Amun

𓇋𓏠𓈖 (Imn)

The hidden creator and king of the gods at Thebes, listener to the poor

Amun, whose name Imn means "the hidden one," began as a god of Thebes and rose to be honoured as a creator and king of the gods, the unseen power linked with air and wind. After the Hyksos were driven out under Ahmose I, he became a national god, joined with the sun god Ra as Amun-Ra, and divine father of the pharaohs.

Ancient prayers call him a listener to the poor and distressed. Each year his sacred boat travelled in procession from Karnak to Luxor. His worship also reached Nubia, at Gebel Barkal, and the oracle at Siwa. Today modern Kemetic practitioners honour him in a reconstruction of ancient practice, and for them he remains a living figure of devotion.

𓇋𓏠𓈖 (Imn)

No. 251

How to recognise Amun

Blue skinEgyptian artists painted him a deep, even blue, a colour linked with air and primeval creation; sources differ on its meaning, and some read it as his invisibility.
Tall double plumesLook for a tall flat-topped cap with two very tall, upright plumes, the surest sign of Amun, sometimes banded in alternating colours.
False beardA braided, curved beard attached at the chin marks him as a god.
Ankh and was sceptreHe holds the ankh, the sign of life, in one hand and a was sceptre in the other, though which hand holds which varies between images.
Kilt and broad collarHe wears a short kilt, often fastened with a tyet amulet, with a beaded collar, bracelets and armlets; a bull's tail sometimes hangs from the kilt.
Calm, kingly poseStanding or enthroned, upright and serene, he often touches or blesses the crown of the king.
Ram and gooseThe ram and the goose are his sacred animals, and he can also appear as a ram-headed man, while ram-headed sphinxes line the entrance to his temple at Karnak.

Names and titles

The Hidden OneThe meaning of his name, Amun; an unseen, mysterious god present everywhere
King of the GodsAs Amun-Ra he was seen as king of the gods and creator of the world
Vizier of the PoorA title in Ramesside prayers: a god who listens to ordinary people in need
Lord of KarnakKarnak, in Thebes, was the centre of his worship and his greatest temple
Journey to LuxorAt the Opet Festival his sacred boat travelled from Karnak to Luxor Temple