| This article is about the animal. You may be looking for Rudjek, also known as the Heron. |
Flying herons in Egypt
Herons are the freshwater and coastal birds of the family Ardeidae typified by their long necks, long legs, and tapering beaks. Many species of herons also commonly white in plumage. While they have a cosmopolitan distribution, they held a sacred place in the ancient religion of the Egyptians who believed that their feathers guided the spirits of the dead in their afterlife journey through the Duat. For this reason, heron feathers were in demand in Egyptian markets as late as 48 BCE.
In the mid-1st century BCE, the nomarch Rudjek bore the cryptonym, the Heron, as a member of the Order of the Ancients.