View source for Heh (god)

{{short description|Ancient Egyptian personification of infinity or eternity}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Egyptian
| name = Heh
| image = Heh.svg
| alt = An aspect of Heh, holding a pair of notched palm branches
| caption = An aspect of Heh, holding a pair of notched palm branches
| hiero = <hiero>C11</hiero> or <hiero>V28-V28-G43-A40</hiero>
| cult_center = [[Hermopolis]] (as a member of the Ogdoad)
| symbol = palm branch
| other_names = 
| consort = Hauhet
}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Egyptian
| name = Hauhet
| image = Kauket.svg
| caption = Hauhet was often represented with a cobra head like other female members of the [[Ogdoad (Egyptian)|Ogdoad]]
| cult_center = [[Hermopolis]] (as a member of the Ogdoad)
| hiero = <hiero>V28-V28-G43-X1:H8-B1</hiero> 
| symbol = palm branch
| other_names = 
| consort = Heh
}}
'''Hẹh''' (''hẹh'', also '''Huh''', '''Hah''', '''Hauh''', '''Huah''', and '''Hehu'''<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Simpson |first=William Kelly |date=2003 |title=The Book of the Celestial Cow: The Literature of Ancient Egypt, New Haven (2003), p. 296 |url= |journal= |pages=296}}</ref>) was the personification of [[Infinity (philosophy)|infinity]] or [[eternity]] in the [[Ogdoad (Egyptian)|Ogdoad]] in [[ancient Egyptian religion]].<ref name="Wilkinson 109">Wilkinson, Richard H. (2003). ''The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt''. Thames & Hudson. p. 109</ref> His name originally meant "flood", referring to the watery chaos [[Nu (mythology)|Nu]] that the Egyptians believed existed before the [[Ancient Egyptian creation myths|creation of the world]].<ref>Allen, James P. ''Genesis in Egypt: The Philosophy of Ancient Egyptian Creation Accounts''. Yale Egyptological Seminar, 1988</ref> The Egyptians envisioned this chaos as infinite, in contrast with the finite created world, so Heh personified this aspect of the primordial waters.<ref>Allen, James P. ''Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs''. Cambridge University Press, 2000</ref> Heh's female counterpart and consort was known as '''Hauhet''', which is simply the [[grammatical gender|feminine form]] of his name.<ref name="Wilkinson 109" />

Like the other concepts in the Ogdoad, his male form was often depicted as a [[frog]], or a frog-headed human, and his female form as a [[snake]] or snake-headed human. The frog head symbolised fertility, creation, and regeneration, and was also possessed by the other Ogdoad males Kek, Amun, and Nun.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rush|first1=John|title=The Twelve Gates: A Spiritual Passage Through the Egyptian Books of the Dead|date=2007|publisher=Frog|location=Berkeley, CA|page=281}}</ref> The other common representation depicts him crouching, holding a [[palm stem]] in each hand (or just one),<ref>{{cite book|last1=Owusu|first1=Heike|title=Egyptian Symbols|date=2008|publisher=Sterling|location=New York, NY|page=73}}</ref> sometimes with a palm stem in his hair, as [[Palm tree|palm]] stems represented long life to the Egyptians, the years being represented by notches on it. Depictions of this form also had a [[shen ring]] at the base of each palm stem, which represented [[infinity]]. Depictions of Heh were also used in [[Egyptian hieroglyphs|hieroglyphs]] to represent one [[million]], which was essentially considered equivalent to infinity in [[Egyptian numerals]]. Thus, this deity is also known as the "god of millions of years".

==Origins and mythology==
The primary meaning of the [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] word ''ḥeḥ'' was "million" or "millions"; a personification of this concept, Ḥeḥ, was adopted as the Egyptian god of infinity. With his female counterpart Ḥauḥet (or Ḥeḥut), Ḥeḥ represented one of the four god-goddess pairs comprising the [[Ogdoad (Egyptian)|Ogdoad]], a pantheon of eight primeval deities whose worship was centred at [[Hermopolis Magna]].
The mythology of the Ogdoad describes its eight members, Heh and Hauhet, [[Nu (mythology)|Nu]] and [[Naunet]], [[Amun]] and [[Amaunet]], and [[Kuk (mythology)|Kuk]] and [[Kauket]], coming together in the cataclysmic event that gives rise to the sun (and its deific personification, [[Atum]]).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hart|first1=George|title=Egyptian Myths|date=1990|publisher=British Museum Publications|location=London|page=21}}</ref> Heh's major role in creation was largely by providing an infinite backdrop for creation, allowing the other gods limitless space and potential to bring forth the universe's first elements.{{citation need|date=November 2025}}

Heh sometimes helps [[Shu (Egyptian god)|Shu]], a god associated with air, in supporting the sky goddess [[Nut (goddess)|Nut]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Handbook of Egyptian Mythology|first=Geraldine|last=Pinch|year=2002|page=139}}</ref> In the [[Book of the Heavenly Cow]], eight Heh gods are depicted together with Shu supporting Nut, who has taken the form of a cow.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt |first=Geraldine |last=Pinch |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2004 |isbn=0-19-517024-5 |pages=75, 77}}</ref>

==Forms and iconography==
[[File:Abydos Tempelrelief Ramses II. 02.JPG|thumb|A relief depicting Heh holding two palm ribs from the Temple of [[Ramesses II]], [[Abydos, Egypt|Abydos]]]]
The god Ḥeḥ was usually depicted anthropomorphically, as in the hieroglyphic character, as a male figure with divine beard and lappet wig. Normally kneeling (one knee raised), sometimes in a basket—the sign for "all", the god typically holds in each hand a notched palm branch (palm rib). (These were employed in the temples for ceremonial time-keeping, which use explains the use of the palm branch as the hieroglyphic symbol for ''rnp.t'', "year").<ref>{{cite book|last1=Remler|first1=Pat|title=Egyptian Mythology, A to Z|date=2010|publisher=Chelsea House|location=New York}}</ref> Occasionally, an additional palm branch is worn on the god's head.

In Ancient Egyptian Numerology, Gods such as Heh were used to represent numbers in a decimal point system. Particularly, the number 1,000,000 is depicted in the hieroglyph of Heh, who is in his normal seated position.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Imhausen|first1=Annette|author-link=Annette Imhausen|title=Mathematics of Ancient Egypt|date=2016|publisher=Princeton University|location=Princeton|page=19}}</ref>
==Cult and worship==
The personified, somewhat abstract god of eternity Ḥeḥ possessed no known cult centre or sanctuary; rather, his veneration revolved around symbolism and personal belief. The god's image and its iconographic elements reflected the wish for millions of years of life or rule; as such, the figure of Ḥeḥ finds frequent representation in amulets, prestige items and royal iconography from the late [[Old Kingdom]] period onwards. Heh became associated with the King and his quest for longevity. For instance, he appears on the tomb of King Tutankhamen, in two cartouches, where he is crowned with a winged scarab beetle, symbolizing existence and a sun disk. The placement of Heh in relation to King [[Tutankhamun|Tutankhamen's]] corpse means he will be granting him these "millions of years" into the afterlife.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Remler|first1=Pat|title=Egyptian Mythology, A to Z|date=2010|publisher=Chelsea House|location=New York}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery class="center">
File:Tutankhamun Treasure in Paris coupe au lotus-cropped.jpg|Tutankhamun's alabaster [[lotus chalice]], with Heh being depicted atop the handles
File:Bas-reliëf van Ramses II, afkomstig uit Saqqara Bas-relief de Ramesses II trouvé á Sakkara - Egypte (titel op object), RP-F-00-7966.jpg|Bas-relief of Heh
File:Mirror Case & Make-up Box.jpg|The mirror case found in Tutankhamun's tomb takes the form of the god Heh.
File:Pectoral of Senusret II by John Campana.jpg|A pectoral belonging to princess [[Sithathoriunet]], daughter of [[Senusret II]], depicting Heh between two falcons and below Senusret II's cartouche
File:Silla cedro Tutankhamon.jpg|A cedar chair found in the [[Tomb of Tutankhamun]], depicting Heh atop the [[Nebu|hieroglyph for gold]] on the backrest
File:Egyptian - Scarab with Cartouche of Thutmosis IV (1397-1388 BC) - Walters 4247 - Bottom (2).jpg|A [[Scarab (artifact)|scarab]] seal with the cartouche of [[Thutmose IV]] above the god Heh, c. 1397-1388 BCE
File:Egyptian - Kneeling Heh on a Basket - Walters 48425.jpg|Kneeling Heh on a Basket
File:Jewellery of Tutankhamun by M. Strasser.jpg|The God Heh from Tutankhamun's jewellery.
</gallery>

==See also==
{{commons cat}}
* [[Renpet]]

==Bibliography==
*{{cite journal |last=Barta |first=Winfried |year=1992 |title=Die Bedeutung der Personifikation Huh im Unterschied zu den Personifikationen Hah und Nun |journal=[[Göttinger Miszellen]] |issue=127 |pages=7–12}}
*{{cite web |last=Seawright |first= Caroline |title=Heh and Hauhet, Deities of Infinity and Eternity |date=21 May 2002 |url=https://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/heh.htm}}

==References==
<references />

{{Ancient Egypt topics}}
{{Ancient Egyptian religion footer|collapsed}}
{{Time in religion and mythology}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huh (God)}}
[[Category:Egyptian gods]]
[[Category:Time and fate gods]]
[[Category:Time and fate goddesses]]
[[Category:Infinity]]
[[Category:Piscine and amphibian humanoids]]
[[Category:Snake gods]]
[[Category:Sky supporters]]