Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt

344 ren

ren The ancient Egyptian word for name, it was consid-
ered vital to an individual’s identity on earth and in the
afterlife. A nameless being could not enter into the realms
of the gods—in fact, could not exist at all. The duty of
each family member, therefore, was to perpetuate the
names of their ancestors in cultic ceremonies. The names
of the deceased were recited aloud each day, long after
they had been buried.
Those who could afford to do so hired mortuary
priests to recite the daily liturgies in honor of the dead, so
as to insure eternal bliss. The dead were also believed to
benefit from the recitation of the royal or divine names,
which made the kings and the gods happy to intercede on
their behalf.

Re’neb (Kakau, Nubnefer)(d. 2649 B.C.E.) Second
ruler of the Second Dynasty
He was the successor of HOTEPSEKHEMWY, the founder of
the line, who ruled from 2700 B.C.E. until his death. He
is called Kakau or Nubnefer in some king lists and is
denoted as Kaichan by MANETHO. His name meant “Ré
Is the Lord,” and he may have been a usurper. His seals
were in SAQQARAand on a TRADEroute near ERMENT.
Re’neb is given credit for aiding the APISbull cult in
MEMPHISand the MNEVIScult at HELIOPOLIS. He is also
credited with introducing the sacred ram cult of
MENDES. His SEREKHwas discovered on a granite stela
in ABYDOS. His tomb is believed to have been situated
under the causeway of UNIS’s funerary complex in
SAQQARA.

Renenet (Renenutet) An Egyptian goddess of good
fortune, she was considered an incarnation of ISISas the
patroness of harvests. She was also worshiped as the
celestial cobra that nursed the pharaohs. A temple dedi-
cated to Renenet was erected in the FAIYUMduring the
Middle Kingdom (2040–1640 B.C.E.). She was also associ-
ated with the cults of HATHORand other goddesses con-
cerning harvests, fate, happiness, and childbirth.

Renni(fl. 16th century B.C.E.) Mayoral official of the
Eighteenth Dynasty
He served AMENHOTEP I (r. 1525–1504 B.C.E.) as the
mayor of ELKABand as overseer of priests. His tomb in
THEBES is famous for its reliefs, depicting agricultural
scenes, festivals, banquets, and funerary rituals.

Renpet (1) A goddess of the Egyptian year, and the
Egyptian word for year, Renpet was very popular in the
late periods of Egypt. She was depicted as a woman wear-
ing various symbols of crops and harvests. In some eras
she was associated with the solar cult of SOPDU, called
Sirius, the Dogstar, by the Greeks. Sopdu signaled the
coming inundation of the Nile each year.

renpet (2) The Egyptian hieroglyphic sign denoting

the regnal year of a PHARAOH, the renpetsign appears to

have been introduced in the reign of DJET, the third ruler

of the First Dynasty (2920–2770 B.C.E.). Such a sign

allowed significant annual events to be recorded accu-

rately for each reign. The PALERMO STONEcontains the

renpethieroglyph as a separation symbol to compartmen-

talize information about the reigns of the pharaohs.

See also KING LISTS.

Report of Wenamum See WENAMUN.

reptile charmer This was an occupation of the ancient

Egyptians and one that is still in demand on the modern

Nile. One such noted reptile charmer served at DEIR EL-

MEDINA, the settlement of the workers in the tombs of the

VALLEY OF THE KINGS. Others lived in villages and served

entire areas. Still others were stationed at mines and

quarries.

The reptile charmers normally conducted themselves

as priests, physicians, scribes, or laborers but were on call

when venomous snakes or scorpions posed a threat to the

local populations. They were required to be on hand at all

construction sites. These charmers were adept at handling

the deadly reptiles, and many had been stung enough

times to have built levels of immunity in their systems.

Reputneb(fl. 24th century B.C.E.)Royal woman of the

Fifth Dynasty

She was a consort of NIUSERRÉ(r. 2416–2392 B.C.E.),

sharing the rank with Queen KHENTIKUS. Reputneb was

not the mother of the heir.

Repyt A lioness deity of Egypt, popular in many histor-

ical periods, her temple at ATHRIBISwas once the same

size as the temple of HATHORin DENDEREH. This shrine

was erected in the Ptolemaic Period (304–30 B.C.E.).

PTOLEMY IX SOTER II(116–107, 88–81 B.C.E.) added to this

temple.

reserve heads Ancient Egyptian busts created as

portraits of the deceased, the heads frequently had bro-

ken ears and marks of scoring. It is believed that the

damaged ears were the accidental results of the breaking

of the molds, which were made out of linen and thin

plaster. The damage could have taken place at that

instant. For some reason the heads were not repaired

or restored. Reserve heads were placed outside of the

TOMBS, although some were found in the burial chambers

or at the bottom of grave shafts. They date to the Fourth

Dynasty (2575–2465 B.C.E.), used mostly in GIZA, ABU-

SIR, SAQQARA, and DASHUR. More than 30 such heads,

exquisitely portraying the deceased, have survived over

the centuries. They were used as spare heads if the