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In Egyptian mythology,
Chons (alternately Khensu, Khons, Khonsu or Khonshu) is an ancient
lunar deity, from before formal structure was given to a pantheon.
His name reflects the fact that the Moon (referred to as Iah
in Egyptian) travels across the night sky, for it means The
Wanderer, and also had the titles Embracer, Pathfinder, and
Defender, as he was thought to watch over night travelers. As
the god of light in the night, Chons was invoked to protect
against wild animals, increase male virility, and to aid with
healing. It was said that when Chons caused the crescent moon
to shine, women conceived, cattle became fertile, and all nostrils
and every throat were filled with fresh air.
Chons can also be understood to mean king's placenta, and
consequently in early times, he was considered to slay the
king's (i.e. the pharaoh's) enemies, and extract their innards
for the king's use, metaphorically creating something resembling
a placenta for the king. This bloodthirsty aspect lead him
to be referred to, in such as the Pyramid texts, as the (one
who) lives on hearts. He also became associated with more
literal placentas, becoming seen as a deification of the royal
placenta, and so a god involved with childbirth.
During the Middle Kingdom, since the pool at the temple of
Mut was in the shape of a crescent moon,
Chons gradually replaced the war-god Menthu,
as her son in Theban thought. The father who had adopted Chons
was thought to be Amun, who had already
been changed into a more significant god by the rise of Thebes,
and had had his wife changed to Mut.
As these two were both considered extremely benign deities,
Menthu gradually lost his more aggressive
aspects.
In art, Chons was depicted as a child with the head of a
hawk, wearing the crescent of the new moon subtending the
disc of the full moon. His head was shaven except for the
side-lock worn by Egyptian children, signifying his role as
Chons the Child. Occasionally Chons was depicted as a young
man holding the flail of the pharaoh, wearing a menat necklace.
He was sometimes pictured on the back of a goose, ram, or
two crocodiles. Chons' sacred animal was the baboon, considered
a lunar animal by the ancient Egyptians.
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