Hapi

Hapi

Hapi - Fertility God

As a water god, Hapi was a deity of fertility - he provided water, food and the yearly inundation of the Nile. He was also known as 'Lord of the Fishes and Birds of the Marshes,'. He was usually depicted as a rather well-fed, blue or green man with the false beard of the pharaoh and large pendulous breasts.

Hail to thee, O Nile! Who manifests thyself over this land, and comes to give life to Egypt!

Come and prosper!
Come and prosper!
O Nile, come and prosper!
O you who make men to live through his flocks and his flocks through his orchards!
Come and prosper, come,
O Nile, come and prosper!

Hapi was also both god of Upper and Lower Egypt - this duality was shown by having twin Hapi deities, one wearing the papyrus of the north (Upper Egypt) as a headdress, the other wearing the south's (Lower Egypt) lotus as a headdress. The Upper Egyptian Hapi was called 'Hap-Meht' while the Lower Egyptian Hapi was known as 'Hap-Reset'. They were depicted together, pouring water from a carried vase or together, tying the two plants of the northern or southern region into a knot with the sema hieroglyph, symbolising the union of Upper and Lower Egypt.
During the inundation flood, the Egyptians would throw offerings, amulets and other sacrifices into the Nile at certain places, sacred to Hapi. Hapi was thought to come with the inundation (the 'Arrival of Hapi') with a retinue of crocodile gods and frog goddesses, and the sacrifices were given in the hopes that the flood would not be too high, nor too low. During inundation, statues of Hapi were carried about through the towns and villages so that the people could honor and pray to him.
There are no known temples of Hapi, but his statues and reliefs are found in the temples of other deities. He was worshiped throughout the land of Egypt, but especially at Aswan and Gebel El-Silisila.
Snippets

The Horus Serekh
The serekh is a stylised rectangle which contained the Horus name of ancient Egyptian Pharaohs. The bottom contains a representation the palace facade. It was typically surmounted by a falcon, representing the God Horus, patron of the monarchy.