Heryshaf

Heryshaf
Heryshaf
Name in hieroglyphs
Hr
Z1
S
Z1 N21
f
Major cult centerHeracleopolis Magna
Equivalents
GreekHeracles
Dionysos
Lepsius on a spelling variant.[1]

In Egyptian mythology, Heryshaf, or Hershef (Ancient Egyptian: ḥrj š f "He who is on His Lake"),[2] transcribed in Greek as Harsaphes or Arsaphes (Koinē Greek: Ἁρσαφής) was an ancient ram deity whose cult was centered in ancient Heracleopolis Magna. He was identified with Ra and Osiris in ancient Egyptian religion,[2] as well as Dionysus[3] or Heracles in the interpretatio graeca. The identification with Heracles may be related to the fact that in later times his name was sometimes reanalysed as ḥrj-šf.t "He who is over strength". One of his titles was "Ruler of the Riverbanks". Heryshaf was a creator and fertility god who was born from the primordial waters. He was pictured as a ram or a man with a ram's head.

  1. ^ https://ia802307.us.archive.org/16/items/ahnaselmedinehhe11navi/ahnaselmedinehhe11navi.pdf. Retrieved 2024-04-30. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ a b Forty, Jo. Mythology: A Visual Encyclopedia, Sterling Publishing Co., 2001, p. 84.
  3. ^ Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses 28 (trans. Celoria) (Greek mythographer 2nd century AD)