Blogging from A to Z - Day 8 - H

H is for Hu - the god who personifies the authority of a word of command.

Hu came into being from a drop of blood from the phallus of the sun-god Re.
When, according to the theology of the Pyramid Age, the king becomes a lone star, his companion is Hu. The royal authority is maintained in the Afterlife by Hu acknowledging the king's supremacy and allowing the monarch to cross the waters of his canal.

It is tempting to correlate Hu with the power of the tongue of Ptah in the Memphite creation legend, commanding the universe into existence at the instigation of Ptah's heart.

The Ancient Egyptians recognized the Sphinx at the Giza Plateau as an image of Hu. The lion was a symbol of power and strength. Used as the body of the Sphinx, this was perfectly acceptable to the Ancient Egyptians. The face of the Sphinx wore the distinctive Red Crown of the Creator and the Osiris Beard. These were hallmarks of the time.

It’s been suggested that Ancient Egyptians would use the Sphinx in a ritual that reenacted the creation of the Universe. It was performed at dusk, as night was falling upon Egypt. This was considered the time before creation begun, when Hu (the Sphinx) sat silent.

When the signal was given, the sound of the first word of creation filled the air, as people made the sound they recognized as that breath, “Hhhhoooooooo.”

This “word,” the Word of God, would be chanted all through the night symbolizing the night of progressive creating. The final act of the ritual came at sunrise. As the sun rose out of the East, the last breath of Hu was recognized.

Sri Harold Klemp, Spiritual Leader of Eckankar, notes, “Hu is the ancient name of God, a love song to God. When Soul has heard this sound, Soul yearns to go home.”

Eckankar uses the singing of Hu’s name as a spiritual connection to the Heart of God. They sing the name Hu to draw closer to the Divine Being. For the people who follow this faith, the desires are reported to be love, freedom, wisdom, and truth.

Eckankar teaches, “A spiritual essence, the Light and Sound, connects everyone with the Heart of God. This Light and Sound is the ECK, or Holy Spirit. Direct Aspects of God opens the deep spiritual potential within each of us. The Light and Sound purify, uplift, and direct us on our journey to home.”

The Egyptian Book of the Dead, The Papyrus of Ani, mentions the ceremonies of Hu and Sa. One can only speculate as to the nature of such rituals and ceremonies. Could they be talking about the ancient ritual involving the Sphinx?

Hu may be considered a minor god in some ways, but it’s obvious that Hu was a not-so-minor god to most Ancient Egyptians.

So long my friends,
Evalina