Professional Mourners

While preparing for death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 was an essential part of life on Earth 𓇾𓇾 for the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪, it doesn’t mean that they weren’t upset by the death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 of a loved one. Wealthier Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 were able to hire professional mourners 𓇋𓎡𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀠𓏪/𓇋𓎡𓃀𓏏𓏭𓁐𓏪 for their funerals and those mourners could be men (𓇋𓎡𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀠𓏪) or women (𓇋𓎡𓃀𓏏𓏭𓁐𓏪). 

In the case of this sunken limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 relief, there are three 𓏼 female mourners 𓇋𓎡𓃀𓏏𓏭𓁐𓏪 present – two 𓏻 are sitting and one 𓏺 is standing. Only one of the female figures is fully preserved. At funerals, the professional mourners 𓇋𓎡𓃀𓏏𓏭𓁐𓏪 were hired to sing and cry. 

The three 𓏼 mourners 𓇋𓎡𓃀𓏏𓏭𓁐𓏪 are in front of a tomb 𓇋𓇩𓊃𓉐 entrance, which looks like the “shrine facade 𓉱” hieroglyphic symbol. 

The entrance to the tomb 𓇋𓇩𓊃𓉐 has plants 𓆾𓆰𓆰𓆰 and offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in front of it. I also like the column 𓅱𓐍𓇋𓇅 that is added to this relief. 

Reliefs such as these served the purpose of ensuring perpetual mourning for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱. If there was mourning present on the reliefs within a tomb 𓇋𓇩𓊃𓉐, it meant that the mourning would go on for all 𓎟 eternity 𓆖. 

On a personal note, this relief really speaks to me because this account on the most basic level is a manifestation of my grief. I started this account as a way to try and cope with my Nonno’s death, and over three years later it’s still helping me to do that. I see the three people in this relief as me, my sister and my brother. It’s incredible how I can deeply relate to a tomb relief from ancient Egypt. 

This piece is from Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖 (present day Saqqara) and is dated to Dynasty 19 (c. 1295-1190 B.C.E.). 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.