Hennu

1) Hennu boat

In Egyptian mythology, the hennu boat, also henu boat etc, was a symbol of the god Seker (also Soker, Sokaris) of Memphis. Depending on the era or the prevailing dynasty of Egypt, the hennu boat sailed toward either dawn or dusk.

In the Pyramid Texts of Unas (PT 214, 138c) one of the steps the deceased had to take, after leaving his property to his son, after purifying himself, etc was:

You will descend on ropes of bronze, in the arms of Horus as his name is "Being in the Hennu barque."

On the holiday of the god Seker a stone - possibly a represention of the god - was put on the Hennu barque and pulled with a sled over the fields, while people followed it wearing garlands of onions. A harpist's song from the tomb of Djehutimes (TT 32) describes it as follows:

[He] pulled [So]kar by placing the Hennu barque on its sled, going around the walls with his following.

At times the Hennu barque was identified with Seker himself, as in pKairo CG 51189 (pYuya) where it is stated:

I have appeared as Hennu.

which is followed two lines below by this passage:

I have appeared as Sokar.

References

• Margaret Alice Murray, Egyptian Religious Poetry, J. Murray 1949, p.86
• Ernest Alfred Wallis Budge, The Gods of the Egyptians or Studies in Egyptian Mythology. Volume 1, Adamant Media Corporation, ISBN 0543951715, p.506
• M. Lurker, Lexikon der Götter und Symbole der alten Ägypter, Scherz 1998, p.189

2) Hennu the Explorer

Hennu, also Henu, Henenu etc., was an Egyptian official serving under Mentuhotep II. He bore the titles of Bearer of the Royal Seal, Steward, Sole Companion, Chief of the Six Courts of Justice. He was overseer of "that which is and that which is not", of the temples, of the granary and the White House (i.e. the treasury), of horn and hoof (i.e. of the cattle). As Keeper of the Door of the South he was responsible for the defence of Egypt's southern border and claims to have subdued the Haunebu.

In the eighth year of the reign of Mentuhotep II he set out from Coptos at the head of a three thousand men strong army, crossed the mountainous Eastern Desert by way of Wadi Hammamat and on the coast of the Red Sea he apparently reassembled a ship his men had carried with them. He sent the ship off to the land of Punt, though some think that he commanded it himself . After the ship's return Hennu delivered the traded goods (referred to as "gifts" or perhaps "tribute") to the king.

References

• Lionel Casson, The Ancient Mariners: Seafarers and Sea Fighters of the Mediterranean in Ancient Times, Princeton University Press 1991, p.10
• J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part One, Chicago 1906, §§427-433
• Osbert Guy Stanhope Crawford, Antiquity, Antiquity Publications 1996, p.241

External Links

• Hammamat Inscriptions