On some problems on interpretation of the image of god Seth in the early dynastic period
The article discusses the evolution of the cult of god Seth in Predynastic and Early Dynastic Period that is reflected by royal seals, stamps of seals, vessels, and reliefs. Primarily the name of Seth appears in the queens’ titles during the reign of the First dynasty. During the reign of king Den, who ruled in the middle of the Frst dynasty, it was first mentioned that Seth was connected with Ombos. It was the Upper Egyptian city and cult center of Seth, where he was worshiped and with whom Seth was closely associated in almost all periods of ancient Egyptian history. During the Second dynasty, in the reign of Peribsen, the cult of Seth was continues to be honored in Ombos, and Seth got the status of the main god of this center in Upper Egypt. In author’s opinion this process was accompanied by ch anging royal titles where Seth factually begun to be associated with the solar god. This hypothesis can be proved by the serekh of Peribsen with Seth accompanied by the sun disk. Religious and ideological doctrine introduced by Peribsen played a key role in further development of the Seth’s cult in Egypt. Peribsen promoted Seth as a patron god, replacing them with god Horus, revered by the preceding kings. This could be due to a military conflict or the disintegration of Egypt into two parts, since Peribsen, ruling in southern Egypt, made military campaigns in Lower Egypt with the aim of uniting the country. An analysis of the monuments showed that Peribsen pursued an conquest policy in Lower Egypt, which is indicated by the toponyms %Tt and &A-mHw. Under the last king of the Second dynasty Khasekhemwy Seth became the god who patronized royal power along with Horus. This could be due to the fact that Khasekhemwy was able to reunite the two parts of Egypt, which in the reign of Peribsen were not a single state. The symbol of this unification of the country was the premises of Horus and Seth in the double crowns of Egypt over the serekh of Khasehemwy. During the reign of Djoser, being the first pharaoh of the Third dynasty, the cult of Seth continued to be one of the main cults of the ruling dynasty maintaining in Heliopolis. Thus, the connection of Seth with royal power can be traced throughout the Early Dynastic Period. As the monuments show, the cult of Seth has acquired important political significance since the late Predynastic Period. In the future, his political role increased and during the reign of the first three Egyptian dynasties, the cult of Seth played an important role in substantiating of royal power.
Keywords
Seth,
Seth-Ra,
solar,
Ombos,
Peribsen,
title,
KhasekhemwyAuthors
| Karlova Ksenia F. | Institute of Oriental Studies of Russian Academy of Sciences | kseniadom87@mail.ru |
Всего: 1
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