size.13*4*2.5 inch
Brand. Pr Nefrt
hand made in Egypt
Statue of Montu - a great statue of the god of war depicted with the body of a human and the head of a bull in alabaster, made in Egypt

A very ancient god, Montu was originally a manifestation of the scorching effect of Ra, the sun – and as such often appeared under the epithet Montu-Ra. The destructiveness of this characteristic led to him gaining characteristics of a warrior, and eventually becoming a widely revered war-god. The Egyptians thought that Montu would attack the enemies of Maat (that is, of the truth, of the cosmic order) while inspiring, at the same time, glorious warlike exploits.[6] It is possible that Montu-Ra and Atum-Ra symbolized the two kingships, respectively, of Upper and Lower Egypt.[7] When linked with Horus, Montu's epithet was "Horus of the Strong Arm".[8]

Because of the association of raging bulls with strength and war, the Egyptians also believed that Montu manifested himself as a white, black-snouted bull named Buchis (hellenization of the original Bakha: a living bull revered in Armant) — to the point that, in the Late Period (7th-4th centuries BC), Montu was depicted with a bull's head too.[2] This special sacred bull had dozens of servants and wore precious crowns and bibs.[7]

A peculiar representation of the god Khonsu as Montu – in the Temple of Khonsu at Karnak.
In Egyptian art, Montu was depicted as a falcon-headed or bull-headed man, with his head surmounted by the solar disk (because of his conceptual link with Ra[2]) with either a double or singular uraeus,[9][10] and two feathers. The falcon was a symbol of the sky and the bull was a symbol of strength and war. He could also wield various weapons, such as a curved sword, a spear, bow and arrows, or knives: such military iconography was widespread in the New Kingdom (16th-11th centuries BC).[4]

Montu had several consorts, including the little-known Theban goddesses Tjenenyet[11] and Iunit,[12] and a female form of Ra, Raet-Tawy.[8] He was also revered as one of the patrons of the city of Thebes and its fortresses. The sovereigns of the 11th Dynasty (c. 2134–1991 BC) chose Montu as a protective and dynastic deity, inserting references to him in their own names. For example, four pharaohs of the 11th Dynasty were called Mentuhotep, which means "Montu (Mentu) is satisfied":

Mentuhotep I (c. 2135 BC) — maybe a fictional figure;
Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II (c. 2061–2010 BC);
Sankhkare Mentuhotep III (c. 2010–1998 BC);
Nebtawyre Mentuhotep IV (c. 1998–1991 BC).[1]
The Greeks associated Montu with their god of war Ares – although that did not prevent his assimilation to Apollo, probably due to the solar radiance that distinguished him.[4][8]

Montu and the pharaohs at war
The cult of this military god enjoyed great prestige under the pharaohs of the 11th Dynasty,[1] whose expansionism and military successes led, around 2055 BC, to the reunification of Egypt, the end of a period of chaos known today as the First Intermediate Period, and a new era of greatness for the country. This part of Egyptian history, known as the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055–1650 BC),[13] was a period in which Montu assumed the role of supreme god — before then gradually being surpassed by the other Theban god Amun, destined to become the most important deity of the Egyptian pantheon