Medjed- Egyptian SpiritSpirit"The Smiter"
Also known as: mḏd
Titles & Epithets
Domains
Symbols
Description
A white dome-shaped shroud with two round eyes and two small feet. Chapter 17 of the Book of the Dead names him among the beings of Osiris's realm: he "shoots with his eye, yet is unseen." No cult, no temple, no other mention in ancient sources. One line of text and one strange image in the Papyrus of Ani.
Mythology & Lore
The Smiter
Chapter 17 of the Book of the Dead lists the beings that inhabit the House of Osiris. Among them is Medjed, whose name means "the smiter." The text says he "shoots with his eye, yet is unseen," a punisher who strikes from concealment. No other ancient source mentions him. He had no cult and no temple.
The Shrouded Form
The Papyrus of Ani (c. 1250 BCE, now in the British Museum) provides his sole surviving image. Among the scroll's parade of gods and demons, Medjed appears as a white dome-shaped shroud with two round eyes peering out and two small feet protruding beneath. Nothing else in Egyptian art looks like him. The feet walk the Duat. The eyes find the wicked. The shroud hides everything else.
Relationships
- Associated with