| Sopdu | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Name inhieroglyphs |
| |||
| Major cult center | Saft el-Hinna | |||
| Genealogy | ||||
| Parents | ||||
| Spouse | Khensit | |||
Sopdu (also renderedSeptu orSopedu) was agod of the sky and of eastern border regions inthe religion of Ancient Egypt.[1]He wasKhensit's husband.
As a sky god, Sopdu was connected with the godSah, the personification of the constellationOrion, and the goddessSopdet, representing the starSirius. According to thePyramid Texts, Horus-Sopdu, a combination of Sopdu and the greater sky godHorus, is the offspring ofOsiris-Sah andIsis-Sopdet.[1]
As a god of the east, Sopdu was said to protect Egyptian outposts along the frontiers and to help thepharaoh control those regions' foreign inhabitants. He was referred to asLord of the East, and had his greatestcult centre at the easternmostnome ofLower Egypt, which was namedPer-Sopdu, meaningplace of Sopdu. He also had shrines at Egyptian settlements in theSinai Peninsula, such as the turquoise mines atSerabit el-Khadim.[1]
Sopdu's name is composed of thehieroglyph forsharp, a pointedtriangle, and the3rd person pluralsuffix (aquail); thus a literal translation of his name issharp ones.[2] He was said, in the Pyramid Texts, to protect the teeth of the deceased pharaoh.[1]
Sopdu was depicted as a falcon sitting on a religious standard, often with a two-feathered crown on his head and aflail over his shoulder. In his border-guarding role he was shown as aNear Eastern warrior, with ashemset girdle and an axe or spear.[1]
Media related toSopdu at Wikimedia Commons
