In ancient Egypt, for several millennia, the pharaohs ruled. They were considered the embodiment of the supreme god on earth. The Egyptians were convinced that the pharaoh was born from a higher deity, who had an incarnation in the ruling monarch and queen mother. The pharaoh regulated the life of Egyptian society and participated in religious rites. With his death, the whole lifestyle of society collapsed, the order and peace of citizens were disrupted, because without it there is no Egypt.
What kind of life did the pharaohs lead? What were the attributes of power? What did the double crown of the Egyptian pharaohs symbolize? The answers to these questions are contained in the article.
Two parts of Egypt
What did the double crown of the Egyptian pharaohs symbolize? Unity. The first dynasties of rulers date back to the era of the Early Kingdom. History tells us that this period is characterized by the dual unity of Egypt, which consisted of the Upper and Lower Kingdoms. This unity was fragile. Upon the accession to the throne, the new ruler of the land of Egypt united, but such a union was violent. The struggle of the territorial units runs through the entire history, but the king was the head of state. For centuries, dynasties succeeded each other, the state changed, but the power of the pharaoh remained untouchable.
Pharaoh is God
Pharaohs we call the lords of ancient Egypt. The emergence of the word is associated with the era of the New Kingdom and did not serve as an official name. Just this word was shorter and avoided mentioning the long royal name and all its titles. This term was borrowed by the Greeks from the Bible. Translating it from Egyptian, we get a "great house." Most likely, the name came from the palace where the Egyptian king lived.
The closest circle of the pharaoh could not call the lord by name. He was called “He,” “Horus,” “His Majesty,” God. “Often the ruler was called“ both mistresses, because in his face the goddesses of both halves of the kingdom were united. The usual designation of the pharaoh, uniting both parts of Egypt, was the expression “belonging to Reed and Bee. "Reed denoted Upper Egypt, a bee - Lower.
All imperial power was deified, there was a cult of the pharaoh. If he was considered the embodiment of God in the form of a man, then, therefore, he had a dual nature. Pharaoh was born as a result of the marriage of God in the guise of the ruling pharaoh and the mother of the future ruler. Initially, Ra was considered the god-father, later - Amon-Ra. Pharaoh was the embodiment of the god Horus on earth during his lifetime, and after death - the embodiment of Osiris.
Double crown
What is her story? What did the double crown of the Egyptian pharaohs symbolize? How did she look?
One of the main attributes of power was a headdress called "millet", which had the meaning of a crown. It consisted of two crowns that were of different colors. Red belonged to Lower Egypt, white to Upper. Their merger meant the acquisition of power over both lands. These crowns were worn together.
What did the double crown of the Egyptian pharaohs symbolize? Who did she belong to?
Both parts of the Egyptian land had their patronesses - goddesses. The Lower Egyptian goddess Wadget was revered in the image of a cobra, the Upper Egyptian, Nehbet, was depicted as a vulture. Their images pinned to the front of the crown. Thus, the double crown of the Egyptian pharaohs symbolized power over the united lands of Egypt.
Handkerchief
A shawl was fitted for everyday wear. It was worn everywhere. At the pharaoh, it consisted of a large piece of striped fabric, ribbon and tiara with a snake. Such a scarf was called "klaft." How was he put on? It was applied to the forehead in a horizontal position, then a ribbon was tied, on top it was fixed with a diadem. At the back, the fabric was collected and secured with the ends of the tape. Sometimes a crown was worn on Klaft.
Other attributes
The most ancient attribute of power is the staff, it was a memory of the times of cattle breeding, because then it played a significant role in people's lives. For several millennia, the staff remained among the symbols of the power of the pharaohs, but on the frescoes the pharaoh was often depicted without him.
Another symbol of power was the hake. It was a short rod, the upper end of which was rounded. This symbol was not individual, such a rod was used by both gods and officials of the highest circle. There was also another rod, only in the form of a long cane with a forked bottom end. From above he was decorated with the head of a jackal. These attributes were depicted with a whip. As an attribute of royal dignity, the kings wore a false beard of gold.
Pharaoh's activity
There were 30 ruling dynasties in Egypt. Despite the divine origin, the pharaohs led a difficult and even exhausting life. They took an active part in the life of the country. Not a single economic report was complete without careful study; the pharaohs had to delve into all spheres of the life of the state and make decisions regarding war and peace.
Pharaoh for the Egyptians is a guarantee of stability, justice and order. Anyone could turn to the lord for mercy. Therefore, his death was a tragedy, and accession to the throne was a holiday.