Hannu

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For other uses, see Hannu (disambiguation).

Hannu, alt. Hennu, Henu, Henenu etc., was an Egyptian official serving under Mentuhotep III. He bore the titles of Bearer of the Royal Seal, Steward, Sole Companion, Chief of the Six Courts of Justice. He was overseer of "that which is and that which is not", of the temples, of the granary and the White House (i.e. the treasury), of horn and hoof (i.e. of the cattle). As Keeper of the Door of the South he was responsible for the defence of Egypt's southern border and claims to have subdued the Haunebu.

In the eighth year of the reign of Mentuhotep II he set out from Coptos at the head of a three thousand men strong army, crossed the mountainous Eastern Desert by way of Wadi Hammamat and on the coast of the Red Sea he apparently reassembled a ship his men had carried with them. He sent the ship off to the Land of Punt, though some think that he commanded it himself, the record being ambiguous.^[1] After the ship's return Hannu delivered the traded goods (referred to as "gifts" or perhaps "tribute") including myrrh, precious metal and wood to the king.

[edit] References

Lionel Casson, The Ancient Mariners: Seafarers and Sea Fighters of the Mediterranean in Ancient Times, Princeton University Press 1991, p.10
J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part One, Chicago 1906, §§427-433
Osbert Guy Stanhope Crawford, Antiquity, Antiquity Publications 1996, p.241