THE FALCON GOD IN EGYPT.

MONTU was a falcon-god of war. Montu's name shown in the Egyptian hieroglyphics, is technically transcribed as "MNTW". Because of the difficulty in transcribing ancient Egyptian language, it is often regarded as Mont, Montu, or Menthu.
In ancient Egyptian art, he was pictured as a falcon-headed or bull-headed man who wore the sun-disk, with 2 plumes on his head, the falcon representing the sky, an an element of its nature, and the bull representing strength and war, as earth elements of its nature. He would hold various weaponry, including scimitars, bows and arrows, and knives in his hands.
The name itself means "Nomad,"originally a manifestation of the scorching effect of the sun, Ra, and as such often appeared under the epithet Mont-Ra. The destructiveness of this nature or characteristic of its mind led him to gain a warrior symbolism, and eventually becoming a war-god.
Because of the association of wild ranging bulls with strength and war, Montu was also said to manifest his energy and force in a white bull with a black face, which was referred to as the "Bakh"or "Buchis."
The manifestation of the his powerful force of life was deified as KA, and was worshiped in the region of Hermonth'Is, in Luxor Governorate, on the West bank of the Nile. The Bucheum, the burial place of the sacred Buchis bulls of Hermonth'Is, is on the desert edge North of the city. The earliest bull burial dates to Necta'Nebo II, and the complex remained in use until the mid 4th century AC. The burial place of the Mother of Buchis cows has also been located. Extensive cemeteries of all periods are found in the neighborhood or Hemonth'Is.
Montu had several consorts, including the goddess Tenenet, known as the "goddess of brewing", the goddess Iunit, whose name represented the region from which the god chose his sacred bulls.
A temple dedicated to him at Meda'Mud was probably began during the Old Kingdom era. Temples to Montu include one located adjacent to the Middle Kingdom fortress of Uronarti on an island on the Nile River, near the 2nd Cataract, specifically to the South of it. It stands out from the other fortresses because of its triangular-shaped geography. Important additions were made in the temple design during the 12th dynasty and during the New Kingdom. Destroyed during the Late Period, a new temple was started in the reign of Necta'Nebo II and was continued by the Ptolemis.
Cleopatra VII, under whom Hermonth'Is became capital of the 4th Upper Egyptian nome and Ptolemy XV Caesarion added a birth house with a sacred lake. The building remained visible until the 19th century, when it was recycled to built a sugar factory. Only the remains of the pylon of Thutmose III (Thoth is born), who created the largest empire Egypt had ever seen, are visible today.
Two Gates, one of them built by Antoninus Pius, the Roman Emperor from 138 to 161, and one of the 5 Good Emperors in the Nerva-Antonine dynasty and the Aurelii, have also been found. He acquired the name Pius after his ascension to the throne, either because he compelled the Senate to deify his adoptive father Hadrian, or because he had saved senators sentenced to death by Hadrian in his later years. He died of illness in 161 AC and was succeded by his adopted sons Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus as co-emperors.
Egypt's greatest general-kings called themselves "Mighty Bulls," the son of Montu. In the narrative of the Battle of Kadesh, Ramesses II was said to have seen the enemy and "raged at them like Montu, Lord of Thebes".
Mentu'Hotep, a name given to several pharaohs in the Middle Kingdom, means "Montu is satisfied."