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RESÚMENES DE LOS ARTÍCULOS
Abstracts of Papers
A. Anselin: Reflexiones sobre los nombres egipcios del ojo. A propósito de los recientes descubrimientos arqueológicos del Delta. Resumen no presentado / Abstract not submitted
A. Anselin-F. Silpa-L. Labridy: Octavo seminario de egiptología de Ankhou: “Lenguas en contacto y reconstrucción genética: el caso del egipcio antiguo”, Universidad de las Antillas, Guyana, Schoelcher, 7-11 de junio de 2007. Resumen no presentado / Abstract not submitted
Juan José Castillos: Summary: Recent Research on the Origins of the Social Stratification in Egypt. Resumen no presentado / Abstract not submitted
Joanne Conman: Especulación sobre la luz solar especial y el origen de la hora wSAw .
El sistema egipcio de decanatos estelares que está explicado en el Papiro Carlsberg ha sido malentendido por más de media centuria. En la teoría de Otto Neugebauer, el período de setenta días de una estrella, que es llamado Sn dwAt , se entiende que significa que esta estrella es invisible después de su puesta helíaca.
Esa hipótesis ha demostrado ser falsa porque propone un sistema que ninguna estrella cumple. En cualquier decanato de días, la estrella Sn dwAt surge tarde a la noche, marcando la hora wSAw , indicando así la hora en que el sol es Sn dwAt . Este artículo trata con las implicaciones de un nuevo entendimiento del significado de Sn dwAt , conjetura sobre un nuevo paralelo entre el solsticio de invierno y la hora wsSAw en el pensamiento egipcio, y explora la creencia implícita de que la luz solar durante la estación de Prt estaba imbuída de poderes regenerativos especiales.
Se hipotetiza que, capturando la luz solar en un momento apropiado y mágicamente especial, se daría una explicación para los canales de ventilación de la Gran Pirámide de Quéope en Guiza, y para la iluminación de la estatua de Ramsés II en el Gran Templo de Abu Simbel.
Lucas Dìaz Santoro: Bes and the Gorgonic Function in Egyptian Mythology.
The ancient gorgoneia (female) and gorgoneion (male) are well-known motifs of graeco-roman times in the Mediterranean basin, but also in other cultures around the world. They mainly appear as a human face – and even as an animal one in other civilizations, e.g., Precolumbian cultures of Mesoamerica and Peru – with big eyes, exhibiting the canine teeth outside the mouth and showing an enlarged tongue between the lips or the same teeth. Also, in the graeco-roman version, they show serpents protuding from the head or the waist. It is interesting to note that some of their traits are also present in the ancient Egyptian image of the god Bes.
At first sight, the grotesque figure of Bes appears as a non-typical Egyptian image for a god. In the first place, his face is seen in front view, a not very current occurrence in the Egyptian pantheon; in the second one, he appears as a dwarf with arched legs, which make his appearance even more deformed. On the other hand, his face seems to be, in reality, a mask with flatten nose, lionine ears and abundant beard, on which – frequently but not always – he wears a tall headdress of palm leaves – and not of feathers, as it is commonly said -, which is alien to other Egyptian deities. The “Gorgonic” traits are shown in that he is always showing the teeth and, generally, a long tongue between them or between his lips, a grimace defined as “burlesque”, but better seen as a gesture of threat . Usually his body is simply naked or covered with tatoos, and the posture of his arms may vary: with both hands resting on the tights; or raising both of them while he waves a knife, a sword or a mace in one or the two hands; or grasping serpents in both of his hands while his arms fall alongside his body.
As a god of music, he is represented playing a triangular harp – of non-Egyptian design –, the circular drum of the shamans or a double flute. Usually, he wears a leopard or panther skin – many times is very difficult to distinguish among them -, which tail hangs between the arched legs. His origin is controversial, but to-day it is generally agreed that he had an African origin, following the dictum of H. Junker and F. Daumas, an opinion shared by us on the account of the commentaries made by María J. López Grande, who has related the headdress of the god to that of the First Cataract goddess Anukis and brought to our attention the use of tatoos, just as do the African dancers in some tribes. G. Maspero was the first to propose that his figure was that of an ethnic pigmy and not that of a pathological one.
Bes is commonly described as “a god of dance, protector of the children, the dreams, the pregnant women and patron of fertility”; although this is true, all of these activities are related to his most important rôle as an apothropaic divinity, i.e., as a fighter of the magical (or terrenal) enemies. In this sense, he appears in an identical rôle as the guardian monkeys who spread out their legs to show the genitals, and, as them, he uses to appear represented in the same posture: there is a statue of king Pepi I as a child who adopts this posture and which may be seen as fulfilling the very same rôle.This menacing gesture was reinforced during the New Kingdom by supplying him with knives, swords and maces (e.g., the seat of princess Sitamun - shown in one of our illustrations here). Before that period, there appears he who might have been the prototype of Bes: Aha, “the Figther”, who is mainly shown in the “magical wands” so-called. An exceptional statuette of a female Bes, dated to the XIIth dynasty, shows the lionine mask and ears, while she graps serpents in both her hands. The female form of Bes is scarcely but well-attested in Egyptian History, especially during the Amarna Period. The male and female forms of Bes are known since the Middle Kingdom onwards. Perhaps, from the motif of strangling serpents in his/her hands there was born the Greek myth of Heracles killing a couple of snakes as a baby. In this sense, it is interesting to note the use of a shield among the god's paraphernalia in later times, since the menacing use of the Gorgon is testified by Homer ( The Iliad : A, 36): the shield of Agammenon had the portrait of Gorgon sided by the geniuses “Terror” and “Flight”, which are the emotions rised by his figure. Some think that the shield proceeds from the circular drum, but there are not firm evidences of this derivation.
One of the main traits of the Gorgoneia are they enlarged eyes, through which the petrifying power of the entity's glance is remarked. Although Bes only exceptionaly show a similar phenomenon, there exist a possible connection with this purpose: even being a late trait, in Later times there appears the “Bes pantée ” so-called, who shows many eyes scattered over his body. This was a magical device against the “Evil Eye”, so that the influence of an “evil” effect was, in a certain way, related to the god. In Coptic times, however, Bes was held as a demon of evil glance, such as it is described in The Fight of Apa Moises against the Devil Bes , where, although the end of the tale is lost, it is evident that the monk sent him to hell once again and set free the possessed monastery.
Lorena Fanzi: The Fall of the XIIth Dynasty of the Middle Kingdom.
According to the Aegyptiaca of Manetho, Neferu Sebek was the sister of Ammenmmes IV, which is confirmed by a fragmentary socle proceeding from Gezer, which reads: daugther of the king, Neferu Sebek . It seems that she contuined to reign from Ity-towy, although there are meagre documents to her name all aroud the Oriental Delta and the Fayyum. Some time ago, P. E. Newberry proposed, based on a plaque found in Hawara by Sir Flinders Petrie, that she was co-regent of Ammenmmes III, but this proves to be wrong; in reality, her father had Ammenmmes IV as his co-regent, as is clear after an altar from Karnak and a temple which they erected co-jointed at Medinet Madi.
Her husband is unknown, as well as if she have had any children. From Kom el-Akarib, there come some inscribed architraves, probably from a now lost construction; from Tell el-Daba (Kantir), there also come three statues of her with inscriptions of her name: sbk-kA-ra ; and from Fayyum comes a faïence bead with her nyswt-bity -name: nyswt-bity sbk-kA-ra anx Dt / sbk Sdyt / Hrw Hry-ib Sdyt nb tA Hry-ib Hwt mrt , so that it is believed that she erected a temple to Sebek or Horus in the surroundings of the city of Shedyt, the ancient Crocodilopolis of the Greeks.
Her prenomen was reconstructed from the archivatres of red granite found by K. R. Lepsius, as nfrw Sdyt . The complete titulary of the queen as a reigning ruler occurs in the scarab BM 16581 : sbk Sdyt mry / Hrwt mrt-ra / nbt.y sAt sxm-nb.t-tA.wy / nwbty Ddt-Ha.w /nyswt-bity nfrw sbk Sdyt anx.ti ; “Beloved of Sebek of Shedyt, the Female Horus, Beloved-of-Ra; the Two Ladies, Powerful-Daugther-Lady-of-the-Two-Lands; the Golden Horus, She-who-is-estable-of-members; King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Neferu Sebek of Shedyt, who lives”.
After recent studies, it is known that Sebekneferura is a false or at least a late version (perhaps of her prenomen?) occurring in the Royal Canon of Turin and the Royal Annals of Saqqara and Karnak, although her name is absent from the List of Abydos. According to the Royal Canon of Turin she reigned for three years, ten months and twenty-eight days. After her death she was buried in a small pyramid at Mazghuna.
Sergio Fuster: Protection for the Dead in the Land of Darkness: Resumen no presentado /Abstract not submitted
M. de la E. García: Love Poetry in ancient Egypt.
It is probably due to the effects of Time that the Love Poems are known to us from New Kingdom material only. The afection of love appears in every testimony from the earliest days, such as tomb reliefs, statues, etc.; what we lack from the ancient times of history are texts speaking of such sentiments.
The sentences occurring in the known documents are direct and simple: all is said with double sense and they are effective allusions to Love, whether spiritual or physical. We must always remember that the redaction refers to things for which, frequently, we lack an external reference to dilucidate their meaning, but in no way are due to a shortcome of the author(s) of the poem(s).
The Love Poems were firstly known through papyri Turin 1966 and Harris 500, edited by G. Maspero in 1883, which preserved an original argument: the trees and flowers of the garden speak and compite among them to be the favourite and most useful for their master or lady. In 1931, Sir Alan Gardiner published the papyrus Chester Beatty I at Dublin, which verse contains several poetical cycles. The last great contribution to Love Poetry is represented by the Cairo Vase 25218 + IFAO 1266, which is dated to the New Kingdom period and comes from Deir el Medinah.
In general, it is the lovers who speak in these poems, but sometimes is a third person, usually the author of the lyric poetry. We have already seen that the vegetal world was superlatively represented in the poems; moreover, the “garden” is the usual setting for the reunion of the lovers. Also the “water” is shown as one of the most important elements of the surroundings for the lovers. Vegetation, water, woman, man and sex are well-known characters in other literary (e.g., The Tale of the Herdsman or Hintergeschichte ) and religious (e.g., the Sayings to Unite the (Two) River-banks ): all of these motifs, in the Love Poetry, speak of procreation as a major concept and they are intimely related to the Mother-goddesses of the Egyptian pantheon: Hathor and Isis-Hathor; in the papyrus Chester Beatty I it is affirmed that “the Golden One (= Hathor), in order to reward you, have placed you (the woman) together with your lover (the man)”. It is almost always Hathor, under this aspect of Golden One, the one who acts in favour of the female lover. On the other hand, the man is sometimes called “O my god, my lotus-flower!” ( Cairo Vase 25218 + IFAO 1266, l. 7), thus identifying him with the Sun-god, who emerged from the Cosmic Lotus-flower at the beginning of Time.
Drinking is a frequently employed motif: mentions to drunkness by beer or wine are very common in the poems (e.g., papyrus Chester Beatty I, rº 16, 14 ff.; 16, 21 ff.; Cairo Vase 25218 + IFAO 1266, l. 16; etc.). Returning to the words used in the compositions, it is interesting to remark the employment of the voices “brother” ( sn ) or “sister” ( snt ), since this is the treatment, in the ritual and mythological texts, used to express the relationship between Osiris and his sisters Isis and Nephthys, so that it is not impossible to see here another reference to the divine status of the lovers, as a result of their particular loving relationship.
Referring to the wording of the poems, it is remarkable the expression of sentiments in a similar way as it has been expressed in all times and places during the Human History; e.g., papyrus Chester Beatty I, vº C1 ff., G2, 5, etc.The motif of the door-bolt refers to the opening of the world of pleasures.(e.g., papyrus Harris 500, II, 11-3): the door, the door-bolt and the door-caller are the last obstacles in the way toward them. The ways of seduction are full of erotic implicancies (e.g., Cairo Vase 25218 + IFAO 1266, ll. 10-1): here the female lover presents to her man with a red fish, which may be seen as an erotic motif or as another example of the close relationships between the religious and the Love Poems if we remember that the phallus of Osiris was swallowed by a fish.
In the frame of the lyric poetry is usual to find idyllic episodes full of joyfulness, but also we can find grief and sadness, especially when the lover, male or female, has not yet reached his/her objectives (e.g., papyrus Harris 500, V, 3-5¸V, 9-11), and there are not absent the mentions to the family opposition to a love; but nothing is capable to stop the unstoppable force of love (e.g., ibidem , II, 2-5).
J. R. Ogdon: ‘La Recepción en el Oeste': Un antiguo drama funerario redescubierto. Tercer informe preliminar
2007.
Luego de su previo intento de reubicar TdP §§ 282a-284a en el marco original del argumento dramático del título, el autor se dio cuenta de que la Alocución 254 completa se refiere al mismo, y que los Dichos 619 y 621-622 de los TdS son sus variantes posteriores.
Bajo esta nueva luz, el autor brinda traducciones renovadas de todos esos documentos y ofrece sus comentarios sobre varios puntos de detalle de los mismos. Después propone una nueva ubicación para el pasaje de este episodio dentro del argumento, tal como lo viene intentando reconstruir desde hace años.
Ante la aparición de tantas variantes de un mismo texto supone que las mismas no se han producido por errores de los escribas al copiar la composición, ya fuera por copia escrita u oral, sino que posiblemente todas ellas se deban a reinterpretaciones del contenido original.
Rafael Quintero: On the Mysterious Horus Z3 of the Second Dynasty.
In some inscriptions on stone vessels recovered from the subterranean eastern galleries of the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara North, there occurs the name Hwt-kA Hrw zA , “The mansion-of-the-aura of Horus Za”. This Horus-name has been taken by some scholars as the Horus-name belonging to king Ueneg of the Second Dynasty (e.g., F. Rafaelle, W. Helck, A. Dodson et alii). Helck said that he certainly was a succeesor of Nynetjer, but not his immediate succeesor. Thus, he floats in the limbus of the end of the dynasty, among many other probable candidates.
Rafaelle also suggests that he might have been Ueneg, or even Sened, and he recalls that the 39 inscriptions from the Step Pyramid Complex conects this Horus-name with another name. “Khenemwenii” (his transcription). Since a further mention to his kA -mansion appeared in the '80s in the surroundings of the newly discovered tomb of the Aten priest Meryrâ-Merytneith, at Saqqara North, closely to the tomb of Shery, priest of Sened and Peribsen in Dynasty IV, he also sees a probable identity of the re-used tomb of Meryrâ with the final resting-place of king Sened; so that his attribution seems quite probable.
On the other hand, P. Kaplony's recent analysis of Cairo Fragment 1 of the Royal Annals has claimed to having found the genuine Horus-name of Ueneg (as “Uenegsekhemuy”), so that the actual identity of the Horus Za would remain an unsolved mystery, at least upto the moment when new documents or monuments would reveal his genuine personality.
Víctor Rivas: “Amigos de la Egiptología”: The Power of Co-operation in Internet Resumen no presentado / Abstract not submitted