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{{short description|Ancient Egyptian personification of primordial darkness}}
: ''See ] for the abbreviation describing the ].''
{{About|a concept in ancient Egyptian mythology|other uses|Kek (disambiguation)}}
: ''See ] for an early site of gardening''
{{Infobox deity
| type = Egyptian
| name = Kek
| image = Kek god.svg
| cult_center = ] (as a member of the Ogdoad)
| spouse = Kauket
| hiero = <hiero>V31:V31-N2</hiero> <br>
''Kek'' <br>
<hiero>V31:V31-y-G43-N2-A40</hiero> <br>
''Kekuit'' <br>
<hiero>V31:V31-N2-B1</hiero> <br>
}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Egyptian
| name = Kauket
| hiero = <hiero>V31:V31-y-G43-N2-X1:H8-B1</hiero>
| cult_center = ] (as a member of the Ogdoad)
| spouse = Kek
}}
'''Kek''' is the deification of the concept of primordial darkness<ref>{{cite journal |first=E. |last=Hornung |title=Licht und Finsternis in der Vorstellungswelt Altägyptens |journal=Studium Generale |volume=8 |date=1965 |pages=72–83}}</ref> in the ] ] ] of ].


The Ogdoad consisted of four pairs of deities, four male gods paired with their female counterparts. Kek's female counterpart was '''Kauket'''.<ref>{{cite book|first=E. A. Wallis|last=Budge|author-link=E. A. Wallis Budge|title=The Gods of the Egyptians: Or, Studies in Egyptian Mythology|volume=1|publisher=] |year=1904a |url=https://archive.org/stream/godsofegyptianso00budg#page/282/mode/2up|pages=241, 283–286}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=E. A. Wallis|last=Budge|author-link=E. A. Wallis Budge|title=The Gods of the Egyptians: Or, Studies in Egyptian Mythology|volume=2|publisher=]|year=1904b |url=https://archive.org/stream/godsofegyptianso02budg#page/378/mode/2up|pages=2, 378}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |first=Georg |last=Steindorff |title=The Religion of the Ancient Egyptians |date=1905 |publisher=] |url=https://archive.org/stream/religionofancien00stei#page/50/mode/2up |page=50}}</ref> Kek and Kauket in some aspects also represent night and day, and were called "raiser up of the light" and the "raiser up of the night", respectively.{{sfnp|Budge|1904a|p=285f|loc=vol. 1}}
In ], '''Kuk''' (also spelt '''Keku''') was the deification of the primordial concept of darkness, in the ] cosmogony, his name meaning ''darkness''. As a concept, Kuk was viewed as ], his female form being known as '''Kauket''' (also spelt '''Keket'''), which is simply the ] of the word ''Kuk''. Like all 4 dualistic concepts in the Ogdoad, Kuk's male form was depicted as a ], or as a frog-]ed man, and the female form as a ], or a snake-headed woman.


The name is written as ''kk'' or ''kkwy'' with a variant of the ] in ligature with the ] (]) associated with the word for "darkness" ''kkw''.{{sfnp|Budge|1904a|p=283|loc=vol. 1}}
As a symbol of darkness, Kuk also represented ], and the unknown, and thus ]. Also, Kuk was seen as that which occurred before light, thus was known as the ''bringer-in of light''.


==History==
In Swedish and Norwegian, the word ''kuk'' is a slang word for penis; in old language the word is the correct word for the male organ, whilst it in modern language has been relegated to a bad word not to be used in polite company.
{{Ancient Egyptian religion}}
⚫ ]
In the oldest representations, ''Kekui'' is given the ] of a serpent, and ''Kekuit'' the head of either a frog or a cat. In one scene, they are identified with ]; in this scene, Ka-Kekui has the head of a frog surmounted by a beetle and Kait-Kekuit has the head of a serpent surmounted by a disk.{{sfnp|Budge|1904a|p=286|loc=vol. 1}}
⚫ ]
⚫ ]
⚫ ]


In the ], Kek's male form was depicted as a frog-headed man, and the female form as a serpent-headed woman, as were all four dualistic concepts in the ].
]

]
==In popular culture==
]
{{Main article|Pepe the Frog}}
]
Individuals associated with online message boards, such as ], noted a similarity between Kek and the character ]. This was later paired with images of Pepe,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/14/16310330/destiny-2-armor-white-nationalist-kek-symbol-explanation|title=Bungie explains how Destiny 2 armor resembling hate symbol made it into the game|first=Samit|last=Sarkar|date=September 14, 2017|accessdate=August 4, 2018|work=]|archive-date=May 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520062428/https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/14/16310330/destiny-2-armor-white-nationalist-kek-symbol-explanation|url-status=live}}</ref> resulting in a resurgence of interest in the ancient deity.<ref>{{cite news|last1=David|first1=Neiwert |title=What the Kek: Explaining the Alt-Right 'Deity' Behind Their 'Meme Magic'|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/05/08/what-kek-explaining-alt-right-deity-behind-their-meme-magic|access-date=September 14, 2017|work=]|date=May 8, 2017}}</ref>
]

== See also ==
* ]
* ]

==References==
{{Reflist|24em}}

==External links==
* {{cite web
|last=Seawright
|first=Caroline
|url=http://www.thekeep.org/~kunoichi/kunoichi/themestream/kek.html
|title=Kek and Kauket, Deities of Darkness, Obscurity and Night
|date=2003
|access-date=2012-09-25
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513182345/http://www.thekeep.org/~kunoichi/kunoichi/themestream/kek.html
|archive-date=2017-05-13
|url-status=dead
}}

{{Ancient Egyptian religion footer}}

⚫ ]
⚫ ]
⚫ ]
]
]
]
⚫ ]

Latest revision as of 21:45, 2 January 2025

Ancient Egyptian personification of primordial darkness This article is about a concept in ancient Egyptian mythology. For other uses, see Kek (disambiguation).
Kek
Name in hieroglyphs
V31
V31		 N2

Kek

V31
V31		 yG43N2A40

Kekuit

V31
V31		 N2B1

Major cult centerHermopolis (as a member of the Ogdoad)
Genealogy
SpouseKauket
Kauket
Name in hieroglyphs
V31
V31		 yG43N2X1
H8		 B1
Major cult centerHermopolis (as a member of the Ogdoad)
Genealogy
SpouseKek

Kek is the deification of the concept of primordial darkness in the ancient Egyptian Ogdoad cosmogony of Hermopolis.

The Ogdoad consisted of four pairs of deities, four male gods paired with their female counterparts. Kek's female counterpart was Kauket. Kek and Kauket in some aspects also represent night and day, and were called "raiser up of the light" and the "raiser up of the night", respectively.

The name is written as kk or kkwy with a variant of the sky hieroglyph in ligature with the staff (N2) associated with the word for "darkness" kkw.

History

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In the oldest representations, Kekui is given the head of a serpent, and Kekuit the head of either a frog or a cat. In one scene, they are identified with Ka and Kait; in this scene, Ka-Kekui has the head of a frog surmounted by a beetle and Kait-Kekuit has the head of a serpent surmounted by a disk.

In the Greco-Roman period, Kek's male form was depicted as a frog-headed man, and the female form as a serpent-headed woman, as were all four dualistic concepts in the Ogdoad.

In popular culture

Main article: Pepe the Frog

Individuals associated with online message boards, such as 4chan, noted a similarity between Kek and the character Pepe the Frog. This was later paired with images of Pepe, resulting in a resurgence of interest in the ancient deity.

See also

References

  1. Hornung, E. (1965). "Licht und Finsternis in der Vorstellungswelt Altägyptens". Studium Generale. 8: 72–83.
  2. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1904a). The Gods of the Egyptians: Or, Studies in Egyptian Mythology. Vol. 1. Methuen & Co. pp. 241, 283–286.
  3. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1904b). The Gods of the Egyptians: Or, Studies in Egyptian Mythology. Vol. 2. Methuen & Co. pp. 2, 378.
  4. Steindorff, Georg (1905). The Religion of the Ancient Egyptians. G. P. Putnam's Sons. p. 50.
  5. Budge (1904a), p. 285f, vol. 1.
  6. Budge (1904a), p. 283, vol. 1.
  7. Budge (1904a), p. 286, vol. 1.
  8. Sarkar, Samit (September 14, 2017). "Bungie explains how Destiny 2 armor resembling hate symbol made it into the game". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  9. David, Neiwert (May 8, 2017). "What the Kek: Explaining the Alt-Right 'Deity' Behind Their 'Meme Magic'". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved September 14, 2017.

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