Weneg (or Uneg), also known as Weneg-Nebty, is the throne name of an early Egyptian king, who ruled during the Second Dynasty. Although his chronological position is clear to Egyptologists, it is unclear for how long King Weneg ruled. It is also unclear as to which of the archaeologically identified Horus-kings corresponds to Weneg.
Weneg
Weneg-Nebty, Uneg
Alabaster fragment with the throne name Nisut-bitj-Nebty-Weneg.[1]
The name "Weneg" is generally accepted to be a nebti- or throne name, introduced by the crest of the Two Ladies (the goddesses Nekhbet and Wadjet) and the sedge-and-bee-crest. Weneg's name appears in black ink inscriptions on alabaster fragments and in inscriptions on schist-vessels. Seventeen vessels bearing his name have been preserved; eleven of them were found in the underground galleries beneath the step pyramid of king Djoser at Sakkara. Egyptologists such as Wolfgang Helck and Francesco Tiradritti point out that all the inscriptions are made in the place of existing inscriptions, which means that the names that were originally placed on the vessels were completely different.
The symbol that was used to write Weneg's name is the object of significant dispute between Egyptologists to this day. The so-called "weneg flower" is rarely used in Egyptian writing. Mysteriously, the weneg flower is often guided by six vertical "strokes", three of them on each side of the flower bud. The meaning of these strokes is unknown. After Weneg's death, his heraldic flower was not used again until king Teti (6th dynasty), when it was used in his pyramid texts to name a “Weneg” as a sky and death deity which was addressed with "Son of Ra" and "follower of the deceased king". So it seems that the weneg flower was somehow connected with the Egyptian sun and death cult. But the true meaning of the flower as a king's name remains unknown.[2][3][4][5]
Identification
Since Weneg's name first became known to Egyptologists, scholars have been trying to match the nebti name of Weneg to contemporary Horus-kings. The following sections discuss some of the theories.
Weneg corresponds to Hor-Nebre (or Raneb)
BM EA 35556, the stone vessel used by Jochem Kahl to equate Weneg with Raneb.[6]
Egyptologist Jochem Kahl argues that Weneg was the same person as king Raneb, the second ruler of the 2nd dynasty. He points to a vessel fragment made from an igneous material, which was found in the tomb of king Peribsen (a later ruler of the 2nd dynasty) at Abydos. He believed he had found on the pot shard weak, but clear, traces of the weneg flower beneath the inscribed name of king Ninetjer. On the right side of Ninetjer's name the depiction of the Ka house of king Raneb is partially preserved. The complete arrangement led Kahl to the conclusion that the weneg flower and Raneb's name were connected to each other and king Ninetjer later replaced the inscription. Kahl also points out that king Ninetjer wrote his name mirrored, so that his name points in the opposite direction to Raneb's name.[6] Kahl's theory is the subject of continuing debate since the vessel inscription is badly damaged and thus leaves plenty of room for varying interpretations.
Weneg corresponds to Hor-Sekhemib-Perenmaat
Egyptologists such as Nicolas Grimal, Wolfgang Helck and Walter Bryan Emery identify Weneg with king Sekhemib-Perenmaat and with the Ramesside royal cartouche-name Wadjenes. Their theory is based on the assumption that Sekhemib and Seth-Peribsen were different rulers and that both were the immediate successors of king Ninetjer. But this theory is not commonly accepted, because clay seals of Sekhemib were found in the tomb of king Khasekhemwy, the last ruler of the 2nd dynasty. The clay seals set Sekhemib's reign close to Khasekhemwy's, whilst the Ramesside name "Wadjenes" is placed near the beginning of the 2nd dynasty.[7][8][9]
Weneg as an independent ruler
Egyptologists such as Peter Kaplony and Richard Weill argue that Weneg was a separate king from other kings of the period. They suggest that Weneg succeeded Ninetjer and his name is preserved in Ramesside kinglists under the name "Wadjenes". Their assumption is firstly based on the widely accepted theory that Ramesside scribes interchanged the weneg flower with the papyrus haulm, changing it into the name "Wadjenes". Secondly, Kaplony and Weill's theory is based on the inscription on the Cairo stone. They believe that the name "Wenegsekhemwy" is preserved over the third line of year events.[10] This theory is also not widely accepted, as the Cairo stone is badly damaged and the very weak traces of the hieroglyphs leave too much room for different interpretations.
Reign
Little is known about Weneg's reign. The vessel inscriptions mentioning his name only show reports about ceremonial events, such as the "raising up of the pillars of Horus". This feast is frequently reported on vessels from Ninetjer's reign, which brings Weneg's chronological position very close to that of Ninetjer.
The length of Weneg's rulership is unknown. If he was the same person as king Wadjenes, he ruled (according to the Royal Canon of Turin) for 54 years. If Weneg was the same person as king "Tlas", mentioned by the historian Manetho, he ruled for 17 years. But modern Egyptologists have doubts about both statements and evaluate them as misinterpretations or exaggerations. If Weneg was actually a separate ruler, as Richard Weill and Peter Kaplony believe, he may have ruled for 12 years, depending on their reconstructions of the Cairo stone inscriptions.
One theory suggests that the once unified kingdom of Egypt was divided after Ninetjer's death into two parts. Consequently, for a period after king Weneg's death, two kings ruled at the same time over Egypt suggesting that Weneg was an independent ruler. This assumption is based on the observation that both the Thinite and Memphite king lists of the Ramesside era mention the names "Wadjenes" and "Senedj" as the immediate successors of king Ninetjer. The Abydos king lists, for example, mention only six kings for the 2nd dynasty, whilst all the other kinglists mention nine kings. So Weneg may have been the last king who had ruled over the whole of Egypt, before sharing his throne (and control over Egypt) with another king. It remains unclear who the other king may have been.[4][10][11][12][13][14] Weneg's successor may have been Senedj but even that is uncertain in this shadowy period of the 2nd dynasty of Egypt.
References
^see: P. Lacau, J.P. Lauer: La Pyramide a Degeres IV. Inscriptions Gravees sur les Vases. Cairo 1959; obj.104
^B. Grdseloff: King Uneg. In: Annales du Service des Antiquités de l’Égypte, No. 44, 1944, page 279–306.
^Winfried Barta in: Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde, No.108. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1981, ISSN 0044-216X, page 20–21.
^ abIorwerth Eiddon Stephen Edwards: The Cambridge ancient history, Vol. 1, Pt. 2: Early history of the Middle East, 3rd reprint. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2006, ISBN978-0-521-07791-0, p. 31.
^Jochem Kahl: Das System der ägyptischen Hieroglyphenschrift in der 0.–3. Dynastie. In: Göttinger Orientforschungen, volume IV. 1994, page 354-355.
^ abJochem Kahl: Ra is my Lord - Searching for the rise of the Sun God at the dawn of Egyptian history. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2007, ISBN978-3-447-05540-6, pp. 12–14, 74.
^Wolfgang Helck: Untersuchungen zur Thinitenzeit. Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1987, ISBN978-3-447-02677-2, page 103–107.
^Walter Bryan Emery: Ägypten. Geschichte und Kultur der Frühzeit. Fourier-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1964, ISBN978-3-921695-39-5, page 105.
^Gunter Dreyer in: Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Kairo, No.59. Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Orient-Abteilung (Hrsg.). de Gruyter, Berlin 2003, S. 115.
^ abPeter Kaplony: Steingefäße der Frühzeit und des Alten Reiches. In: Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskund, Volumes 133-135. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1981, ISSN 0044-216X.
^Aidan Dodson: The Mysterious Second Dynasty. In: Kemet, volume 7, chapter 2 (1996), page 19-31
^Werner Kaiser: Zur Nennung von Sened und Peribsen in Saqqara B3. In: Göttinger Miszellen - Beiträge zur ägyptologischen Diskussion. No. 122. Ägyptologisches Seminar der Universität Göttingen, Göttingen 1991, ISSN 0344-385X, page 22–23.
^Barbara Bell: Oldest Records of the Nile Floods. In: Geographical Journal, volume 136, 1970, page 569–573.
weneg, pharaoh, wneg, redirects, here, other, uses, wneg, disambiguation, weneg, uneg, also, known, weneg, nebty, throne, name, early, egyptian, king, ruled, during, second, dynasty, although, chronological, position, clear, egyptologists, unclear, long, king,. Wneg redirects here For other uses see WNEG disambiguation Weneg or Uneg also known as Weneg Nebty is the throne name of an early Egyptian king who ruled during the Second Dynasty Although his chronological position is clear to Egyptologists it is unclear for how long King Weneg ruled It is also unclear as to which of the archaeologically identified Horus kings corresponds to Weneg WenegWeneg Nebty UnegAlabaster fragment with the throne name Nisut bitj Nebty Weneg 1 PharaohReignlength of reign unknownPredecessorNynetjerSuccessorunknownRoyal titularyDynasty2nd Dynasty around 2740 B C Contents 1 Name sources and contradictions 2 Identification 2 1 Weneg corresponds to Hor Nebre or Raneb 2 2 Weneg corresponds to Hor Sekhemib Perenmaat 2 3 Weneg as an independent ruler 3 Reign 4 References 5 External linksName sources and contradictions EditThe name Weneg is generally accepted to be a nebti or throne name introduced by the crest of the Two Ladies the goddesses Nekhbet and Wadjet and the sedge and bee crest Weneg s name appears in black ink inscriptions on alabaster fragments and in inscriptions on schist vessels Seventeen vessels bearing his name have been preserved eleven of them were found in the underground galleries beneath the step pyramid of king Djoser at Sakkara Egyptologists such as Wolfgang Helck and Francesco Tiradritti point out that all the inscriptions are made in the place of existing inscriptions which means that the names that were originally placed on the vessels were completely different The symbol that was used to write Weneg s name is the object of significant dispute between Egyptologists to this day The so called weneg flower is rarely used in Egyptian writing Mysteriously the weneg flower is often guided by six vertical strokes three of them on each side of the flower bud The meaning of these strokes is unknown After Weneg s death his heraldic flower was not used again until king Teti 6th dynasty when it was used in his pyramid texts to name a Weneg as a sky and death deity which was addressed with Son of Ra and follower of the deceased king So it seems that the weneg flower was somehow connected with the Egyptian sun and death cult But the true meaning of the flower as a king s name remains unknown 2 3 4 5 Identification EditSince Weneg s name first became known to Egyptologists scholars have been trying to match the nebti name of Weneg to contemporary Horus kings The following sections discuss some of the theories Weneg corresponds to Hor Nebre or Raneb Edit BM EA 35556 the stone vessel used by Jochem Kahl to equate Weneg with Raneb 6 Egyptologist Jochem Kahl argues that Weneg was the same person as king Raneb the second ruler of the 2nd dynasty He points to a vessel fragment made from an igneous material which was found in the tomb of king Peribsen a later ruler of the 2nd dynasty at Abydos He believed he had found on the pot shard weak but clear traces of the weneg flower beneath the inscribed name of king Ninetjer On the right side of Ninetjer s name the depiction of the Ka house of king Raneb is partially preserved The complete arrangement led Kahl to the conclusion that the weneg flower and Raneb s name were connected to each other and king Ninetjer later replaced the inscription Kahl also points out that king Ninetjer wrote his name mirrored so that his name points in the opposite direction to Raneb s name 6 Kahl s theory is the subject of continuing debate since the vessel inscription is badly damaged and thus leaves plenty of room for varying interpretations Weneg corresponds to Hor Sekhemib Perenmaat Edit Egyptologists such as Nicolas Grimal Wolfgang Helck and Walter Bryan Emery identify Weneg with king Sekhemib Perenmaat and with the Ramesside royal cartouche name Wadjenes Their theory is based on the assumption that Sekhemib and Seth Peribsen were different rulers and that both were the immediate successors of king Ninetjer But this theory is not commonly accepted because clay seals of Sekhemib were found in the tomb of king Khasekhemwy the last ruler of the 2nd dynasty The clay seals set Sekhemib s reign close to Khasekhemwy s whilst the Ramesside name Wadjenes is placed near the beginning of the 2nd dynasty 7 8 9 Weneg as an independent ruler Edit Egyptologists such as Peter Kaplony and Richard Weill argue that Weneg was a separate king from other kings of the period They suggest that Weneg succeeded Ninetjer and his name is preserved in Ramesside kinglists under the name Wadjenes Their assumption is firstly based on the widely accepted theory that Ramesside scribes interchanged the weneg flower with the papyrus haulm changing it into the name Wadjenes Secondly Kaplony and Weill s theory is based on the inscription on the Cairo stone They believe that the name Wenegsekhemwy is preserved over the third line of year events 10 This theory is also not widely accepted as the Cairo stone is badly damaged and the very weak traces of the hieroglyphs leave too much room for different interpretations Reign EditLittle is known about Weneg s reign The vessel inscriptions mentioning his name only show reports about ceremonial events such as the raising up of the pillars of Horus This feast is frequently reported on vessels from Ninetjer s reign which brings Weneg s chronological position very close to that of Ninetjer The length of Weneg s rulership is unknown If he was the same person as king Wadjenes he ruled according to the Royal Canon of Turin for 54 years If Weneg was the same person as king Tlas mentioned by the historian Manetho he ruled for 17 years But modern Egyptologists have doubts about both statements and evaluate them as misinterpretations or exaggerations If Weneg was actually a separate ruler as Richard Weill and Peter Kaplony believe he may have ruled for 12 years depending on their reconstructions of the Cairo stone inscriptions One theory suggests that the once unified kingdom of Egypt was divided after Ninetjer s death into two parts Consequently for a period after king Weneg s death two kings ruled at the same time over Egypt suggesting that Weneg was an independent ruler This assumption is based on the observation that both the Thinite and Memphite king lists of the Ramesside era mention the names Wadjenes and Senedj as the immediate successors of king Ninetjer The Abydos king lists for example mention only six kings for the 2nd dynasty whilst all the other kinglists mention nine kings So Weneg may have been the last king who had ruled over the whole of Egypt before sharing his throne and control over Egypt with another king It remains unclear who the other king may have been 4 10 11 12 13 14 Weneg s successor may have been Senedj but even that is uncertain in this shadowy period of the 2nd dynasty of Egypt References Edit see P Lacau J P Lauer La Pyramide a Degeres IV Inscriptions Gravees sur les Vases Cairo 1959 obj 104 B Grdseloff King Uneg In Annales du Service des Antiquites de l Egypte No 44 1944 page 279 306 Winfried Barta in Zeitschrift fur Agyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde No 108 Akademie Verlag Berlin 1981 ISSN 0044 216X page 20 21 a b Iorwerth Eiddon Stephen Edwards The Cambridge ancient history Vol 1 Pt 2 Early history of the Middle East 3rd reprint Cambridge University Press Cambridge 2006 ISBN 978 0 521 07791 0 p 31 Jochem Kahl Das System der agyptischen Hieroglyphenschrift in der 0 3 Dynastie In Gottinger Orientforschungen volume IV 1994 page 354 355 a b Jochem Kahl Ra is my Lord Searching for the rise of the Sun God at the dawn of Egyptian history Harrassowitz Wiesbaden 2007 ISBN 978 3 447 05540 6 pp 12 14 74 Wolfgang Helck Untersuchungen zur Thinitenzeit Otto Harrassowitz Wiesbaden 1987 ISBN 978 3 447 02677 2 page 103 107 Walter Bryan Emery Agypten Geschichte und Kultur der Fruhzeit Fourier Verlag Wiesbaden 1964 ISBN 978 3 921695 39 5 page 105 Gunter Dreyer in Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archaologischen Instituts Kairo No 59 Deutsches Archaologisches Institut Orient Abteilung Hrsg de Gruyter Berlin 2003 S 115 a b Peter Kaplony Steingefasse der Fruhzeit und des Alten Reiches In Zeitschrift fur agyptische Sprache und Altertumskund Volumes 133 135 Akademie Verlag Berlin 1981 ISSN 0044 216X Aidan Dodson The Mysterious Second Dynasty In Kemet volume 7 chapter 2 1996 page 19 31 Werner Kaiser Zur Nennung von Sened und Peribsen in Saqqara B3 In Gottinger Miszellen Beitrage zur agyptologischen Diskussion No 122 Agyptologisches Seminar der Universitat Gottingen Gottingen 1991 ISSN 0344 385X page 22 23 Barbara Bell Oldest Records of the Nile Floods In Geographical Journal volume 136 1970 page 569 573 Hans Goedike in Journal of Egypt Archaeology volume 42 1998 page 50 External links EditFrancesco Raffaele WNG Weneg or Uneg Preceded byHorus Sa Pharaoh of Egypt Succeeded byWadjenes Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Weneg pharaoh amp oldid 1111551962, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
