Khonsu

Statue of god Khonsu

1-  This is the granite statue belongs to god Khonsu the third member in the Triad of Thebes. His father was god Amun and his mother was goddess Mut.

2-  The name of god Khonsu means the "one who traverse the sky" because he was considered as god of moon and the messenger of the gods.

3-  Khunso was having an important role as the one expelled the evil spirits from the human bodies. In a story he traveled to Syria to save a Syrian princess from an evil spirit which possessed her body. So he can regarded as an exorcist.

4-  He had many function like helping women in delivery and giving air of life to the living creatures.

5-  The statue represents Khonsu with a cobra on the forehead and side lock of hair because he was a child god.

6-  He is holding the “heqa” scepter and the “nekhekh” flail signs of authority as well as composite scepter consisting of “was” scepter symbol of power, “ankh” sign of life and “djed” pillar symbol of stability.

7-  The statue has facial features that resemble the famous king Tutankhamun who used to make statue for gods having his facial features as if he was identified with gods.

Note: The upper part of the statue was first found under the pavement of his shrine at Karnak. Then these other lower parts were collected and reassembled.

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Appendix

“Khonsu”  :

1-   Khonsu was the third member in the Theban triad with Amun and Mut.

2-   His name “khns” means the "one who traverse the sky".

3-   He was considered as the messenger of gods. So he was associated with god Thoth. So he was considered as god of the moon. He caused the moon to shine upon the earth.

4-   He helped the women in delivery; cattle become fertility, and give air of life to the living creatures. He used to be represented as man with hawk head surmounted by crescent and lunar disk.

5-   In other form he is represented with double hawk heads, one for the sun and the other for the moon.

6-   He was described by the priests as Khunso-hotep who has complete power over the evil spirits. In a story, he saved the princess of Bekhten when he expelled an evil spirit which dominated and possessed her body. So he was considered as an exorcist.

7-   The chief shrine of Khonsu is inside the complex of Karnak. The temple was started by king Ramesses III. In later times he was associated with Horus the child.