Hedgehogs and Hedgehog-Head Boats in Ancient Egyptian Religion in the Late 3rd Millennium BCE

Hedgehogs held a special place in ancient Egyptian life like many other desert- and marsh-dwelling animals. Their natural defensive qualities were admired by Egyptians their bodily parts, notably hardened spines, used as ingredients medico-magical prescriptions. In tomb reliefs of the late 3rd Millennium BCE, hedgehogs are represented being carried alive offering bearers or background participants desert hunting scenes. later periods history, rattles, small unguent vessels, scaraboid amulets made shape, all which presumed to have had apotropaic purposes. A particular votive object Old Kingdom (c. 2686–2181 BCE) is palm-sized modelled boat with prow shape hedgehog head, has been discovered at sites throughout Egypt. similar representation this motif so-called ‘Henet’-boat (from word ?nt[j]) head facing inwards, found art. This article reassesses role protective entities association boats, considering how understood ecology predation snakes, scorpions, stinging creatures. An updated list provided known representations hedgehog-head including petroglyphs yet unpublished examples from tombs Giza Saqqara. The meaning ?nt(j) also rexamined relation riverine marsh-water boats tombs.