Who the God Heh is
In ancient Egypt, Heh/ Huh was believed to be the personification of time, eternity, infinity & long life. He was considered to be one of the original eight gods of Ogdoad of Khmunu or Hermopolis. Hermopolis was the capital of the fifteenth Nome of Upper Egypt.
The Ogdoad Myth
According to ancient Egyptians, before the creation of this world, there was infinite chaos & dark mass. A total number of eight deities lived in this chaos. They were known as Ogdoad of Khmunu.
This theory of creation was created during the Middle Kingdom (2040 – 1782 BCE) which is also known as the period of reunification. Among these eight deities, Heh/ Huh & Hautet; a masculine-feminine pair represents empty space, infinity & time.
Iconography of Heh
As per the iconographic representation concerns, we can identify God Heh in the body of a man & the head of a frog in his general representation. Sometimes, he is represented in full human form.
In his representations, Heh is shown one/two palm fronds of ‘a million years’ in his hands; which symbolizes the Egyptian sign of long life. Sometimes, the palm frond is shown on his head as a headdress.
The Feminine Counterpart of Heh
The feminine counterpart of Heh is known as Hautet. She is one of the four Ogdoad goddesses. She along with Heh represents the eternity & infinity.
Hautet is represented in a combined form of the body of a woman & the head of a snake. She was believed to be a more mysterious deity than her consort, Heh.
Shen Ring: Symbol of Eternity
The Shen ring represents a circle with a horizontal line in a tangent along its bottom edge. It symbolizes eternity as well as protection. The Shen ring was depicted at the base of the notch palm branches, held by Heh.
Heh as an Air God
Sometimes, Heh is represented as an air god and identified with Shu. In this form, he is linked to the four pillars that held up the sky. Sometimes, he is shown raising his hands, helping in holding up the sky.
Other Aspects of Heh
Sometimes, Heh is represented as a god of fire also. Apart from these, he sometimes represents the idea of eight gods itself. These are Hathor & the other seven Hathors who were believed to support the great celestial cow in heaven.
