| Mehen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mehen surroundingRa, in the form of a man with a ram head, on hisSolar Barque | ||||
| Name inhieroglyphs |
| |||
InEgyptian mythology, the nameMehen (Coptic:Ⲙⲉϩⲉⲛ), meaning 'coiled one', referred to a mythological snake-god and to aboard game.[1]
The earliest known references to Mehen occur in theCoffin Texts.[2] Mehen is a protective deity who is depicted as a snake which coils around the sun godRa during his journey through the night, for instance in theAmduat.[3]
In the German-Egyptian dictionary by R. Hannig,[4] it is said that the Mehen (mḥn) or the Mehenet (mḥnt) snake is equivalent to theOuroboros.
The precise relationship between the deity and theMehen game is unknown.[citation needed] For instance, it is unknown whether the game derives from the mythological character or the character derives from the game.[citation needed]
It is known that the object known as mehen depicts a game rather than a religiousfetish as demonstrated in tomb paintings, game boards, and equipment.[citation needed] The rules and method of playing the game are unknown, although rules have been created in modern times based on assessments of how it may have been played.[citation needed]
