UNCERTAIN DEITIES.

TOSES? (Pl. 64. Part 1.)

I now proceed to examine the form or attributes of those Deities whose names are unknown.

The first of these is a Goddess, whose hierogly. phics appear to read Toses. She wears the globe and horns of Athor, and is styled the Daughter of the Sun; but her office is not defined. She is found in the old temples of a Pharaonic age.

The two next figures of this Plate contain the figures of two Deities, who seem, from their hieroglyphic legends, to have the same name, Toses or Tosos, written with different characters.

HOн, HоHP? (Pl. 64. Part 2.)

The name of this Deity appears to read Hoh, or Hohp. His form and office are unknown. He occurs in temples of a Pharaonic age, the annexed figure being from Medeenet Haboo at Thebes.

(Pl. 64. Part 3.)

The name of this God is unknown, owing to the imperfect preservation of the hieroglyphics, and the uncertainty respecting the first letter in his legend. I have only met with him in temples of a late date, as at Dendera.

SMOT? A FORM OF THOTH? (Pl. 65. Part 1.)

This Deity is represented in hieroglyphics by a statue, in Coptic Smot, which should be his name. He has the title "Ruler of the Eight Regions of No," which seems to imply some connection with Thoth; and he bears on his head the disk and crescent given to the Moon.

Ao? (Pl. 65. Part 2.)

The bull-headed Deity appears to have the name Ao; which probably signifies a "bull,” since it frequently occurs over oxen, as the word Ehe over cows. I do not, however, suppose him to be connected with the God Ao, previously mentioned. *

SPOT? SOPTET? (Pl. 65. Part 3.)

Spot, Sopt, or Soptet, appears to be the name of this Deity. His office is uncertain. This figure is from one of the tombs of the Kings at Thebes. His hieroglyphics call to mind those which follow the name of the God Toré †, the seal and the spirits or rulers of the land. ‡

(Pl. 65. Part 4.)

This Goddess is represented nursing a child; not as Isis and Athor, but merely holding it on

* Vide suprà, p. 15.

+ Vide Plate 25. Part 2. fig. 2.

"Of Phut?" or "the West?" Vide infrà, p. 82.

her hand, as though it were entrusted to her charge. Her hieroglyphic consists of a shield crossed by two arrows, which she also bears on her head; but I am ignorant of her name and office. She is, perhaps, the abstract idea of “ tection" or "defence."

A CHARACTER OF ISIS, THE Defender?
(Pl. 66. Part 1.)

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The Goddess here represented is probably one of the characters of Isis, as the protecting Deity who averts misfortunes from mankind. Her hieroglyphic legend signifies "defender," or "avenger," and in the first line is the phonetic name of "Isis." She holds the ostrich feather, the emblem of truth and justice, and her position with outspread wings is similar to that of Isis when protecting her husband Osiris.

(Pl. 66. Part 2.)

Of this Deity I have been unable to ascertain the name and office; but from his having an emblem of strength as his hieroglyphic, which he also bears upon his head, he may be one of the forms of Gom, the Egyptian Hercules.

NEHIMEOU? NOHEMAO? (Pl. 66. Part 3.)

The name of this Goddess appears to read Nehimeou, Nehimaoee, or Nohemao. She is styled "Mistress of the Eight Regions of the Land, Domina

trix of Tentyris," from which place her figure and hieroglyphics are copied. She is called "daughter of the Sun." Her head-dress consists of a shrine, from which water plants are sometimes represented

to rise, her head being covered by the body and wings of a vulture. In her hand she holds the usual sceptre of the Goddesses. At the quarries of the Troici Lapidis Mons, she occurs as the second member of a triad composed of Thoth, this Goddess, and Horus (or Aroeris). Mention is also made of the Goddess Merte or Milt.

No. 462.

MELSIGOR, OR MERSOKAR? (Pl. 67. Part 1.)

This Goddess is from one of the tombs of the

Kings at Thebes. Her name appears to read Melsigor, or Mersokar, and she is styled Ruler of the West, or of Amenti, "the Lower Regions." She wears the globe and horns of Athor, in common with many other Goddesses; and I have found an instance of her under the form of a winged asp, with the cap of the Lower Country, having the same appearance as the Genius of Lower Egypt, and opposed in like manner to Eilethyia.

* Vide suprà, p. 45.

MERTE? OR MILT? (PT. Part 2

This Goddess is frequently met with in the oldest temples, where she always accompanies the King, when represented running with a vase and the fagellum of Osiris in his hands, amidst various emblems. Her name appears to be Mit, or Merte. In the Lower Regions, she has sometimes the united heads of a lion and crocodile, with the globe of Rê and the two long feathers of Amavia; but this figure is of rare occurrence, and I believe only in funeral subjects, among the Genii or minor Deities connected with the dead.

She usually bears on her head a cluster of the northern water plants, upon a cap terminating in a peculiar form at the back; from which it might Neem that she was more particularly connected with the Lower Country, those water plants being emblematic of that part of Egypt. Sometimes, however, she has those of Upper Egypt; but the more frequent assumption of the former sufficiently proves that her name was not Marés *, one of the appellations of the Thebaïd.

(Pl. 67. Part 3.)

The name of this Deity is uncertain. I had supposed her to represent Phut, or Libya; but this opinion does not seem to be supported by subsequent observations. She was one of the contemplar Deities of Tentyris; and occurs also at Thebes; but at Esneh her hieroglyphics are totally different, or may, indeed, be of another Goddess, who has assumed her form and attributes.

Whence the modern Egyptian name Merées, or Mereesee, given to the south wind..