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A god of war and hunting who originated at This (the Thinite region) near
Abydos, Anhur (Han-her, Inhert)), was more commonly known by his Greek name,
Onuris (Onouris). His name (Anhur)
literally means "he who leads back the distant one" (which might also
mean "Sky Bearer"), which appears to
reference the mythical manner in which this god is said to have journeyed to
Nubia in order to bring back the leonine "Eye of Re", who became his
consort as the lioness-goddess Mekhit. This legend is paralleled by another
surrounding the god Shu at
Heliopolis, who was supposed to have also brought
back the fearsome "eye" as his own consort, Tefnut. However, the name
Anhur suggests that the tradition may have originated with him. This
nevertheless led to Anhur often being equated with Shu and also to his link to
the sun god under the epithet, "son of Re". Onuris was thus supposed
to hunt and slay the enemies of his solar-deity father.
Onuris, as a war-like god, was also associated Montu and
Sopedu and had a
strong rapport with Horus, whose claims he vociferously advocates in the
tribunal judging the rights to the Egyptian throne. Later during the Greek
period, he
was identified with the Hellenistic war god, Ares. The Romans maintained this
war-like identity of Onuris as evidenced by a depiction of Emperor Tiberius on a
column shaft in the temple of Kom Ombo which shows Tiberius wearing the
characteristic crown of Onuris.
The iconography of Onuris that has survived depict him as a standing god,
with a beard and a short wig that is surmounted by a uraeu and either two or
four tall plumes. He is frequently depicted wearing a long kilt which is often
decorated in a feather-like pattern. His right hand is raised as if to thrust a lance
(he is also known as the "lord of the lance") or spear,
while his left hand holds a length of rope that may be symbolic of his role in
capturing his lioness consort. His association with the spear and ropes also
provides an inevitable link with the mythological struggle
between Horus and Seth, in which the hawk god used the same weapons to
entrap and kill his foe, the Hippopotamus.
However, in other instances the rope is absent,
and the god may be depicted grasping his raised spear in both hands and at other
times neither rope nor spear is present, though his arms are raised as if to
hold these objects. This iconography clearly shows that rather than throw the
spear, he intends to thrust his spear downward into a subdued enemy. Hence,
Onuris controls rather than attacks his enemies.
Though Onuris seems to have originated at This near Abydos in Upper Egypt,
his main area of worship in later periods was in the Delta town of Sebennytos
(modern Samannud), where he was venerated alongside or as a form of Shu.
There is a temple of Onuris-Shu called Phersos (Per-shu) at this site that has
been dated to the reign of Nectanebo
II, though its construction may have
started during the reign of Nectanebo I of Egypt's
30th Dynasty, though worship
of Onuris in this location would have predated this temple. Silver and bronze
amulets of the god occasionally have been unearthed in Late Period burials
elsewhere in Egypt.

Small, silver statue of Onuris with Lance
References:
| Title |
Author |
Date |
Publisher |
Reference Number |
|
Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, The |
Wilkinson, Richard H. |
2003 |
Thames & Hudson, LTD |
ISBN 0-500-05120-8 |
|
Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, A |
Hart, George |
1986 |
Routledge |
ISBN 0-415-05909-7 |
|
Egyptian Religion |
Morenz, Siegfried |
1973 |
Cornell University Press |
ISBN 0-8014-8029-9 |
|
Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt |
Armour, Robert A. |
1986 |
American University in Cairo Press, The |
ISBN 977 424 669 1 |
|
Gods of the Egyptians, The (Studies in Egyptian Mythology) |
Budge, E. A. Wallis |
1969 |
Dover Publications, Inc. |
ISBN 486-22056-7 |
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