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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.
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The sacred ritual of regeneration >>
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