Min
The Egyptian God
Min
-
Name: Min -
Gender Male or Female:
Min was a God -
Depiction / Description
/ Symbol: Min was sometimes depicted with the body of a man and the
head of Bull, however, he was also symbolised with an erected
phallus with a raised arm holding a flagellum
( flail ) -
Jurisdiction: Min was
described as being God of Fertility and Sexuality. Min was
worshipped by men as a fertility god and a bestower of sexual powers -
Min later became
subsumed with the God Amun or Atum
Information about
the Egyptian God Min
Min was a primeval god of Koptos (or
Coptos) and revered as being God of Fertility and the harvest. In
the 1890's two large statues of Min were discovered which were nearly
nine feet tall. Min was also known as Lord of the Eastern Desert and the
protector of the caravan routes from his cult center at Koptos to the
Red Sea. He was later worshipped by men as he was believed able to
bestow strong sexual powers. As a god of male sexual potency he was
honoured during the coronation rites of the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom.
Description &
Depiction of the Egyptian God Min - Part Human & Part Animal
The Egyptian Gods or Goddesses, such as Min, were often depicted as
being part human and part animal. In the description of the Egyptian
God Min he was most frequently depicted with the body of a human
and with with the head of an animal - a Bull. In the Ancient Egyptian
religion certain animals were seen as sacred as they believed that the
Spirit of a God resided in these animals, such as the Bull, which were
revered and worshipped as reincarnated Gods during their lifetimes.
Temple of Min
The Temples dedicated to Min, the God of Fertility and Sexuality, were believed to be the
dwelling place of this famous Egyptian God. Only the Pharaoh and the
Priests of Min were allowed inside the temple and the priests would
undergo ritual purification in a deep stone pool before they entered the
Inner Sanctum of the Temple. This not only cleansed them but also gave
them contact with the primeval moisture of life. Ordinary Egyptians were
only allowed to come to the gates, or forecourt, of the temple of Min
to pay homage and offer gifts to the God. The Priests of Min
would collect the gifts and say prayers on behalf of the person in the
confines of the temple. The priests of Min, the God of Fertility and Sexuality, would
conduct ceremonies, sacrifices and chant magical incantations, sometimes
referred to as spells. The temple of Min would consist of heavy gates
which accessed a massive hall with great stone columns, and then a
series of many other rooms through which processions of priests would
pass. These rooms, or chambers, were lit by candles and incense would be
burnt to purify the air of the Temple. The chambers gradually decreased
in size, the lighting in the temple was deliberately and significantly
reduced to create an atmosphere of deepening mystery until the priests
reached the chapel and the shrine which contained the Naos. The Naos was
the stone tabernacle inside the shrine which housed the great Statue of
Min, the God of Fertility and Sexuality.
The Statue of Min
The large statue of the God Min, the God of Fertility and Sexuality was situated in the
inner sanctum of the Egyptian temple. The statue of Min would have been
depicted with the body of a man and the head of Bull. This
sacred statue, in the dwelling place of the God, was the embodiment of
Min. Food and drink would be offered to the God. The High Priest of
Min, would conduct ceremonies and offer prayers and incantations but
there was another important priest, called the Medjty, who was
responsible for the toiletries. The statue of Min would have been
washed and oiled. The statue was then dressed in fine linen and eye
make-up, powder and rouge was applied and sacred oil rubbed on the
forehead of the statue. The statue of Min, with its head of the Bull,
was only seen by ordinary Egyptians at important festivals when the
effigy was paraded in magnificent processions.
The Egyptian God
Min
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