Weneg (pharaoh)

Ancient Egyptian ruler

For the deity with the same name, see Weneg (deity).

"Wneg" redirects here. For other uses, see WNEG (disambiguation).

Weneg

Weneg-Nebty, Uneg

Alabaster fragment with the throne name Nisut-bitj-Nebty-Weneg.[1]

Pharaoh
Reign| length of reign unknown
Predecessor| Nynetjer
Successor| unknown

Royal titulary

| Praenomen

Nisut-Bitj-Nebty-Weneg
Nsw.t-btj-nb.tj-wng
King of Lower- and Upper Egypt,
He of the two Ladies, Weneg
|  |

|
|

Dynasty| 2nd Dynasty; around 2740 B.C.

Weneg (or Uneg), also known as Weneg-Nebty, is the throne name of an early Egyptian king, who ruled during the Second Dynasty. Although his chronological position is clear to Egyptologists, it is unclear for how long King Weneg ruled. It is also unclear as to which of the archaeologically identified Horus-kings corresponds to Weneg.

## Name sources and contradictions

[edit]

The name "Weneg" is generally accepted to be a nebti\- or throne name, introduced by the crest of the Two Ladies (the goddesses Nekhbet and Wadjet) and the sedge-and-bee-crest. Weneg's name appears in black ink inscriptions on alabaster fragments and in inscriptions on schist-vessels. Seventeen vessels bearing his name have been preserved; eleven of them were found in the underground galleries beneath the step pyramid of king Djoser at Sakkara. Egyptologists such as Wolfgang Helck and Francesco Tiradritti point out that all the inscriptions are made in the place of existing inscriptions, which means that the names that were originally placed on the vessels were completely different.

The symbol that was used to write Weneg's name is the object of significant dispute between Egyptologists to this day. The so-called "weneg flower" is rarely used in Egyptian writing. Mysteriously, the weneg flower is often guided by six vertical "strokes", three of them on each side of the flower bud. The meaning of these strokes is unknown. After Weneg's death, his heraldic flower was not used again until king Teti (6th dynasty), when it was used in his pyramid texts to name a “Weneg” as a sky and death deity which was addressed with "Son of Ra" and "follower of the deceased king". So it seems that the weneg flower was somehow connected with the Egyptian sun and death cult. But the true meaning of the flower as a king's name remains unknown.[2][3][4][5]

## Identification

[edit]

Since Weneg's name first became known to Egyptologists, scholars have been trying to match the nebti name of Weneg to contemporary Horus-kings. The following sections discuss some of the theories.

### Weneg corresponds to Hor-Nebre (or Raneb)

[edit]

BM EA 35556, the stone vessel used by Jochem Kahl to equate Weneg with Raneb.[6]

Egyptologist Jochem Kahl argues that Weneg was the same person as king Raneb, the second ruler of the 2nd dynasty. He points to a vessel fragment made from an igneous material, which was found in the tomb of king Peribsen (a later ruler of the 2nd dynasty) at Abydos. He believed he had found on the pot shard weak, but clear, traces of the weneg flower beneath the inscribed name of king Ninetjer. On the right side of Ninetjer's name the depiction of the Ka house of king Raneb is partially preserved. The complete arrangement led Kahl to the conclusion that the weneg flower and Raneb's name were connected to each other and king Ninetjer later replaced the inscription. Kahl also points out that king Ninetjer wrote his name mirrored, so that his name points in the opposite direction to Raneb's name.[6] Kahl's theory is the subject of continuing debate since the vessel inscription is badly damaged and thus leaves plenty of room for varying interpretations.

### Weneg corresponds to Hor-Sekhemib-Perenmaat

[edit]

Egyptologists such as Nicolas Grimal, Wolfgang Helck and Walter Bryan Emery identify Weneg with king Sekhemib-Perenmaat and with the Ramesside royal cartouche-name Wadjenes. Their theory is based on the assumption that Sekhemib and Seth-Peribsen were different rulers and that both were the immediate successors of king Ninetjer. But this theory is not commonly accepted, because clay seals of Sekhemib were found in the tomb of king Khasekhemwy, the last ruler of the 2nd dynasty. The clay seals set Sekhemib's reign close to Khasekhemwy's, whilst the Ramesside name "Wadjenes" is placed near the beginning of the 2nd dynasty.[7][8][9]

### Weneg as an independent ruler

[edit]

Egyptologists such as Peter Kaplony and Richard Weill argue that Weneg was a separate king from other kings of the period. They suggest that Weneg succeeded Ninetjer and his name is preserved in Ramesside kinglists under the name "Wadjenes". Their assumption is firstly based on the widely accepted theory that Ramesside scribes interchanged the weneg flower with the papyrus haulm, changing it into the name "Wadjenes". Secondly, Kaplony and Weill's theory is based on the inscription on the Cairo stone. They believe that the name "Wenegsekhemwy" is preserved over the third line of year events.[10] This theory is also not widely accepted, as the Cairo stone is badly damaged and the very weak traces of the hieroglyphs leave too much room for different interpretations.

## Reign

[edit]

Little is known about Weneg's reign. The vessel inscriptions mentioning his name only show reports about ceremonial events, such as the "raising up of the pillars of Horus". This feast is frequently reported on vessels from Nynetjer's reign, which brings Weneg's chronological position very close to that of Nynetjer.

The length of Weneg's rulership is unknown. If he was the same person as king Wadjenes, he ruled (according to the Royal Canon of Turin) for 54 years. If Weneg was the same person as king "Tlas", mentioned by the historian Manetho, he ruled for 17 years. But modern Egyptologists have doubts about both statements and evaluate them as misinterpretations or exaggerations. If Weneg was actually a separate ruler, as Richard Weill and Peter Kaplony believe, he may have ruled for 12 years, depending on their reconstructions of the Cairo stone inscriptions.

One theory suggests that the once unified kingdom of Egypt was divided after Nynetjer's death into two parts. Consequently, for a period after king Weneg's death, two kings ruled at the same time over Egypt suggesting that Weneg was an independent ruler. This assumption is based on the observation that both the Thinite and Memphite king lists of the Ramesside era mention the names "Wadjenes" and "Senedj" as the immediate successors of king Nynetjer. The Abydos king lists, for example, mention only six kings for the 2nd dynasty, whilst all the other kinglists mention nine kings. So Weneg may have been the last king who had ruled over the whole of Egypt, before sharing his throne (and control over Egypt) with another king. It remains unclear who the other king may have been.[4][10][11][12][13][14] Weneg's successor may have been Senedj but even that is uncertain in this shadowy period of the 2nd dynasty of Egypt.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ see: P. Lacau, J.P. Lauer: La Pyramide a Degeres IV. Inscriptions Gravees sur les Vases. Cairo 1959; obj.104
2. ^ B. Grdseloff: King Uneg. In: Annales du Service des Antiquités de l’Égypte, No. 44, 1944, page 279–306.
3. ^ Winfried Barta in: Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde, No.108. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1981, ISSN 0044-216X, page 20–21.
4. ^ a b Iorwerth Eiddon Stephen Edwards: The Cambridge ancient history, Vol. 1, Pt. 2: Early history of the Middle East, 3rd reprint. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2006, ISBN 978-0-521-07791-0, p. 31.
5. ^ Jochem Kahl: Das System der ägyptischen Hieroglyphenschrift in der 0.–3. Dynastie. In: Göttinger Orientforschungen, volume IV. 1994, page 354-355.
6. ^ a b Jochem Kahl: Ra is my Lord - Searching for the rise of the Sun God at the dawn of Egyptian history. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2007, ISBN 978-3-447-05540-6, pp. 12–14, 74.
7. ^ Wolfgang Helck: Untersuchungen zur Thinitenzeit. Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1987, ISBN 978-3-447-02677-2, page 103–107.
8. ^ Walter Bryan Emery: Ägypten. Geschichte und Kultur der Frühzeit. Fourier-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1964, ISBN 978-3-921695-39-5, page 105.
9. ^ Gunter Dreyer in: Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Kairo, No.59. Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Orient-Abteilung (Hrsg.). de Gruyter, Berlin 2003, S. 115.
10. ^ a b Peter Kaplony: Steingefäße der Frühzeit und des Alten Reiches. In: Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskund, Volumes 133-135. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1981, ISSN 0044-216X.
11. ^ Aidan Dodson: The Mysterious Second Dynasty. In: Kemet, volume 7, chapter 2 (1996), page 19-31
12. ^ Werner Kaiser: Zur Nennung von Sened und Peribsen in Saqqara B3. In: Göttinger Miszellen - Beiträge zur ägyptologischen Diskussion. No. 122. Ägyptologisches Seminar der Universität Göttingen, Göttingen 1991, ISSN 0344-385X, page 22–23.
13. ^ Barbara Bell: Oldest Records of the Nile Floods. In: Geographical Journal, volume 136, 1970, page 569–573.
14. ^ Hans Goedike in: Journal of Egypt Archaeology. volume 42, 1998, page 50.

## External links

[edit]

* Francesco Raffaele: WNG (Weneg or Uneg)

Preceded by

Horus Sa

|  Pharaoh of Egypt | Succeeded by

Wadjenes

|
|

* v
* t
* e

Pharaohs

Protodynastic to First Intermediate Period (<3150–2040 BC)

Period

Dynasty

* Pharaohs
* male
* female♀
* uncertain

|

Protodynastic
(pre-3150 BC)|

| Lower|

* Hedju Hor
* Ny-Hor
* Ni-Neith
* Hat-Hor
* Pu
* Hsekiu
* Khayu
* Tiu
* Thesh
* Neheb
* Wazner
* Mekh
* Double Falcon
* Wash

|

Upper|

* A
* Finger Snail
* Fish
* Elephant
* Stork
* Bull
* Scorpion I
* Crocodile
* Iry-Hor
* Ka
* Scorpion II
* Narmer / Menes

Early Dynastic
(3150–2686 BC)|

| I|

* Narmer / Menes
* Hor-Aha
* Djer
* Djet
* Den
* Anedjib
* Semerkhet
* Qa'a
* Sneferka
* Horus Bird

|

II|

* Hotepsekhemwy
* Nebra
* Nynetjer
* Ba
* Nubnefer
* Horus Sa
* Weneg-Nebty
* Wadjenes
* Senedj
* Seth-Peribsen
* Sekhemib-Perenmaat
* Neferkara I
* Neferkasokar
* Hudjefa I
* Khasekhemwy

Old Kingdom
(2686–2181 BC)|

| III|

* Djoser
* Sekhemkhet
* Sanakht
* Nebka
* Khaba
* Sedjes
* Qahedjet
* Huni

|

IV|

* Snefru
* Khufu
* Djedefre
* Khafre
* Bikheris
* Menkaure
* Shepseskaf
* Thamphthis

* Userkaf
* Sahure
* Neferirkare Kakai
* Neferefre
* Shepseskare
* Nyuserre Ini
* Menkauhor Kaiu
* Djedkare Isesi
* Unas

VI|

* Teti
* Userkare
* Pepi I
* Merenre Nemtyemsaf I
* Pepi II
* Merenre Nemtyemsaf II
* Netjerkare Siptah
* Neferka
* Nefer

1st Intermediate
(2181–2040 BC)|

| VII/VIII|

* Menkare
* Neferkare II
* Neferkare III Neby
* Djedkare Shemai
* Neferkare IV Khendu
* Merenhor
* Neferkamin
* Nikare
* Neferkare V Tereru
* Neferkahor
* Neferkare VI Pepiseneb
* Neferkamin Anu
* Qakare Iby
* Neferkaure
* Neferkauhor
* Neferirkare
* Wadjkare
* Khuiqer
* Khui
* Iytjenu

|

IX|

* Meryibre Khety
* Neferkare VII
* Nebkaure Khety
* Setut
* Imhotep

* Meryhathor
* Neferkare VIII
* Wahkare Khety
* Merykare

Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period (2040–1550 BC)

Period

Dynasty

* Pharaohs
* male
* female♀
* uncertain

|

Middle Kingdom
(2040–1802 BC)|

| XI|

* Mentuhotep I
* Intef I
* Intef II
* Intef III
* Mentuhotep II
* Mentuhotep III
* Mentuhotep IV

|

Nubia|

* Segerseni
* Qakare Ini
* Iyibkhentre

XII|

* Amenemhat I
* Senusret I
* Amenemhat II
* Senusret II
* Senusret III
* Amenemhat III
* Amenemhat IV
* Sobekneferu♀
* Seankhibtawy Seankhibra

2nd Intermediate
(1802–1550 BC)|

| XIII|

* Sekhemrekhutawy Sobekhotep
* Sonbef
* Nerikare
* Sekhemkare Amenemhat V
* Ameny Qemau
* Hotepibre
* Iufni
* Ameny Antef Amenemhet VI
* Semenkare Nebnuni
* Sehetepibre
* Sewadjkare
* Nedjemibre
* Khaankhre Sobekhotep
* Renseneb
* Hor
* Sekhemrekhutawy Khabaw
* Djedkheperew
* Sebkay
* Sedjefakare
* Wegaf
* Khendjer
* Imyremeshaw
* Sehetepkare Intef
* Seth Meribre
* Sobekhotep III
* Neferhotep I
* Sihathor
* Sobekhotep IV
* Merhotepre Sobekhotep
* Khahotepre Sobekhotep
* Wahibre Ibiau
* Merneferre Ay
* Merhotepre Ini
* Sankhenre Sewadjtu
* Mersekhemre Ined
* Sewadjkare Hori
* Merkawre Sobekhotep
* Mershepsesre Ini II
* Sewahenre Senebmiu
* Merkheperre
* Merkare
* Sewadjare Mentuhotep
* Seheqenre Sankhptahi

|

XIV|

* Yakbim Sekhaenre
* Ya'ammu Nubwoserre
* Qareh Khawoserre
* 'Ammu Ahotepre
* Maaibre Sheshi
* Nehesy
* Khakherewre
* Nebefawre
* Sehebre
* Merdjefare
* Sewadjkare III
* Nebdjefare
* Nebsenre
* Sekheperenre
* Bebnum
* 'Apepi
* Nuya
* Wazad
* Sheneh
* Shenshek
* Khamure
* Yakareb
* Yaqub-Har

XV|

* Sharek
* Semqen
* 'Aper-'Anati
* Salitis
* Sakir-Har
* Khyan
* Yanassi
* Apepi
* Khamudi

XVI|

* Djehuti
* Sobekhotep VIII
* Neferhotep III
* Mentuhotepi
* Nebiryraw I
* Nebiriau II
* Semenre
* Bebiankh
* Sekhemre Shedwast
* Dedumose I
* Dedumose II
* Montuemsaf
* Merankhre Mentuhotep
* Senusret IV
* Pepi III

Abydos|

* Senebkay
* Wepwawetemsaf
* Pantjeny
* Snaaib

XVII|

* Rahotep
* Nebmaatre
* Sobekemsaf I
* Sobekemsaf II
* Sekhemre-Wepmaat Intef
* Nubkheperre Intef
* Sekhemre-Heruhirmaat Intef
* Senakhtenre Ahmose
* Seqenenre Tao
* Kamose

New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period (1550–664 BC)

Period

Dynasty

* Pharaohs  (male
* female♀)
* uncertain

|

New Kingdom
(1550–1070 BC)|

| XVIII|

* Ahmose I
* Amenhotep I
* Thutmose I
* Thutmose II
* Hatshepsut♀
* Thutmose III
* Amenhotep II
* Thutmose IV
* Amenhotep III
* Akhenaten
* Smenkhkare
* Neferneferuaten♀
* Tutankhamun
* Ay
* Horemheb

|

XIX|

* Ramesses I
* Seti I
* Ramesses II
* Merneptah
* Amenmesses
* Seti II
* Siptah
* Tausret♀

XX|

* Setnakhte
* Ramesses III
* Ramesses IV
* Ramesses V
* Ramesses VI
* Ramesses VII
* Ramesses VIII
* Ramesses IX
* Ramesses X
* Ramesses XI
* Ramesses XII

3rd Intermediate
(1069–664 BC)|

| XXI|

* Smendes
* Amenemnisu
* Psusennes I
* Amenemope
* Osorkon the Elder
* Siamun
* Psusennes II

|

High Priests of Amun|

* Herihor
* Pinedjem I
* Menkheperre

XXII|

* Shoshenq I
* Osorkon I
* Heqakheperre Shoshenq IIa
* Tutkheperre Shoshenq IIb
* Maatkheperre Shoshenq IIc
* Takelot I
* Osorkon II
* Shoshenq III
* Shoshenq IV
* Pami I
* Shoshenq V

Lines of XXII/XXIII|

* Harsiese
* Takelot II
* Pedubast I
* Iuput I
* Shoshenq VI
* Osorkon III
* Takelot III
* Rudamun
* Shoshenq VII
* Menkheperre Ini
* Iuput II of Leontopolis
* Peftjauawybast of Herakleopolis
* Nimlot I of Hermopolis
* Djehutyemhat of Hermopolis
* Nimlot II of Hermopolis
* Padinemti of Hermopolis

XXIII|

* Pedubast II
* Osorkon IV
* Pami II
* Gemenefkhonsbak
* Pedubast III

XXIV|

* Tefnakht
* Bakenranef

XXV|

* Piye
* Shebitku
* Shabaka
* Taharqa
* Tanutamun

Late to Roman Period (664 BC–313 AD)

Period

Dynasty

* Pharaohs
* male
* female♀
* uncertain

|

Late
(664–332 BC)|

| XXVI|

* Ammeris
* Tefnakht II
* Nekauba
* Necho I
* Psamtik I
* Necho II
* Psamtik II
* Wahibre
* Ahmose II
* Psamtik III

|

XXVII|

* Cambyses II
* Petubastis III
* Darius I
* Psammetichus IV
* Xerxes
* Artaxerxes I
* Darius II

XXVIII|

* Amyrtaeus

XXIX|

* Nepherites I
* Hakor
* Psammuthes
* Nepherites II
* Muthis

XXX|

* Nectanebo I
* Teos
* Nectanebo II

XXXI|

* Artaxerxes III
* Khabash
* Arses
* Darius III

Hellenistic
(332–30 BC)|

| Argead|

* Alexander the Great
* Philip III Arrhidaeus
* Alexander IV

|

Ptolemaic|

* Ptolemy I Soter
* Ptolemy II Philadelphus
* Ptolemy III Euergetes
* Ptolemy IV Philopator
* Ptolemy V Epiphanes
* Ptolemy VI Philometor
* Cleopatra II♀
* Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator
* Ptolemy VIII Euergetes
* Cleopatra III♀
* Ptolemy IX Soter
* Ptolemy X Alexander I
* Berenice III♀
* Ptolemy XI Alexander II
* Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos
* Cleopatra V♀
* Berenice IV Epiphaneia♀
* Cleopatra VI Tryphaena♀
* Cleopatra VII Philopator♀
* Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator
* Arsinoe IV♀
* Ptolemy XIV Philopator
* Ptolemy XV Caesarion

Roman
(30 BC–313 AD)|

| XXXIV|

* Augustus
* Tiberius
* Caligula
* Claudius
* Nero
* Galba
* Otho
* Vitellius
* Vespasian
* Titus
* Domitian
* Nerva
* Trajan
* Hadrian
* Antoninus Pius
* Lucius Verus
* Marcus Aurelius
* Commodus
* Pertinax
* Pescennius Niger
* Septimius Severus
* Geta
* Caracalla
* Macrinus
* Diadumenian
* Elagabalus
* Severus Alexander
* Maximinus Thrax
* Gordian I
* Gordian II
* Pupienus
* Balbinus
* Gordian III
* Philip
* Decius
* Trebonianus Gallus
* Aemilianus
* Valerian
* Macrianus Minor
* Quietus
* Lucius Mussius Aemilianus
* Gallienus
* Claudius Gothicus
* Quintillus
* Aurelian
* Tacitus
* Probus
* Carus
* Carinus
* Numerian
* Diocletian
* Maximian
* Galerius
* Maximinus Daza

|

Dynastic genealogies

* 1st
* 2nd
* 3rd
* 4th
* 11th
* 12th
* 18th
* 19th
* 20th
* 21st to 23rd
* 24th
* 25th
* 26th
* 27th
* 30th
* 31st
* Argead
* Ptolemaic

List of pharaohs

* v
* t
* e

Second Dynasty of Ancient Egypt

Attested pharaohs|

* Hotepsekhemwy
* Nebra
* Weneg
* Nynetjer
* Seth-Peribsen
* Sekhemib-Perenmaat
* Khasekhemwy

Obscure pharaoh
names|

* Horus Ba
* Ba
* Horus Sa
* Hudjefa I
* Neferkara I
* Neferkasokar
* Nubnefer
* Senedj
* Sneferka
* Wadjenes

Queens consort|

* Menka
* Nimaathap

Other royals|

* Khenmetptah
* Satkhnum
* Sehener
* Shepset-ipet
* Wadjitefni
* (Mesen-ka)
* Nisuheqet
* Perneb

Other people|

* Inykhnum
* Nefer-Setekh
* Pehen-Ptah

Monument|

* Gisr el-Mudir
* Shunet El Zebib

Capital|

* Thinis

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