HEAD~2 # 2 commits older than HEAD HEAD^2 # second parent of HEAD when HEAD was a merge, otherwise illegal HEAD@{2} # 3rd from list in git reflog HEAD~~ # 2 commits older than HEAD HEAD^^ # 2 commits older than HEAD # 0th = HEAD HEAD~0 # same as HEAD HEAD^0 # same as HEAD # Shorthand HEAD~ # shorthand for HEAD~1