Heryshaf

Harsaphes
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Heryshaf
in hieroglyphs
Silver statue of Heryshaf in the Louvre

In Egyptian mythology, Heryshaf, or Hershef, (Egyptian Ḥry-š=f "He who is on his lake"),[1] transcribed in Greek as Arsaphes or Harsaphes (Ἁρσαφής) was an ancient ram-god whose cult was centered in Heracleopolis Magna (now Ihnasiyyah al-Madinah). He was identified with Ra and Osiris in Egyptian mythology,[1] as well as Dionysus [2] or Heracles in Greek mythology. The identification with Heracles may be related to the fact that in later times his name was sometimes reanalysed as Ḥry-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 man with the head of a ram, or as a ram.

References

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  1. 1 2 Forty, Jo. Mythology: A Visual Encyclopedia, Sterling Publishing Co., 2001, p. 84.
  2. Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses 28 (trans. Celoria) (Greek mythographer 2nd century AD)
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