(Wenep) Wenpy, “Stabber” or “Piercer”, is mentioned as a son of Thoth in spell 201 of the Coffin Texts, in which the operator says “The Followers of Re are those who serve me, for I am a child of Wenpy the son of Thoth.” A God of this name depicted at the temple of Hibis (Sanctuary (A), South Wall: Davies, pl. 4, l. V; description, p. 11; Cruz-Uribe, p. 32f) is likely to be identified with the son of Thoth from the Coffin Texts inasmuch as he appears in a series of deities associated with Thoth and with Hermopolis. The God from the Hibis sanctuary is depicted as a mummiform, lion-headed, ithyphallic male with a flail above his raised right arm. ‘Wenpy’ is also an epithet of Horus at Edfu, as well as a priestly title at the temple there (Edfu I, p. 539, no. IX). It is possible that this office has some reference to the God Wenpy, since the wenep priest is depicted there carrying the staff of the Hermopolite nome.
Cruz-Uribe, Eugene. 1988. Hibis Temple Project, Vol. 1. San Antonio, TX: Van Siclen Books.
Davies, Norman De Garis. 1953. The Temple of Hibis in el-Khârgeh Oasis: Part III, the Decoration. New York City: Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Another lion-headed deity! They never cease…almost like dog heads in Irish! 😉
At an exhibition currently at the Metropolitan, I saw this Egyptianizing Neo-Assyrian piece, labeled by the curators as “Sekhmet”, though evidently male, but which made me think of Wenpy, however, due to the ape atop the lotus in front of him: http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/325355
That is fascinating! Though a shame that the curators don’t know about some of the other Egyptian deities who might fit…
I’ve seen a few things on Ebay and such which have a “male Sekhmet” which they then say must be Nefertem. Well, what about Maahes? What about Arensnuphis? And so on and so on…
And of course, the piece is far more likely to depict Nefertum, or even Maahes, than Wenpy, but certainly something better could be offered than “male Sekhmet”.