Alternate Names: Seker, Sokaris
Sokar is the hawk-Neter of the Memphite Necropolis. He can be seen depicted as either a man with the head of a hawk, or as a mummified man with the head of a hawk. Often, He wears an elaborate crown which consists of two horns, two cobra's, a conical atef and a sun disc. His iconography is that of a low mound on a boat where a sparrow hawk rests.
In the Old Kindgom, Sokar amalgamates with Ptah to become Ptah-Sokar. This joining or merging was found documented in the tomb of Harkhuf at Aswan. As a result of this, Ptah-Sokar takes Sekhmet as a consort. It was not until the New Kingdom where Ptah-Sokar is visually represented. In addition, during the Middle Kingdom, prayers were addressed to the tripartite diety Ptah-Sokar-Wesir.
Sokar's funerary role however only appears to stem from His ties to Wesir. In the Pryamid Age, Sokar was attributed to having created the royal bones, and in the Book of the Dead, Sokar fashions the silver bowls for the deceased to use for food. From the concept of Sokar molding items as an artisian, He also becomes associated with the mixing of aromatic substances to provide the unguents important to Egyptian ritual. This appearance as a craftsmen makes the initial transition into Ptah-Sokar a seamless one.
Sokar's funerary aspects however were of the utmost importance. As 'Sokar of Rosetau' or 'mouth of the passages', He was the patron diety of the necropolis to the west of Memphis. He is 'lord of the mysterious region' and is prominent in the decoration of Theban royal tombs. In the tomb of Amenhotep II, Sokar's head is shown emerging from the top of a pyramid shaped mound as 'he who is on his sand'. This specific representation emphasizes Sokar as a ressurected Neter of the deceased, of unrestricted movement and power as his epithet indicates ( 'great god with his two wings opened' ). The ultimate statement of Sokar as a funerary Neter can be seen as a silver coffin in the shape of Sokar, discovered among the royal tombs at Tanis.
The festival of Sokar was celebrated on a grand scale. Reliefs found on the walls of the morturary temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu show that it almost rivals that of the Opet festival.
Sokar is the hawk-Neter of the Memphite Necropolis. He can be seen depicted as either a man with the head of a hawk, or as a mummified man with the head of a hawk. Often, He wears an elaborate crown which consists of two horns, two cobra's, a conical atef and a sun disc. His iconography is that of a low mound on a boat where a sparrow hawk rests.
In the Old Kindgom, Sokar amalgamates with Ptah to become Ptah-Sokar. This joining or merging was found documented in the tomb of Harkhuf at Aswan. As a result of this, Ptah-Sokar takes Sekhmet as a consort. It was not until the New Kingdom where Ptah-Sokar is visually represented. In addition, during the Middle Kingdom, prayers were addressed to the tripartite diety Ptah-Sokar-Wesir.
Sokar's funerary role however only appears to stem from His ties to Wesir. In the Pryamid Age, Sokar was attributed to having created the royal bones, and in the Book of the Dead, Sokar fashions the silver bowls for the deceased to use for food. From the concept of Sokar molding items as an artisian, He also becomes associated with the mixing of aromatic substances to provide the unguents important to Egyptian ritual. This appearance as a craftsmen makes the initial transition into Ptah-Sokar a seamless one.
Sokar's funerary aspects however were of the utmost importance. As 'Sokar of Rosetau' or 'mouth of the passages', He was the patron diety of the necropolis to the west of Memphis. He is 'lord of the mysterious region' and is prominent in the decoration of Theban royal tombs. In the tomb of Amenhotep II, Sokar's head is shown emerging from the top of a pyramid shaped mound as 'he who is on his sand'. This specific representation emphasizes Sokar as a ressurected Neter of the deceased, of unrestricted movement and power as his epithet indicates ( 'great god with his two wings opened' ). The ultimate statement of Sokar as a funerary Neter can be seen as a silver coffin in the shape of Sokar, discovered among the royal tombs at Tanis.
The festival of Sokar was celebrated on a grand scale. Reliefs found on the walls of the morturary temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu show that it almost rivals that of the Opet festival.