Fact 1 Pe & Nekhen: | These gods represented the souls of the ancient pre-dynastic rulers of Upper and Lower Egypt from whom the kings of Egypt were descended.
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Fact 2 Pe & Nekhen: | The souls were regarded as the powerful protectors and the ancestors of the living monarch and followers of the god Horus.
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Fact 3 Pe & Nekhen: | The soul of Nekhen is represented by the jackal-headed figure.
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Fact 4 Pe & Nekhen: | The soul of Pe is represented by the falcon-headed figure.
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Fact 5 Pe & Nekhen: | The falcon-headed deity represents the soul of Pe Dep meaning the double mounds of Buto. Buto was a city, once the capital in the northern part of the Egyptian Delta.
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Fact 6 Pe & Nekhen: | The jackal-headed deity represents the soul of Nekhen meaning Hierakonpolis. Hierakonpolis was an important cult center, once the capital in southern Egypt.
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Fact 7 Pe & Nekhen: | The souls of are depicted in the kneeling kneeling pose and the placement of the arms are part of temple rituals by which gods and kings as living gods were hailed by this gesture of jubilation.
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Fact 8 Pe & Nekhen: | The gesture of jubilation was called 'henu'. The pose is also indicative of their readiness to hammer the enemies of their lawful descendants.
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Fact 9 Pe & Nekhen: | The souls of the figures were referred to as the ‘Bau’. The ancient Egyptians believed that the Ba was the part of the soul that embarked on a journey to follow the gods. For additional information refer to the Ka and Ba.
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Fact 10 Pe & Nekhen: | The deities are upholders of the divine right of kingship inherited by the ruler in his manifestation as the god Horus.
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Fact 11 Pe & Nekhen: | They also welcomed the king into the Afterlife. Early Egyptian mythology placed the heavenly world above the earth, with its floor being the sky. To reach this a ladder was deemed necessary to reach the next world. The souls helped him to ascend to the crystal floor of the next world by the provision of a golden ladder.
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Fact 12 Pe & Nekhen: | An amulet o talsiman in the shape of a ladder was popular amongst the ancient Egyptians.
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