Anhur
| Religion in NetHack |
|---|
In NetHack, Anhur is the chaotic god of the Wizard pantheon.
Origin
Anhur was an early Egyptian god of war who was worshipped in Abydos and particularly Thinis within Ancient Egypt. His name is said to mean '(one who) leads back the distant one', which is reflected in myths that tell of Anhur bringing his female counterpart and wife Mehit from Nubia; one of his titles is "slayer of enemies". Anhur was depicted as a bearded man wearing a robe or kilt-like cloth and a headdress with four feathers, and wielded a spear or lance; he was occasionally depicted as a lion-headed god, representing strength and power.
Due to his position as a war god, he was patron of the ancient Egyptian army and the personification of royal warriors, and mock battles were staged at festivals honoring him. Anhur was later identified with Shu, a primordial Egyptian god of peace, lions, air, and wind, becoming Anhur-Shu; this is due both to a secondary meaning of his name being "sky bearer", and to shared characteristics between the two, such as lion-headed depictions and the dichotomy of war and peace.
Anhur's description as a four-armed hunter in the encyclopedia entry originates from Dungeons & Dragons, where he is portrayed as the chaotic good protector of the empire of Mulhorand (which is based on ancient Egypt). Anhur carries a powerful lance in both of his right arms and wears scale or lamellar mail, along with a three-plumed headdress rather than a four-plumed one. His will is often made known through the actions of animals as well as the uncontrolled actions of war chariots.
Variants
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, Anhur is a chaotic god of unholy holiness, and his minions consist of vrocks, mariliths, anubites, and ammits. His crowning gift is The Necronomicon, and a hero that is crowned with The Necronomicon already generated will instead receive The Book of Infinite Spells.
Encyclopedia entry
An Egyptian god of war and a great hunter, few gods can match
his fury. Unlike many gods of war, he is a force for good.
The wrath of Anhur is slow to come, but it is inescapable
once earned. Anhur is a mighty figure with four arms. He
is often seen with a powerful lance that requires both of
his right arms to wield and which is tipped with a fragment
of the sun. He is married to Mehut, a lion-headed goddess.
