Anhur

Anhur
God of War and Sky Bearer

Anhur was depicted wearing a headdress of two or four tall feathers.[1]
Consort Mehit
Parents Ra
Siblings Bastet

In early Egyptian mythology, Anhur (also spelled Onuris, Onouris, An-Her, Anhuret, Han-Her, Inhert) was originally a god of war who was worshipped in the Egyptian area of Abydos, and particularly in Thinis. Myths told that he had brought his wife, Mehit, who was his female counterpart, from Nubia, and his name reflects this—it means (one who) leads back the distant one.[2]

One of his titles was Slayer of Enemies. Anhur was depicted as a bearded man wearing a robe and a headdress with four feathers, holding a spear or lance, or occasionally as a lion-headed god (representing strength and power). In some depictions, the robe was more similar to a kilt.[3]

Roles

God of war

Amulet of Anhur

Due to his position as a war god, he was patron of the ancient Egyptian army, and the personification of royal warriors. Indeed, at festivals honoring him, mock battles were staged. During the Roman era the Emperor Tiberius was depicted on the walls of Egyptian temples wearing the distinctive four-plumed crown of Anhur.

The Greeks equated Anhur to their god of war, Ares. The Olympian gods fled from Typhon and took animal form in Egypt, Ares was said to have taken the form of a fish as Lepidotus or Onuris.[4]

Sky Bearer

Anhur's name also could mean Sky Bearer and, due to the shared headdress, Anhur was later identified with Shu, becoming Anhur-Shu. He is the son of Ra and brother of Bastet if identified as Shu.

High priests of Anhur

In popular culture

Anhur is a playable character in the multiplayer online battle arena, SMITE. Anhur is a hunter and bears title the Slayer of Enemies [8] and is shown in his (anthropomorphic) lion form maintaining his beard, robe and a crown garnished with four large feathers upon it.

Anhur is also a chaotic god in the computer game NetHack/Slash'EM.

Onuris has a minor role in the 2012 fantasy novel The Serpent's Shadow as a presumed dead god who is revived in order to destroy the Lord of Chaos, Apophis.

References

  1. Wilkinson, Richard H. (2003). The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. p. 118
  2. The Way to Eternity: Egyptian Myth, F. Fleming & A. Lothian, p. 56
  3. Turner and Coulter, Dictionary of ancient deities, 2001
  4. Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses 28 (trans. Celoria) (Greek mythographer 2nd century AD)
  5. Topographical Bibliography Vol VIII, retrieved from Griffith Institute website May 2010
  6. 1 2 3 Kitchen, K.A., Rammeside Inscriptions, Translated & Annotated, Translations, Volume III, Blackwell Publishers, 1996
  7. 1 2 3 Porter and Moss Topographical Bibliography; Volume V Upper Egypt Griffith Institute
  8. http://www.smitewiki.com/Anhur

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Onuris.
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