| Bennu | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 The deity, Bennu, wearing the Atef crown | |||||
| Name inhieroglyphs |
| ||||
| Major cult center | Heliopolis | ||||
| Symbol | Grey heron | ||||
Bennu (/ˈbɛnuː/)[1] is anancient Egyptian deity linked with the Sun, creation, and rebirth. He may have been the original inspiration for thephoenix legends that developed inGreek mythology.
According toEgyptian mythology, Bennu was a self-created being said to have played a role in thecreation of the world. He was said to be theba (personality component of the soul) of the sun deityRa, and to have enabled the creative actions ofAtum.[2] The deity was said to have flown over the waters ofNun that existed before creation, landing on a rock and issuing a call that determined the nature of creation. He was also a symbol of rebirth and, therefore, was associated withOsiris.[3]
Some of the titles of Bennu were "He Who Came Into Being by Himself",[2] and "Lord ofJubilees"; the latter epithet referring to the belief that Bennu periodically renewed himself like the sun was thought to do.[3] His name is related to the Egyptian verbwbn, meaning "to rise in brilliance" or "to shine".[2]
ThePyramid Texts, which date to theOld Kingdom, refer to the 'bnw' as a symbol of Atum, and it may have been the original form of Bennu. In that word the shape of a bird used is definitely not that of a heron, but a small singing bird. The GermanWörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache (Dictionary of the Egyptian Language) surmised that might have been aYellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava), but no clear reason is given.[2] However, the same bird is used in the spelling of a word 'bn.t' in a painted limestone relief wall fragment from the sun temple of the Vth Dynasty Old Kingdom kingNiuserre. The hieroglyph clearly shows traces of blue-grey paint on much of the bird's body, indicating a different bird species. Rather, the shape and colour seem to point to a (Mediterranean)Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) for which, however, another name was in use: 'hn.t<y' (lit. 'the one of the canal'). It could be surmised that a Kingfisher flying low over water and shrieking loudly would be a reasonable basis for the mythical creator deity Atum of Heliopolis as having risen from the first dark waters, called Nun, in order to start his creation of the world. If so, the Kingfisher 'bnw' or 'bn.t' is a good match for the mythical and culticNile goose (I.e. 'smn') of the creator deity Amun in later periods, imagined to have been honking loudly in the primeval dark above the still waters in order to bring forth all creation by its voice.[citation needed]
New Kingdom artwork shows Bennu as a hugegrey heron with a long beak and a two-feathered crest. Sometimes Bennu is depicted as perched on abenben stone (representing Ra and the name of the top stone of a pyramid) or in a willow tree (representing Osiris). Because of the connection with Osiris, Bennu sometimes wears theAtef crown,[3] instead of the solar disk.
Remains of a giant, human-sized heron species, thought to have gone extinct around 1500 BC, were discovered in theUnited Arab Emirates in 1977.[4][5] It lived on theArabian Peninsula and shared many characteristics with Bennu, and scientists believe it may have been the animal model for the deity. In reference to this, archaeologist Dr. Ella Hoch from the Geological Museum atCopenhagen University named it theBennu heron (Ardea bennuides).[6]
Like Atum and Ra, Bennu was probably worshipped in the deities' cult centre atHeliopolis.[3] Bennu also appears on funeraryscarab amulets as a symbol of rebirth.[2]
The Greek historianHerodotus, writing about Egyptian customs and traditions in the fifth century BC, wrote that the people at Heliopolis described the "phoenix" to him. They said it lived for 500 years before dying, resuscitating, building a funerary egg withmyrrh for the paternal corpse, and carrying it to the temple of the Sun at Heliopolis.[7] His description of the phoenix likens it to an eagle with red and gold plumage, reminiscent of the sun.[3]
Long after Herodotus, the theme of the fire, pyre, and ashes of the dying bird, ultimately associated with the Greek phoenix, developed in Greek traditions.
The name "phoenix" could be derived from "Bennu", and its rebirth and connections with the sun resemble the beliefs about Bennu; however, Egyptian sources do not mention a death of the deity.[2]
Media related toBennu at Wikimedia Commons
