Khonsu ( egy,
ḫnsw; also transliterated Chonsu, Khensu, Khons, Chons or Khonshu; cop, Ϣⲟⲛⲥ, Shons) is the
ancient Egyptian god
Ancient Egyptian deities are the gods and goddesses worshipped in ancient Egypt. The beliefs and rituals surrounding these gods formed the core of ancient Egyptian religion, which emerged sometime in prehistory. Deities represented natural fo ...
of the Moon. His name means "traveller", and this may relate to the perceived nightly travel of the Moon across the sky. Along with
Thoth
Thoth (; from grc-koi, Θώθ ''Thṓth'', borrowed from cop, Ⲑⲱⲟⲩⲧ ''Thōout'', Egyptian: ', the reflex of " eis like the Ibis") is an ancient Egyptian deity. In art, he was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or ...
he marked the passage of time. Khonsu was instrumental in the creation of new life in all living creatures. At
Thebes he formed part of a family triad (the "
Theban Triad
The Theban Triad is a triad of Egyptian gods most popular in the area of Thebes, Egypt.
The triad
The group consisted of Amun, his consort Mut and their son Khonsu.
They were favored by both the 18th and 25th Dynasty. At the vast Karnak Tem ...
") with
Mut
Mut, also known as Maut and Mout, was a mother goddess worshipped in ancient Egypt and the Kingdom of Kush in present-day North Sudan. In Meroitic, her name was pronounced mata): 𐦨𐦴. Her name means ''mother'' in the ancient Egyptian l ...
as his mother and
Amun his father.
Mythology
Khonsu's name reflects the fact that the Moon (referred to as
Iah in
Egyptian) travels across the night sky, for it means "traveller," and he also had the titles "Embracer," "Pathfinder," "Defender," and "healer," as he was thought to watch over those who travel at night. As the god of light in the night, Khonsu was invoked to protect against wild animals, and aid with healing. It was said that when Khonsu caused the crescent moon to shine, women conceived, cattle became fertile, and all nostrils and every throat was filled with fresh air.
Attributes
In
art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
, Khonsu is typically depicted as a mummy with the symbol of childhood, a sidelock of hair, as well as the
menat
In ancient Egyptian religion, a menat ( egy, mnj.t, ar, منات) was a type of artefact closely associated with the goddess Hathor.
Operation
The menat was held in the hand by its counterpoise and used as a rattle by Hathor's priestesses. It ...
necklace with
crook and flail
The crook and flail (''heka'' and ''nekhakha'') were symbols used in ancient Egyptian society. They were originally the attributes of the ancient Egyptian deities, deity Osiris that became insignia of pharaonic authority. The shepherd's crook st ...
. He has close links to other divine children such as
Horus and
Shu. He is sometimes shown wearing an eagle or falcon's head like
Horus, with whom he is associated as a protector and healer, adorned with the sun disk and crescent moon.
Khonsu is mentioned in the
Pyramid Texts
The Pyramid Texts are the oldest ancient Egyptian funerary texts, dating to the late Old Kingdom. They are the earliest known corpus of ancient Egyptian religious texts. Written in Old Egyptian, the pyramid texts were carved onto the subterrane ...
and
Coffin Texts, in which he is depicted in a fierce aspect, but he does not rise to prominence until the
New Kingdom, when he is described as the "Greatest God of the Great Gods". Most of the construction of the temple complex at
Karnak
The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (, which was originally derived from ar, خورنق ''Khurnaq'' "fortified village"), comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Constr ...
was centered on Khonsu during the
Ramesside period
The Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XX, alternatively 20th Dynasty or Dynasty 20) is the third and last dynasty of the Ancient Egyptian New Kingdom period, lasting from 1189 BC to 1077 BC. The 19th and 20th Dynasties furthermore togeth ...
.
The
Temple of Khonsu
The Temple of Khonsu is an ancient Egyptian temple. It is located within the large Precinct of Amun-Re at Karnak, in Luxor, Egypt. The edifice is an example of an almost complete New Kingdom temple, and was originally constructed by Ramesses III ...
at Karnak is in a relatively good state of preservation, and on one of the walls is depicted a
creation myth in which Khonsu is described as the great snake who fertilizes the
Cosmic Egg
The world egg, cosmic egg or mundane egg is a mythological motif found in the cosmogonies of many cultures that is present in Proto-Indo-European culture and other cultures and civilizations. Typically, the world egg is a beginning of some sort, ...
in the creation of the world.
Khonsu's reputation as a healer spread outside Egypt; a
stele records how a princess of Bekhten was instantly cured of an illness upon the arrival of an image of Khonsu. King
Ptolemy IV
egy, Iwaennetjerwymenkhwy Setepptah Userkare Sekhemankhamun Clayton (2006) p. 208.
, predecessor = Ptolemy III
, successor = Ptolemy V
, horus = ''ḥnw-ḳni sḫꜤi.n-sw-it.f'Khunuqeni sekhaensuitef'' The strong youth whose f ...
, after he was cured of an illness, called himself "Beloved of Khonsu Who Protects His Majesty and Drives Away Evil Spirits".
Locations of Khonsu's cult were
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
,
Hibis and
Edfu
Edfu ( egy, bḥdt, ar, إدفو , ; also spelt Idfu, or in modern French as Edfou) is an Egyptian city, located on the west bank of the Nile River between Esna and Aswan, with a population of approximately sixty thousand people. Edfu is the site ...
.
In popular culture
Khonsu appears as
a character in
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, where the spelling of his name was changed to 'Khonshu'. In the comics, the character
Moon Knight is the avatar of Khonshu and is also known as "The Fist of Khonshu". Khonshu grants him supernatural abilities to fight evil in his name, but also slowly drives him insane. Moon Knight's strength, endurance, and reflexes are enhanced depending upon the phases of the moon.
[''Marvel Spotlight'' #28. Marvel Comics.] During Volume 2, Moon Knight is given special weapons by the cult of Khonshu. Khonshu also appears in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
(MCU) television series ''
Moon Knight'', voiced by
F. Murray Abraham.
He is very similar to the comic version.
See also
*
List of lunar deities
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Egyptian gods
Lunar gods
Night gods
Time and fate gods
Theban Triad
Personifications
Falcon deities