Current mood:

impressed

Djhwty: Wise Counsellor
Djhwty (pronounced "cheh-HU-teh") was the first masculine name of Ntjr to accept me as a student. A lunar god, more at home in the library than the wilderness- He didn't match well with the pattern of divinity which I had come to assume, and perhaps that's why I was so fascinated. Divine scribe, Master of language and wisdom, Lord of Time and Great of Magic... His wise words have carried me through many difficult times.


I met Djhwty by way of Bast, Who had sent me a vision of a papyrus painting where a cat stalked an ibis among the marsh reeds. Following this vision led me not only to a new ntjr, but also reminded me of a love I'd put aside in favor of preparation for a medical career. I wanted to study language again. This came at a time when many things in my life were being re-evaluated, questioned, and prioritized; I decided to take a break from the course load I was building up for vet school and enroll in a few classes on languages, religion, and philosophy instead. Learning about Djhwty was something that came very slowly- He's not very talkative, and I still hadn't found a reliable source of information on the ntjrw when I first met Him- all that I really knew about Him was that He was a lunar deity with strong links to the written word. As with so many other things, it wasn't until after I'd joined the Kemetic Community that I began to find information and experiences which deepened my knowledge of Him, and my relationship with Him.

Djhwty's main role among the ntjrw is that of an advisor or a celestial vizier. He is the right hand of the king, one Who stands in for Him from time to time, or Who offers words of wisdom or witty commentary when the king is facing matters of great importance or vexation. In this sense He is sometimes said to be "a second Ra," and He rules in Ra's place as the moon rules over the night sky when the sun is away. He is clever, powerful, and very creative- in His own city He was credited with the creation of the world and all the ntjrw Themselves. He is a lunar ntjr- one of several associated with the moon. It is common for the influences of several different ntjrw to overlap, but when this happens there is usually some difference in exactly which aspect of the thing is being ruled. Djhwty rules over the changing phases of the moon, and by this right He is also the lord of time- reckoning the passage of the lunar calendar by overseeing the changes of the moon. The creation of the written language (especially hieroglyphic) is sometimes credited to His wife, Sshat, and sometimes to Djhwty. He is the master of languages- written and spoken- and He is the patron ntjr of scribes and all manner of writers. He is also greatly skilled in heka since one of the major sources of power for Egyptian magic is found within the word itself. In His role as a master magician, He has a troupe of seven hawk-headed assistants called the Djaisw, or Utterances.

Djhwty carries with Him the ankh, the wAs scepter, the wdjat (wDAt) eye, a pallet and reed pen, and occasionally a "neb" symbol which holds two wAs scepters and an ankh.

The ankh is one of the most common signs among the ntjrw, held at one time or another by all. The meaning and implication of this symbol has been covered in my first two essays on Bast and Skhmt, however, so I won't go in depth with it here. The ankh sign itself is, however, a hieroglyph. The use of hieroglyphic symbols as tools which convey or amplify the forces which they name in writing demonstrates the magical potency of the hieroglyphic language. This characteristic of the language is due to its divine nature, and was a gift from Djhwty to all of creation.

The wAs scepter is a symbol shared by all ntjrw, and occasionally by some ntjrwt in special situations. It is a staff with the stylized head of a stkh-animal, and the base of the scepter seems to mimic either the split tail of the stkh animal, or perhaps a crescent moon. The wAs scepter is a symbol of strength and power, the kind which is necessary to protect and preserve one's kingdom. The wAs scepter represents the divine authority of the one Who holds it, and His or Her ability to maintain rulership (thus ensuring a peaceful and prosperous kingdom).

The udjat eye is shared by fewer deities, in particular those ntjrwt Who bear the title "Eye of Ra." Generally the udjat eye represents wholesomeness and perfection. This is most likely in the case of Djhwty, Who was responsible for healing this sacred eye and restoring it to wholesomeness and perfection after it was destroyed by Stkh. However, it can also mark its bearer as an instrument of the vigilance and perfect justice of Ra. This may also be true of Djhwty, as He is Ra's advisor and second-in-command.

The pallet and reed pen are unique to Djhwty, and symbolise His dominion in the fields of writing and language, and also His role as a sort of divine secretary- recording the result when a person's heart is weighed against the feather of Ma'at, and writing the letters which the ntjrw use to communicate with one another over important matters.

The "neb" sign holding the two wAs scepters and the ankh sign may correspond to a form of title which is common to several ntjrw: "Who gives all life," or "Giving all Strength/Power." The "neb" sign, which looks like the lower half of a circle," means "all." The ankh and wAs scepters may mean that Djhwty is literally holding "all Life and Strength," respectively, ready to be given to a worthy individual.

Djhwty is most commonly seen wearing the headress of the full lunar disk resting on the crescent moon, but He also wears the atef crown and the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.

The lunar crown, as one would expect, shows two phases of the moon. Here, Djhwty is associated with the moon- particularly in its changing phases. Other lunar ntjrw are also shown with this crown, most notably Khnsw and Yah.

The atef crown is the crown that Ra wore when He ruled on earth, the fact that Djhwty wears it emphasises His relationship with Ra as Ra's most trusted advisor, and reflects the title given to Him of "A Second Ra." It closely resembles the white crown of Upper Egypt, with feather plumes to either side.

The double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt basically combines the white crown of Upper Egypt and the red crown of Lower Egypt, showing dominion over the united whole of Egypt. It is a symbol of great political power, which is appropriate in this case since Djhwty figures prominently in the advising of the most important political personages, as well as carrying out some of Their more delicate operations.

Djhwty is most commonly seen as a man with the head of an ibis, though He does occasionally take the full form of an ibis or a baboon. I have also seen one statue of Him in full human form- an ibis sat on His head, cradling the lunar disk in its wings.

Djhwty is husband to the ntjrt of Truth and Harmony, Ma'at, the protective ntjrt Nhmtaway, and Sshat- our Lady of Librarians. He was father to the articulate ntjr Hr-nbw ("Golden Hrw") and the ntjr Hr-Nfr ("Beautiful Hrw"). According to some myths, Djhwty was self-generated. In others, He was the son of Hrw and Stkh.

In my better moments, Djhwty is a role model to Whom I give my best effort- I admire His wisdom, His calm and elegance, and His ability to know just what to say in any given situation- calming those who are raging, giving advice to those distraught with need, and resolving any knotty problem that those around Him may encounter. I've often gone to Him in shrine with questions when I feel confused or bewildered or hurt, or sometimes just in hopes of hearing some choice bit of wisdom to set me on my path again after I've fallen into a rut. At first, I had a great deal of difficulty understanding Him because He usually does not speak to me in words. When I first began listening for the ntjrw, I was very stuck on the idea of conversation through words- so I was quite often frustrated. Djhwty, probably more than any other, is the one Who has taught me how much can be said with a look, a feeling, or an image. He does not waste words when they are not needed; perhaps because He knows better than any other just how powerful they are. I may ask Him a question and He will take me by the hand and lead me somewhere- show me a scene which holds my answer. Or He may give me a feeling, an inner understanding of the core issue which can take me weeks to put into words. One such piece of advice was given to me when I prayed to Him for guidance in knowing what I should say in emotionally difficult situations. He sent me a feeling of calm and certainty, and about a week later I was able to translate it into this: "Let your mind be calm. Let your heart be filled by the love of Ma'at. What comes from your mouth will follow suit." I try to live by that now- it leaves so much less to be regretted after my anger has cooled, and it frees my tongue from anxiety over saying something wrong or inadequate. If I speak of my own feelings in love and sincerity, I am never wrong and never inadequate. Even if things don't turn out as I would have wished, I have the comfort of knowing that what I said and did was given in the spirit of Ma'at.

I have always seen Djhwty as a man with the head of an ibis- He has not seen fit to appear before me in any other form. He has the most piercing black eyes of any ntjr that I have encountered so far; He sees through any and all pretense, even if I don't know that I'm pretending- even that I don't know that I'm pretending. He is very silent, efficient, precise, and reliable. He has always been there when I truly needed Him, and He has guided me safely through some of the most painful conflicts of my life.