Like many ancient cultures, the ancient Egyptians had a vast multitude of temples, one of the most interesting of which was the lunar god Kongsu. He was recently dubbed Conshu by Marvel's "Moon Knight," but his true legacy is a complex myth that dates back thousands of years. As the Encyclopædia Britannica points out, even his name is not straightforward, and it is written as Khons, Chons, and Khenzu. As Egyptian antiquologist Mariam Alfy explains, Khonsu's name comes from the word "khenes," referring to the moon's journey through the sky, but he's more than just a moon-nice guy. Among the Egyptians, Kongsu was also associated with time, treatment, and fertility. Coffin text as a devourer of the mind.
This may seem paradoxical, and a big reason is because of Khonsu's long history– he is one of the oldest gods in Egypt. Ancient Egyptian civilization lasted for more than 3,000 years, so the legends behind deities like Kong Su had plenty of time to evolve and evolve with the times. Although his origins have been forgotten by time, the oldest known references to Kongsu date back to at least 2350 BC, so he was part of Egyptian culture for most of Egypt's history. The result is that he is a complex figure in Egyptian mythology, with multiple characters and several different identities.
Luna's face
Kong Su usually appears in several different ways, but he is almost always depicted wearing a moon disc overhead, snuggled up in a crescent moon. As explained by Ancient Egypt Online, Kongsu is often conceived as a young man in a mummified pose. He would have a crooked beard and a side-curly hair that was usually kept by The Gods, which was usually reserved by children in ancient Egypt — something anyone who has seen the DreamWorks movie "The Prince of Egypt" is probably familiar with. In his hands, Kong su is often depicted holding a machete and flail, a symbol of kingship and majesty. These are mainly related to the god Osiris as agricultural implements symbolizing his rule over the land. Their presence in the hands of Khonsu suggests that he was a noteworthy figure in Egyptian religion.
Like some other gods, Kongsu often appeared as the head of a falcon. This depiction of Kong Su is very similar to the image of the sun god La, and it is easy to confuse the two. The main difference between them is that a sun disk is worn on the pull-up, which is slightly different in shape from Kongsu's moon.
The old kingdom was terrible for Kongsu
The oldest form of Khonsu is his most bloodthirsty, mentioned in some of the oldest writings that have survived from ancient Egypt (or anywhere). Inscribed on the inner walls of the Egyptian pyramids are pyramid texts, a series of prayers, hymns, and incantations designed to protect the late kings from entering the afterlife and helping them prosper upon reaching the other shore. The pyramid text gives a brutal description of Kongsu, describing him as slaughtering the lords and slitting their throats. As explained in the Handbook of Egyptian Mythology, he was the "angry gods"—strangling the inferior gods, fierce enough to invoke his name in spells against powerful demons. He was also the guardian of the Book of The End of the Year, the ledger kept by the gods themselves, on which they would write down the names of everyone who would die during the year.
According to The Ancient Egyptian Online, this part of the pyramid text is known as the Cannibal Hymn, and Consu's role is to help the dead king slaughter and devour other gods. Another set of ancient works, The Coffin, describes him as "Kong Su who lives on the human heart." However, this bloody depiction of Luna is not his only feature. In fact, the later version of Khonsu, known in ancient Egyptian history, was very different.
The rise of Kong Su
Although Consu's old form was primarily about death, he was more connected to life later in the history of ancient Egypt, known as the New Kingdom. Ancient Egypt Online details how Consu was seen as gentle and compassionate. He gradually became known as the god of fertility and was believed to help women get pregnant. His connection to creative life was so strong that he even entered the creation myth. Recorded in the carvings of the temple walls, this story sees Kong Su involved in the birth of the universe. According to "Egyptian mythology", he is associated with "the great serpent that fertilizes the cosmic egg".
However, his role as a god who could cast out evil spirits still exists, as he is believed to be able to fend off the evil that causes disease. According to Ancient Egypt Online, a story says that Konsu personally healed Pharaoh Ptolemy IV, who earned the title of "Consu's beloved, protecting the king and driving out evil spirits". Kong Su was also regarded as a protector of the common people. According to the Encyclopedia of World History, all this made Kong Su a very popular god. He is known as one of the most powerful gods, second only to the sun god Amonla. Many even bear the name Kongsu. It was found that there was an inscription on the coffin (as in the picture above) with the hieroglyphic name Kongsu —not a god, but a person resting in peace.
Many roles of KHONSU
Kongsu, like other Egyptian gods, had many different identities, called aspects or nicknames. Part of the reason is that he overlaps with other similar gods. As the conference paper of the XIth International Congress of Egyptologists explains, there are two other moon gods, Thorte and Ia. These gods sometimes merge and are named Iah-Thoth and Iah-Khonsu, a combination known as fusion. Discovery of Egypt further elaborates on how Kongsu and Tut were associated with baboons. Khonsu and Thoth are also sometimes associated with the Khonsu-Djehuti name.
Ancient Egypt Online describes several different aspects of Khonsu, such as Khensu-pa-khart, which is associated with fresh air and the light of the new moon. It is this particular aspect of Khonsu that governs fertility. Another aspect is Khonsu pa-khered, or "Khonsu the child". This side of Khonsu is seen as a child every morning and an old man at dusk. Other notable aspects of Khonsu are Khonsu pa-ir-sekher ("Khonsu Provider") and Khonsu heseb-ahau ("Khonsu Lifespan Deciders").
Different aspects of Kongsu are seen as so distinct that sometimes they are portrayed as completely different people. In some stories, different aspects of God can even meet and converse with each other. A prominent myth involves Kong Su seeking help from his own different performances!
Great Temple of Kongsu
Entering the late New Kingdom, Pharaoh Ramses III began to build a huge temple in honor of Consu. According to the Egyptian American Research Center, the temple of Consu is part of the Karnak Temple complex in Luxor (formerly Thebes), a city still located on the east bank of the Nile. As such a monumental monument, it was never completed by Ramses himself, but by later rulers, including the Libyan general who controlled Upper Egypt. Even today, the ruins of the temple remain an impressive sight, with courtyards and corridors lined with pillars. Inside the Temple of Consu hide some of the finest bas-reliefs found in the entire Karnak complex.
As ancient Egypt Online explains, the Temple of Konsu is dedicated to more than one aspect of Konsu, so it contains more than one shrine. One is dedicated to Khonsu himself, one is dedicated to Khonsu-neferhotep (roughly translated as "beautiful and tranquil Khonsu" or "beautiful rest"), and the other is dedicated to Khonsu-hetneterneb, meaning "the plan of the working Khonsu Thebes." The main area of this temple may also worship other forms of Khonsu.
The family of KHONSU – THEBAN TRIAD
Thebes gradually became the religious capital of ancient Egypt and eventually became home to Egypt's largest temple complex (according to the "Manual of Egyptian Mythology"). As the "gods of ancient Egypt" point out, it is also the center of The Worship of Kongsu. In Thebes are dedicated to three gods known as the Triad of Thebes. These gods are Amun-Ra, his spouse Mut the "Great Mother" and their child Khonsu, as explained on a page of the University of Memphis (Memphis, Tennessee, not Memphis, Egypt). The Egyptian gods often divided into groups of three like this.
The Encyclopedia of World History has a lot to say about these three gods. Ammona was the king of the Egyptian gods and was one of the most powerful and popular of them. He anthropomorphizes the sun and air, although he himself originated from the god of fertility. His wife, Mutter, is the protector of the living and the dead, and the savior of damn souls. However, earlier legends depict Amun-Ra and Mut's other son, named Montu. It seems that when Consu took a place in the newer legends, he also inherited Montu's role as the protector.
Kong Su, king of time
The oldest calendar used by the ancient Egyptians was the lunar calendar, which differed from the Chinese and Islamic calendars of the modern world. As The Met points out, this is not uncommon for an agrarian society, as was ancient Egypt. The months in the Egyptian calendar are divided into three weeks, each ten days long, and each month begins with the darkness of the new moon. Khonsu was given different nicknames during different phases of the moon – he was called a powerful bull during the new moon and a neutered bull during the full moon.
This connection to the calendar meant that Consu's status as the moon god also empowered him over time. According to Ancient Egypt Online, this means that Kongsu determines the lifespan of people and determines the time they spend in the world in which they live. Interestingly, as the Tale of Two Lands points out, Kongsu also determined the longevity of other gods (unlike the pantheons of other ancient cultures, Egyptian gods were not immortal).
KHONSU Messenger of Life
Khonsu's descriptions often show him holding a cross, a symbol of life in ancient Egypt. Thousands of years later, this symbol is still widely known in today's world. In fact, Ankh is one of the most recognizable symbols in Egyptian culture and one of the oldest – this symbol is a cross with a ring-shaped head that dates back more than 5,000 years (according to the Encyclopedia of World History). In addition to mortal life, this symbol is thought to cover future lives. It carries the meaning of "life" or "breath of life".
Khonsu is widely worshipped as the fertility god, but this is not limited to influencing the conception of Egyptian children. Instead, Kong Su is responsible for the fertility of the entire world. It is said that Khonsu influences livestock reproduction, and it is said that Khonsu stirs up plant growth and causes the fruit to ripen. In a society as heavily dependent on agriculture as ancient Egypt, it's no surprise that Kongsu became such a popular god. The Egyptians might believe that their entire society depended on him.
Protector Kong Su
Since the oldest story he has ever known, Kongsu's name has been used against demons, driving them away with his anger. However, as the Handbook of Egyptian Mythology points out, the ancient Egyptians also believed that Kongsu would protect them from worldly dangers. According to Hixenbaugh Ancient Art, this includes protecting night travelers from wildlife — a fitting role for the moon god, whose rays allow travelers to see after nightfall. After all, the ancient world was sometimes a dangerous place, full of wildlife. The Reading Museum explains that the two animals feared by the ancient Egyptians were hippos and crocodiles. The fact that the entire Egyptian civilization was built around the Nile would make people particularly wary of these beasts.
Khonsu's name also appears in the amulet. As explained in a paper in the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, these are formally known as oracle amulet decrees, and they are a complete genre of ancient Egyptian texts. These decrees were written and worn to protect against physical and mental dangers, and were often given to children to protect them from disease, accidents and premature death. The authors of the decree declare intent to protect someone from all kinds of harm, from slander and injustice to poisonous creatures such as poisonous snakes and scorpions.
Consu Therapist
Kong Su's reputation as a healer has a long history and has existed for most of Egyptian history. As stated in The Gods of Ancient Egypt, his fame continued until the time of Ptolemaic, when Egypt was ruled by the Greeks. Kongsu's healing power is considered extraordinary, capable of miraculously curing patients immediately (according to the Encyclopedia of World History).
In ancient Egypt, as in other ancient human societies, medicine was a combination of science, superstition, and religion, often relying on magic. As Medical News Today explains, therapists are usually pastors. They believe that the human body is filled with passages, like those used to irrigate fields, and that disease is caused by evil spirits blocking these passages. According to Ancient Egypt Online, this is why Kong Su was called a therapist. It is believed that He has the ultimate power over all the evil spirits in the world, including those that cause suffering, disease, and decay. As explained in the "Handbook of Egyptian Mythology", Kongsu's healing power is attributed to his ability to drive out the most powerful of these spirits.
Princess Buickten
A famous story about Khonsu's healing powers is carved on a stone tablet called Bentresh Stela, which is currently on display at the Louvre in Paris. The Handbook of Egyptian Mythology tells the story of Princess Bentrish of Beherten who became seriously ill – adapted from the original book about the Bentrush Stone Stele. Ramses' wife's sister, Bentresh, was possessed by evil spirits that even the wisest healer could not resist. The battered king turned to one aspect of Konsu and asked Konsu-Neverhotep for help in healing his daughter. Khonsu-neferhotep then spoke to another side of him, asking the planner, Khonsu-hetneterneb, to fight the evil spirits.
Khonsu was sent to Bekhten in the form of a statue and the long journey lasted more than a year. When the statue arrived, Consu protected Princess Bentresh, who immediately recovered from her illness. After driving out the evil spirits, Kong Su instructed that offerings should be made to prevent the evil spirits from returning forever. Ramses was so impressed that he ordered the statue to be preserved in Bekhten. It remained there for several years until Kongsu appeared before the king in a dream and asked to be sent home. The king then realized that he had to send the statue back to Egypt because no king could command the gods.