Tag: mut

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Egyptian Artifacts

Stela of Rameses II

This is a large sandstone stela π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έ of Rameses II π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“‡³π“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“ on display at the Brooklyn Museum.Β Β 

Stela of Rameses II
Stela of Rameses II on display at the Brooklyn Museum!

The hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ talk about how Rameses II π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“‡³π“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“ founded the town of Meriamun, and how he established the cult of Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ– there. The stela π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έ was a way to commemorate Rameses II π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“‡³π“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“ presenting statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾π“ͺ to the temple π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰ of Amun-Ra π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Ίπ“‡³. 

The image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 shows (from left to right) Mut 𓏏𓄿𓀭, Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–, and Rameses II π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“‡³π“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“. Rameses II can be seen wearing the blue crown, also known as the khepresh π“†£π“‚‹π“ˆ™π“‹™ crown which was very popular among New Kingdom pharaohs 𓉐𓉻! 

Rameses II π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“‡³π“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“ is receiving symbols of kingship (the crook π“‹Ύ) from the god π“ŠΉ Amun-Ra π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Ίπ“‡³. This is meant to represent that Amun-Ra π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Ίπ“‡³ saw Rameses II π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“‡³π“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“ as a legitimate and rightful ruler! The pharaohs 𓉐𓉻 believed that they were direct descendants of Amun-Ra π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Ίπ“‡³ (in the 18th – 19th Dynasties Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–/Amun-Ra π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Ίπ“‡³ kind of replaces Horus π“…ƒπ“€­ in popularity as king 𓇓 of the gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ) and that they were gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ on Earth.Β 

It was also really cool that five 𓏾 of Rameses II’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“‡³π“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“ names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ appear on this stela π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έ!Β These names appear on the top two rows of the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

Here are Rameses II’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“‡³π“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“ five 𓏾 names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦:Β 

π“ƒ’π“‚‘π“‡³π“Ίπ“€­π“ŒΈπ“‡Œ – Horus π“…ƒ Name (The Strong Bull, Beloved of Ra) 

π“…–π“Ž‘π“†Žπ“π“Š–π“…±π“‚π“†‘π“²π“‚‘π“ˆŠπ“π“¦ – Nebty π“…’ Name (Protector of Egypt Who Curbs Foreign Lands”)

π“Œ‚π“π“‚‘π“„˜π“‚§π“‚‹π“‚‘π“Œ”π“π“€π“» – Golden Horus π“…‰ Name (β€œPowerful of Arm, He Who Has Subdued the Nine Bows”)

π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ– – Throne Name (β€œThe Justice of Ra is powerful, Chosen of Ra”)

π“©π“›π“ˆ˜π“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“ – Birth Name (β€œRa has fashioned him, beloved of Amun”)

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

@ancientegyptblogΒ 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Mother’s Day – Isis and Mut

Happy Mother’s 𓅐𓏏𓁐 Day to all of the moms – and especially to my Mom, Nonna, and Oma! Today π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³ I’m going to do a post about some of the Moms 𓅐𓏏𓁐π“ͺ of Ancient Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– who happen to be goddesses π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“!Β 

Mother's Day Isis
A calcite statue accented with bronze of Isis feeding the baby Horus (Brooklyn Museum)

The first 𓏃 picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 shows a calcite 𓍱 and bronze π“ˆ”π“€π“ˆ’π“¦ statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ of Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ feeding Horus π“…ƒπ“€­. This is one of the most popular images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of the Third Intermediate Period, Late Period and even through the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods.  This image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 has even appeared on the back of Roman Coins! 

Symbolically, Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ was thought to be the mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, and was often associated with motherhood, the protection of women π“Šƒπ“π“‚‘π“π“, and she was also a user of magic π“Ž›π“‚“π“„Ώπ“œ.

Mother's Day Mut
A sunken relief of the goddess Mut, from a Ramesside-era stela (Brooklyn Museum)

The second picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 shows the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ Mut 𓏏𓅑𓁐 whose name π“‚‹π“ˆ– happens to mean β€œMother!” Symbolically, Mut 𓏏𓅑𓁐 was also thought to be the divine mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, and this idea became popularized as Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“€­ (her husband) became one of the most worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀒 gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ during the 18th Dynasty.Β  Mut 𓏏𓅑𓁐 didn’t appear in religious texts until the Middle Kingdom, and some think she was β€œinvented” to be Amun’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“€­ wife and a mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 figure.Β 

The word for “mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐/𓅐𓏏” in Middle Egyptian seems to predate the appearance of the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ Mut 𓏏𓅑𓁐, so it’s possible that her name π“‚‹π“ˆ– was intended to mean “mother.”

There are multiple variants for β€œmother” in Middle Egyptian/hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ, so let’s take a look at them:

𓅐𓏏𓁐

𓅐𓏏𓏏𓁐

𓅐𓏏

𓅐𓅆𓆇

π“…π“π“Ž

𓅐𓏏𓁐𓅆

Happy Mother’s Day!

These are my personal photographs and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.