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| Ramesses I depicted between a falcn-headed "soul" of Pe and a jackal-headed "soul" of Nekhen. The bau or souls of Nekhen. The bau or souls celebrate the regeneration of the king who has also become a ba. Tomb of Ramesses I, Valley of the Kings. Western Thebes. |
The souls of Pe are represented as falcon-headed and those of Nekhen as jackal-headed gods. They are both often depicted in the kneeling henu or "jubilation" position as they salute the rising sun or participate in other celebratory rituals. In the tomb of Ramesses I in the Valley of the Kings they are shown flanking the king in this position, celebrating the rejuvenation of the king's ba or souls. In this particular representation, the written henu hieroglyph is visible in the inscription above the figures of the gods which are, in fact, simply hieroglyphs made larger. In a similar representation from the 18th-dynasty temple at Buhen in Nubia, the falcon-headed gods of Pe are accompanied by an inscription which states "May they give all life and power... (and) all stability which they have..." showing that the gesturing figures could also be symbolic of divine gifts. In temple scenes the souls of Nekhen and Pe (or masked priests) may carry the barque shrine of the god on poles placed upon their shoulders, or, as in the temple of Horus at Edfu, they may carry the enthroned god himself by means of carrying poles beneath his chair.
