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Pharaoh's divine power
All through the Pharaonic period,
Egyptian royalty was believed to be directly descended from the gods. They would confer special powers upon Pharaoh, which
were essential to maintaining earthly and cosmic order.
The king's coronation provided the occasion for
these powers to be handed over to him.
In
the event of the king dying, his successor was named immediately, ensuring
there was no break in the country's protection. Accession occurred the
very next day, but the coronation ceremony did not take place until the
first day of a new season, thus symbolising the beginning of a new
era. The ceremony would have been
carried out at Memphis by the high priest, who would invest the new king
with the necessary powers to continue his predecessors work.
As
a permanent reminder to his people of his divine birthright, Pharaoh would wear
certain regalia and attributes:
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Pharaoh
would wear a false beard made from goat's hair. This would be worn during
festivals and public appearances, and would identify the king with Osiris.
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In
one hand he would hold a sceptre in the form of a shepherd's crook known
as a Heka (meaning "ruler" and also
associated with magic). This symbolised Pharaoh's guiding and reassuring
nature.
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In
the other hand he would hold a fly whip called the
Nekhakha,
a symbol of his power and authority.
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He
would also wear the Shemset apron and his
back would be protected by a bull's tail hanging from his belt (a symbol
of strength).
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Pharaoh had a number of
crowns he could wear, depending upon the occasion. For matters of state he would
wear the Pschent, known as the double
crown, a combination of the red crown of Lower Egypt and the tall white crown
of Upper Egypt. This represented his dominion over
Upper and Lower Egypt.
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The White Crown - Hedjet. The
crown of Upper Egypt is a tall white conical headpiece, and was depicted
as early as c.3000 BC on the Narmer Palette, a mudstone ceremonial
palette belonging to the Early Egyptian ruler Narmer. Picture shows
golden statue of Tutankhamun wearing the white crown. |
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The Red Crown - Deshret. The
crown of Lower Egypt is a chair shaped arrangement with a low front and
tall back, from which protrudes a coil. The red crown is also depicted
on the reverse side of the Narmer Palette. Picture shows a statue of Mentuhotep I (founder
of the Middle Kingdom) discovered in a chamber beneath his temple tomb. |
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The Double Crown - Pschent.
With the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, the red crown and the
white crown were combined to become the double crown, known as the
"Two Mighty Ones". Picture shows the god Horus wearing the
double crown, a detail from the wall paintings in the tomb of Horemheb. |
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The Nemes Crown. More
of a head-dress than a crown, probably most famously depicted on the
gold mask of Tutankhamun. A piece of striped cloth was pulled tight
across the forehead, tied into a kind of tail at the back whilst two
strands hung down each side of the face. The brow was decorated with the
uraeus Wadjet and the vulture Nekhbet. A plain version of this
head-dress
was known as a "khat". Statue shows Pepi I wearing the Nemes
head-dress. |
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The Blue Crown - Khepresh. From
the 18th Dynasty onwards, kings were often shown wearing the blue crown,
often described as the "war crown". A tall flanged helmet,
adorned with golden discs, with the uraeus and vulture on the brow.
Picture shows Ramesses the Great wearing the blue crown of war. |
The sacred ritual of regeneration
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