Abstract
According to a number of scholars the falcon deity Sokar was closely connected to the so-called Hnw-bark. In their opinion the link was demonstrated among all in that the boat hieroglyph could have been used as an ideogram for the deity in the ancient Egyptian script.
The vessel was depicted as a barque on a sledge, with elongated ornate elements and a mound surmounted by a falcon head. The above-mentioned statement also influences understanding of occurrences of Sokar in the Early Dynastic Period.
However, this view has to be slightly challenged, mainly on the basis of the analysis of the Pyramid Texts. Other sources cannot be overlooked, though.
This paper aims to reassess the link between Sokar and the Hnw-boat in the Old Kingdom period and to contribute to the discussion of original characteristic of Sokar.