Aa A mysterious and ancient being worshiped in Egypt
from the earliest eras of settlement and best known from
cultic ceremonies conducted in the Old Kingdom
(2575–2134 B.C.E.), Aa’s cult was popular in the city of
HELIOPOLIS, possibly predating NARMER(c. 3000 B.C.E.),
who attempted to unite Upper and Lower Egypt. Aa was
revered as “the Lord of the PRIMEVAL ISLAND OF TRAM-
PLING,” amystical site associated with the moment of cre-
ation of Egyptian lore. In time this divine being became
part of the cult of the god RÉ, the solar deity that was
joined to the traditions of the god AMUNin some periods.
The moment of creation remained a vital aspect of
Egyptian religion, renewed in each temple in daily cere-
monies. The daily journeys of Ré across the heavens as
the sun, and the confrontation of the god with the
dreaded terror of the TUAT, or Underworld, kept creation
as a pertinent aspect of Egyptian mythology. In this con-
stant renewal of creation, Aa was revered as the “COMPAN-
ION OF THE DIVINE HEART,” a designation that he shared
with the divine being WA.
A’ah (A’oh) A moon deity of Egypt, also called A’oh in
some records, identified before c. 3000 B.C.E., when NAR-
MERattacked the north to unite the Upper and Lower
Kingdoms. A’ah was associated with the popular god
THOTH, the divinity of wisdom, who was a patron of the
rites of the dead. In the period of the Fifth Dynasty
(2465–2323 B.C.E.) A’ah was absorbed into the cult of
OSIRIS, the god of the dead. A’ah is depicted in The LAMEN-
TATIONS OF ISIS AND NEPHTHYS,a document of Osirian
devotion, as sailing in Osiris’sma’atetboat, a spiritual
vessel of power. In some versions of the BOOK OF THE
DEAD(the spells and prayers provided to deceased Egyp-
tians to aid them in their journeys through the Under-
world), Osiris is praised as the god who shines forth in
the splendor of A’ah, the Moon.
A’ah was also included in the religious ceremonies
honoring the god HORUS, the son of ISISand Osiris. The
moon was believed to serve as a final resting place for all
“just” Egyptians. Some of the more pious or holy
deceased went to A’ah’s domain, while others became
polar stars.A’ahset(fl. 15th century B.C.E.) Royal woman of the
Eighteenth Dynasty
A’ahset was a lesser ranked wife or concubine of TUTHMO-
SIS III(r. 1479–1425 B.C.E.). Her tomb has not been dis-
covered, but a funerary offering bearing her name was
found at THEBES. Such an offering indicates a rank in the
court, although her name on the offering bears no title. It
is possible that A’ahset was a foreign noble woman, given
to Tuthmosis III as tribute or as a cementing element of a
treaty between Egypt and another land. Such women
received elaborate burial rites and regalia in keeping with
their station in the royal court.a’akh (a’akhu; akh)Aspirit or spirit soul freed from
the bonds of the flesh, a’akhmeans “useful efficiency.”
The name was also translated as “glorious” or “benefi-
cial.” The a’akh,had particular significance in Egyptian
mortuary rituals. It was considered a being that would
have an effective personality beyond the grave because it
was liberated from the body. The a’akh could assume
human form to visit the earth at will.