In Egyptian mythology, the name Mehen (), meaning 'coiled one', referred to a mythological snake-god and to a board game.Discussion of the game by University College London Snake god The earliest known references to Mehen occur in the Coffin Texts.The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by R. Wilkinson Mehen is a protective deity who is depicted as a snake which coils around the sun god Ra during his journey through the night, for instance in the Amduat.The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife by Erik Hornung
In the German-Egyptian dictionary by R. Hannig,Hannig, R. 1995. Die Sprache der Pharaonen: Großes Handwörterbuch Ägyptisch-Deutsch it is said that the Mehen (mḥn) or the Mehenet (mḥnt) snake is equivalent to the Ouroboros.
Relationship between snake-god and Mehen game
The precise relationship between the deity and the Mehen game is unknown. For instance, it is unknown whether the game derives from the mythological character or the character derives from the game.
It is known that the object known as mehen depicts a game rather than a religious fetish as demonstrated in tomb paintings, game boards, and equipment. The rules and method of playing the game are unknown, although rules have been created in modern times based on assessments of how it may have been played.
References
External links
at Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery schools liaison