles such as Hem-netjer-Akhty ("god's servant of Akhty"). In even later times, Akhty's names appears more and more seldomly.[3]
Worship
According to Ancient Egyptian mythology, the Akh-bird was believed to be the representation of the human spirit (Egyptian: Akh). Most possibly this idea was inspired by the attractive shimmering and glittering of the bird's feathers, which was compared by the Ancient Egyptians to the glittering of the stars in the night sky. A similar believe is known from Persian bedouins, who worship the northern bald ibis as a bearer of the deceased's soul.[1][2]
As Akhty's name suggets, he was believed to reside at the evening horizon, guiding the setting sun and carrying the spirit of the deceased safely into the night sky.[1][2]
References
- 1 2 3 Eberhard Otto: Ach. In: Wolfgang Helck (Hrsg.): Lexikon der Ägyptologie (LÄ), vol. 1. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1975, ISBN 3-447-01670-1, p. 49-52.
- 1 2 3 Jan Assmann: Tod und Jenseits im Alten Ägypten, Sonderausgabe. C. H. Beck, München 2003, ISBN 3-406-49707-1, p. 116-118.
- ↑ Wolfgang Helck, Eberhard Otto, Wolfhart Westendorf: Lexikon der Ägyptologie, vol. 2. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1977, ISBN 3447018763, p. 430.