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[[Image:Egypte louvre 091 faucon.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[Horus]], [[Louvre|(Louvre Museum)]], 'Shen rings' in his grasp. ]]
In ancient Egypt a '''shen ring''' was a [[circle]] with a [[horizontal line|line]] tangent to it, represented in [[Egyptian hieroglyphs|hieroglyphs]] as a stylised loop of a rope. The word shen itself means, in ancient [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]], encircle, while the shen ring represented eternal [[protection]].

The shen ring is most often seen carried by the falcon god [[Horus]], but was also carried by the vulture goddess [[Nekhbet]]. It was used as early as the Third Dynasty where it can be seen in the reliefs from [[Djoser]]'s Step Pyramid complex.<ref>Kemp, B. 2007. Ancient Egypt. Anatomy of a Civilisation. pp106</ref>

{{Hiero|Shen ring &ndash; (in talons)<br>[[Cartouche]]|<hiero>V9-.-V10</hiero>|align=left|era=egypt}}
The symbol could be stretched to contain other objects, which were then understood as being eternally protected by the shen ring.{{cn|date=February 2016}} In its elongated form the shen ring became the [[cartouche]], which enclosed and protected a royal name.<ref>UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology online: definition cartouche</ref>

[[Image:PilierKomOmbo.jpg|thumb|[[Kom Ombo]], Goddess [[Nekhbet]], staff, with '''Shen ring'''. ]]

<br><br><br>
*The Goddess [[Heqet]], (the 'Frog'), is often seated on a ''shenu.''
*For '''Eternity,''' the ''[[renpet|renpit]]'', papyrus stalk is usually based on top of a ''Shen ring.''  See the Egyptian god [[Huh (god)|Huh]].  ([[Senusret I]] has a famous ''Lintel relief'' showing this.)
*The ''Shen ring'' is often attached to various types of staffs, the staff of authority, or power, symbolizing the ''Eternal'' authority of that power.
*The Goddess [[Isis]], and the Goddess [[Nekhbet]] are often shown kneeling, with their hands resting upon a ''shenu.''
*The Hawk ([[Horus]]), and the Vulture (Goddess [[Mut]]) have the ''shenu'' in their talons, wings outstretched, over the scene portrayed. The "Horus with Outstretched Wings", ''shenu''s in its talons, is an example from the [[Louvre]] of a [[pectoral (Ancient Egypt)|Pectoral Brooch]], possibly for royalty.

==See also==
*[[Cartouche]]
*[[Huh (god)]]

== Sources ==
* {{cite book|title=Ancient Egypt. Anatomy of a Civilisation|first=Barry|last=Kemp|date=2007|publisher=Routledge, Oxford.}}

== References ==
<references/>

{{commons|Category:Shen ring}}
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[[Category:Egyptian mythology]]
[[Category:Egyptian hieroglyphs]]