More poetry

There are rare occasions when I get the muse to write poetry. Rarer still is my desire to share it. I wrote this piece about the worship of Thoth and endeavored to include the kind of flow and imagery that the Egyptians used in their poetry. Hope you all enjoy it.


The Wise Night Bird

The glow of stars above,

Uncountable but for your eyes.

Hands of grace play power upon the sheets

Exactness of thought unadulterated by

… desire, want or need

He who knows the numbers of all…

That might be, could be or should be,

Guide the path with paradisiacal scrawl.

In words and thoughts be seed.

Quiet, yet of many words,

Speak light into my ear

Ever wise night bird

What glides from the fine reed?

Equilibrium, self-devised

The path between the divide

To kingly wisdom you advise.

Whisper softly your creed.

Hand and breath of veracity

Gentle sage of wetland fields

Balance my heart with perspicacity

Forever I follow your lead.

Ancient Egyptian Poetry

Poetry is relatively common in Egyptian culture. Many examples of Ancient Egyptian poetry has been found. Most I have read rely on metaphor and similes for description and effect. I have only seen one of these in the original Egyptian so I am not really sure if rhyming was common. Of course, translating into English the rhyming patterns would be lost. One of my favorite Ancient Egyptian poems is the following. It is a love sonnet/poem of a sort that says a lot about Egyptian ideals of beauty.

She looks like the morning star,
Rising at the beginning of the year.
Shining bright, fair of skin.
Lovely is the look in her eyes.
Sweet is the speech of her lips.
She has not a word too much.
Upright neck, shining breasts,
Her hair like real lapiz lazuli.
Her arms are gold, her fingers like lotus buds.
Heavy thighs, narrow waist,
Her legs parade her beauty.
With graceful step she treads the ground
And captures my heart by her movements.
She causes all men's necks to turn to see her.
Joy has he whom she embraces.
When she walks abroad she is like the Eye of the Sun.
-Old Kingdom Poem.

I really love the way this reads. You could imagine a man in any time period writing something about a woman he loves with similar words to these ones. That is something I found reading Ancient Egyptian poems is that the content seems to be those things that every age and person thinks about.

Another very interesting love poem. This one I am unsure of the time period but I believe it is New Kingdom.
I wish I were your mirror
so that you always looked at me.
I wish I were your garment
so that you would always wear me.
I wish I were the water that washes your body.
I wish I were the unguent,
O woman, that I could annoit you.
And the band around your breasts,
and the beads around your neck.
I wish I were your sandal
So that I may always walk with you.

If you want to learn more there is an awesome piece about Egyptian poetry here on National Geographic's website.

There is also a much longer love poem to be found here.

Google books also has a book available. I have yet to read this one titled Reading Ancient Egyptian Poetry by R.B. Parkinson.

Music: Akhnaten by Philip Glass

This is an opera based on the life of the controversial pharaoh Akhnaten (or Ankhenaten or Akhenaten depending on who is spelling it.) who brought Egypt under the religion of the Aten. The opera includes musical interludes, chorus, single vocals and spoken word which makes it very interesting. Much of the singing is in Ancient Egyptian and taken from primary source materials which is one of the things I love about this opera. While the spoken word parts are in English the structure of the language reads very much like an ancient text which I believe only adds to the mystique of this opera. There is a very clear feel of a temple or sacred space to the music and vocal presentations in this opera which I think works very well considering Akhnaten's influence on religion.

More information on the opera can be found here including some photographs of the costumes used in a production of the opera. If you are thinking about acquiring this truly beautiful opera it is available as both a two cd set and as mp3.

Bust of Akhenaten

You can also watch/listen to the opera on youtube. Act 2 Scene 3 (about 23 minutes into the 2nd video) is one of my favorite parts in the entire opera.

Snakes of the Duat

All Snake names are in bold.

We are wrapping up this series of posts with snakes that are found in the Duat, afterlife or sometimes wrongly called the Underworld. These serpents for the most part are neither good or evil but guardians of various areas.


Snakes of the Hours of the Night


Ash-hrau - A 5 headed multi-tailed serpent that is so twisted that the tails and heads nearly touch. Though it is not explicitly called good or evil (the reason I included it here) .. the idea of it being twisted in an unnatural position could allude to it being destructive (evil) and likely associated with being of unsound mind.. ie insane.

Teka-Hra - Giant serpent that guards the doorway to the 5th hour of the night.

Tepen - Serpent in the 5th hour of the night that carries the offerings the living have made to Seker. Possibly responsible for delivering all offerings from the living to the gods and goddesses of the Duat.

Akhen  - the serpent who guards the 7th hour of the night. His name means "to split". The duty of the serpent is to ensure the boat of Ra is protected as it passed through this hour of the night.

Kheti - A huge serpent in the 8th hour of the night that spits fire on those who have gone against the Rites of Osiris, i.e. the rites of death and dying. As far as I can tell this means a person who has not put in the discipline to memorize the formulae needed to pass through the Duat.

Ab-ta - A huge snake guarding the 9th hour of the night. Ab-ta is joined by two other snakes; Anhefta and Ermen-ta. In order to pass the pylon (gate) to the tenth hour of the night the soul must recite the proper spells to these three snakes.

Tepi- a huge and frightening serpent found in the 9th hour of the night. Tepi has 4 human heads, 4 breasts, 4 pairs of arms and 4 pairs of legs with a serpent body.

Sethu - Giant serpent that carries a spear and guards the entrance to the 10th hour of the night in the Duat.

Showing some of the serpents from the Duat from the Book of the Dead.

Other Snakes related to the Duat
Ami-Hemf - He can be found on top of Bakhau, mountain of the Sunrise. There he protects and guards the exit of the sun. It is said that Ami-Hemf was 50 feet long and held the title "Dweller in His Flame" which possibly references his connection to Ra and sunrise.

Ap-Taui - A god who has two snake heads and sometimes depicted with no arms. This deity who Ra gave life to administers to Ra's needs as he travels on the solar boat, though I have only seen references to Ap-Taui related to the Duat (night).

Bitje - a monstrous and gigantic serpent encountered during the 9th hour of the night. Bitje has a head at both ends and no tail.

Imy-Hemef - "Dweller in his Flame" is how the name translates relating this snake to the rising of the sun. He lives on Bakhau, the mountain of the sunrise and aids Aker in keeping watch at the Eastern horizon.

Nehebkau - Serpent and mother goddess in the Duat. She is associated with food in the Duat. She is shown as a serpent with human legs.

Shetu- a giant serpent that can disappear into its own body when Ra is not speaking.

Tchet-s- a winged serpent encountered in the Duat.

Some more Duat serpents shown on the walls of the tomb of Seti I.

Snakes against Creation

All Snake names are in bold.

Next we will look at those snakes that are said to be out to destroy order and creation.


Foremost of the "evil" snakes: Apep
Apep rules over mist, darkness, chaos and certain storms. His one goal was to prevent the sun from rising. (Think of the comic book archenemy who will do anything to stop the hero from succeeding. This is very much what Apep is to Ra, creation and order. Priests of Ra burned effigies, usually in wax, of Apep to help the gods drive him back to the darkness and allow the sun to pass and rise again. It was believed if a person or god encountered Apep the only way to destroy him was to curse him in all of his names. Those names include:
Am, Aman, Amen, Betshu, Hau-Hra, Hemhemti, Hem-taiu, Iubani, Iubau, Karau-anementi, Kenementi, Khak-ab, Khan-ru, Khermuti, Khesef-hra, Nai, Nesht, Qerneru, Qettu, Saatet-ta, Sau, Sebv-ent-seba, Sekhem-hra, Serem-taui, Sheta, Tetu, Turrupa, Uai, Unti, Aaapef, Ap, Apap, Pepi and others.

It was also believed that to speak or write the name of Apep was bad luck and destructive to creation. In order to avert this happening his name was written with decapitated serpent glyphs or curses were laid upon his name as it was spoke. Often he was called the "nameless one" due to the reluctance to say his name.  Another way to divert the bad of saying or writing his name was to depict him with spears piercing him or with someone attacking him with a knife.

Apep had minions/children named the "Children of Rebellion" because their goal was to overthrow order and balance.

"Overthrowing of Apep" is a phrase commonly added to protection spells/amulets/items.

Historically, there is some evidence that Apep is the origins of mythology about Rahabh in Hebrew texts and Tiamat in Babylon.

The Slaying of Apep

Akeneh - A serpent demon who is discussed in the Texts of Unas. The text describes how to destroy this demon serpent and other serpents and evil beasts.

Rerek - a form of Apep that was considered to be Set in the later periods during his demonization and association with Typhoon. This is another monstrous and destructive serpent much like Apep himself.

Senenahemthet - A huge serpent like Apep that must be repelled. Most notably referenced in the pyramid texts of Unas.

Tcheser-tep- A serpent who is included in the texts of Unas and listed as one that needs to be repelled. In the texts of Unas butchers and cooks those who come into the Halls of Ma'at with unworthy bodies, perhaps damaged mummies?

Snakes of Ma'at

All Snake names are in bold.


I thought we would start with those snakes that aid order or creation.


The Female Ogdoad - All had serpent heads (the 4 females follow:)
Ament - Wife of Amun. Her name, like Amun, means "hidden". She waited in the land of the sunset, i.e. at the Western horizon and offered nourishment to all who approached. Any who accepted were bound to the land of Osiris (the Duat) and never able to return to Earth. She also welcomed the dead to the boat of Amun(Ra). In some inscriptions she is shown as a ram headed woman breastfeeding Horus. Her sacred temple is Karnak as consort of Amun and Hermopolis as one of the primordial beings.

Naunet- Consort of Nun and goddess of water, oceans and rushes of creativity.

Hehet - Consort of Heh and goddess of immeasurable things. She and her consort helped create the sun.

Keket- Consort of Kek and goddess of darkness. She enables the sun and stars to shine.

Statuary showing some of the serpent Ogdoad.

***********

Uadjet - Also sometimes called Buto, which is probably Greek, after the area sacred to her. Uadjet is shown as a snake that sometimes has a red crown and/or wings. She is a goddess of protection, particularly the pharaoh. She guards the pharaoh from her place on his brow on many crowns. In some mythology she also protects the coffin containing Osiris' body when Isis hides it in the swamps of the Buto region. As Uatchet she is said to help Isis hide Horus and bring Hathor to the Horus child to ensure he was nourished while Isis was away. As Wadjet, "the green one" she is the symbol of the force of growing things and growth.

Uraeus- The divine cobra. This is the fire breathing cobra that protects Ra. The Uraeus destroy the enemies of Ra and the Sun by burning them to ash. The Uraeus is the symbol of royalty and power and shown on many of the royal crowns. Uraeus are the divine symbol of the goddess Uadjet. Uraeus is not a deity but a group of sacred and divine cobras. There are many hundreds of Uraeus but all serve the same purpose.

Uadjet/the Uraeus on the mask of Tut. Beside is the vulture goddess Nekhbet.

Fa- The god of Fate. He bears and cares for the great serpent Mehen.

Heka- Serpent god of magic. Heka itself is the Egyptian word for magic.

Heptet - A goddess associated with death and Osiris. She has the body of a woman and a head of a bearded snake. She wears the uraei, horns and solar disk as well as the Atef crown which show her association with kingship. In both hands she holds knives. Heptet is sometimes thought to be a goddess that assisted Anubis with the mummification of Osiris but I have not found any direct references to this myself.

Mehen - The great serpent who defends Ra against Apep in the Duat. Mehen is one of the few snakes that is mentioned as a she in some hymns. Mehen is helped at various times by Set and/or Horus. Mehen is a serpent of great importance since he repels Apep and ensures the sun continues to rise.

Mehen shown encompassing Ra on the solar boat.

Neutral snakes?
I didn't know where to put these snakes that are not referenced as good or evil. So here they are, snakes with no mention of relationship to chaos or order.

Ankhi - A huge snake with a mummified god growing out of each side of the body. I haven't been able to find much more out about this serpent.

Henkhisesui- One of the gods of the 4 winds. Shown as a man with a snake head and four wings.

Qerhet - Goddess of nomes. She is the patron of the 8th nome of Lower Egypt and she oversees the separation of Egypt into nomes. It is not clear whether she is a serpent or serpent headed.

Setcha - a mythical animal with the head of a serpent and the body of a leopard.

Finally...

I have finally finished all the posts related to snakes and snake beings in Egyptian myth. I feel this is as comprehensive as I can be but I am sure there are probably some I have missed. I have also omitted a lot of the extra spellings and extra names for each snake. Instead of listing names I listed the one most commonly used or referred to in books. The snakes are in three sections.. those against creation, those in the service of Ma'at and those associated with the Duat/afterworld.

You will find that most snakes are positive or neutral in nature. However, it is often thought that snakes are a negative in Egypt because the major evil in mythology.

Without further ado... I am going to start posting about the snakes.