Ny-Hor () was a possible pharaoh from the

Predynastic Period Prehistoric Egypt and Predynastic Egypt span the period from the earliest human settlement to the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period around 3100 BC, starting with the first Pharaoh, Narmer for some Egyptologists, Hor-Aha for others, with th ...

. His name means "The Hunter" according to egyptologist Werner Kaiser. He may have ruled during the 31st century BC.

Name

Although the interpretation is controversial, it is believed that his Horus name is, “Ḥr-nj / Ḥr-nw” which means, “He belongs to Horus / Hunter of Horus''. However, unlike later pharaohs, his ''serekh'' name does not include a Horus falcon. The exact reason for this is unknown, but it may be because he predates this practice, or that he was not considered a king, as was later understood. Variant names include: Ni-Hor, Hor-ni, or Ny-Hor.

Evidence

Ny-Hor's name appears predominantly on clay and stone vessels found in tombs near Tarkhan, Tura, Tarjan and Nagada. Evidence of his rule is very poor and its existence is doubted by some of the research, and opinion about the actual reading and interpretation of the name are divided. *Some Egyptologists believe that Ny-Hor is an alternative naming for the Pharaoh

Narmer Narmer ( egy, Wiktionary:nꜥr-mr, nꜥr-mr, meaning "painful catfish," "stinging catfish," "harsh catfish," or "fierce catfish;" ) was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the Early Dynastic Period (Egypt), Early Dynastic Period. He was the successor ...

. * William Matthew Flinders Petrie was undecided due to the improperly executed representation of the character assigned this king and was unwilling to ascribe him as Pharaoh Narmer. * Thomas Schneider,

Günter Dreyer Günter Dreyer (5 October 1943 – 12 March 2019) was an Egyptologist at the German Archaeological Institute. In southern Egypt, Dreyer discovered records of linen and oil deliveries which have been carbon-dated to between 3300 BCE and 3200 BCE, ...

, and Werner Kaiser, on the other hand, consider that Ny-Hor was not Narmer as bones found in the graves of Tarkhan predate the time in which Narmer lived.Werner Kaiser, Günter Dreyer: Umm el-Qaab. Nachuntersuchungen im frühzeitlichen Königsfriedhof. 2. Vorbericht. In: Mitteilungen des deutschen archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo. (MDAIK) Nr. 38, von Zabern, Mainz 1982. page 211–269. *Egyptologist

Ludwig D. Morenz Ludwig David Morenz (born 4 April 1965) is German professor in Egyptology at the University of Bonn.Tait (2003), p. xi-x. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Leipzig and Habilitation from the University of Tübingen. His fields of researc ...

, on the other hand, warns against specifying any concrete option, since the evidence is too tenuous at this time.

Biography

Very little is known of his rule, and his existence remains controversial. Horus Ny (Ny-Hor) was a (possible) ruler of Lower Egypt during the Pre-Dynastic era who lived, according to tradition, and reigned around 3200–3175 BC. Inscriptions of his name come from Tarkhan, Tura, and Naqada. It is assumed that he would have been from a rival dynasty to that of the rulers of Thinis, 150 years before those kings conquered his lands and established Dynasty I.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ny-Hor 32nd-century BC pharaohs Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown People whose existence is disputed