ANCIENT
EGYPT
The History, People and Culture of the Nile Valley
The History, People and Culture of the Nile Valley |
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Ancient Egypt Magazine Volume 3 Issue 2 - September / October 2002 Birds in Ancient Egypt - The Plumage of the Gods
In
part one of this two part series, Patrick Houlihan identified some of the
domesticated and wild species of bird to be found in ~ ancient Egypt. Here he
goes on to describe one of the most significant scenes showing bird life in the
valley of the Nile ' and outlines the significance of birds in the symbolism and
beliefs of pharaonic state religion.
Tomb-chapel
walls regularly picture a rich concourse of colourful bird life inhabiting the
dense field of stems and umbels of a papyrus swamp environment. Compositions in
private tombs routinely represent owners actively participating in either
fowling with boomerangs or spear-fishing. Beyond the measure of ritual
significance that was undoubtedly attached on some level to these, such sporting
events were also likely to be earthly pleasures that were hoped to be enjoyed
forever in the beyond. The
action probably takes place in the vast wetlands of the Nile Delta or the Faiyum.
The large figure of the tomb-owner holding a tall staff dominates the field. Ti
is portrayed serenely ‘presiding’ over a gang of specially trained hunters
on another skiff, which is harpooning a pair of ferocious hippopotamuses. The
men have managed to corner their formidable quarry, and will soon dispatch the
already severely wounded beasts. One of these massive herbivores is dramatically
shown in the process of crushing to death a large Nile crocodile (Crocodyliis
niloticus) locked in its jaws, the latter desperately trying to bite one of
the hippo’s forelegs, while the other has its enormous mouth wide open,
revealing a long pair of curved tusks. The
strip of water is also crowded with handsomely depicted fish. On the left, an angler sitting in a one-man
papyrus raft is poised, with a small wooden mallet in hand, just about to
clobber a feisty catfish (Clarias sp.) caught on his line; while
overhead, amid the tangle of vertical stems and rows of blossoms and buds, there
is a myriad of painstakingly created birds, insects and small mammals. After a
visit to the mastaba of Ti at north Saqqara, the eminent British ornithologist
Reginald E. Moreau, an acknowledged authority on Egyptian birds, was so stirred
by the fidelity of the avifauna in this wall-relief that he remarked: ‘That
wonderful crowd of birds in the marsh scene of the tomb of Ti comes with a shock
of delight to the bird-lover, it is so teeming with life...the artist must have
been a supreme genius in this particular line; to catch his birds in full flight
or in characteristic attitudes as he has done, he must have known his birds
intimately; he must have studied them with patience and loving care.’ Several of
these attractive birds are pictured more than once. Some of them are on the
wing, others are brooding on nests or simply reposing at roost, while a number
of fluttering parent birds are in a frightful panic and must combat attacking
predators. Two stealthy common genets (Genetta genetta) and an Egyptian
mongoose or ichneumon (Herpestes ichneumon) are eagerly creeping up
papyrus stems that merely bend under their weight, searching for eggs or
unguarded fledglings. These details are, to be sure, quite imaginative, and are
the product of artistic convention, since under no circumstances whatsoever
could a slender papyrus stem support the weight of a living genet or mongoose.
For that matter, this also holds true for the many nests that are depicted
precariously balanced on top of fragile papyrus blossoms. In all, one hundred
and four various non-human creatures, or traces of them, are illustrated in this
highly celebrated work, and this total would certainly have been much higher if
some areas of the upper part of the mural had not sadly been destroyed. The creatures
exhibited in these swamp scenes tend to be stock items and repeatedly occur in
tomb-chapels over the centuries. The standard wetland inhabitants frequently
included are the kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), pied kingfisher (Ceryle
rudis), Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus), lapwing (Vanellus
vanellus), sacred ibis, hoopoe (Upupa epops), bittern (Botaurus
stellaris or Ixobrychus minutes), grey heron (Ardea cinerea), purple
gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio), cormorant (Phalacrocorax sp.) egret
(Egretta sp.), dove (Streptopelia sp.), and others. Some unusual
species do appear now and then such as the spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), greater
flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), sand- piper (Ti inga sp.), avocet
(Recurvirostra avoset- ta), pelican (Pelecanus sp.), and an
occasional raptor. During dynasty XVIII, Theban tomb-owners appear to have been especially fond of going after pintails (Anas acuta), and are painted hurling their boomerangs at rising flocks of these colourful birds. These notables are pictured pos- sessing unerring accuracy, knocking the ducks right out of the sky. Of all the waterfowl figured in Egyptian art and hieroglyphs, and mentioned in texts, the pintail duck is far and away the most ubiquitous, perhaps a sig- nal of its esteemed gastronomic appeal.
A
flamingo The
dynasty XI rock-cut tomb of the nomarch Baket III (No. 15) at Beni Hasan
exhibits a most fascinating and informative collection composed of twenty-nine
different species of birds, many of which are identified by a brief hieroglyphic
legend. Also illustrated are three bats (order Chiroptera) which are
drawn with much exactness, indicating that the Egyptians classified these flying
mammals along with birds. What makes this group so unique is that they were not
included in the decoration of the tomb-chapel to serve as victuals; rather it
appears that Baket was some- thing of a bird-fancier, and wished to continue to
enjoy the earthly pleasure of these winged creatures in the hereafter. Another
intriguing collection of birds, albeit foreign ones from western Asia, were
proudly displayed as exotic wonders during dynasty XVIII on the walls of the
so-called ‘botanical garden’ of Thutmose III at the temple of Karnak. A variety of
birds played key roles in Egyptian mythological and religious beliefs. Several
raptorial species, especially, stand out prominently and significantly.
Certainly the most notable and frequently illustrated, especially as a
hieroglyphic sign, was the distinctive falcon belonging to Horus, the powerful
god of the sky, who was closely connected with kingship. If the ancient
Egyptians had a national bird, unquestionably this would have been it. The Horus
falcon, though, was regularly used as the emblem for other deities as well such
as Montu and Re-Harakhte. This falcon appears to have been principally modelled
after the lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus) and the peregrine falcon (Falco
peregrinus). The griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) and the immense
lappet-faced vulture (Torgos trache-liotus) are abundantly represented
too, and were linked to the Upper Egyptian goddess Nekhbet, protrectress of the
king. The two sister goddesses, Isis and Nephthys, had associations with the
both the kestrel (Falco naumanni and Falco tinnunculus) and the
black kite in their capacity as divine mourners for the dead. The barn owl (Tyto
alba) commonly appears as a standard hieroglyph, but only rarely appears in
art and seems to have played a minor part in religion. Precisely the same holds
true for the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus). Amongst the
waterside birds we must not fail to note the relationship between the sacred
ibis and the god Thoth, lord of the moon and patron of the art of writing. On the other
hand, the god Amun, the chief deity of the city of Thebes, chose as one of his
manifestations the Egyptian goose. The grey heron, or benu-bird, better known in
the classical world as the Phoenix, symbolized the god Atum when he emerged from
the waters of chaos and first revealed himself on the primeval earth. As a solar
creature, the benu-bird was identified with Re, the sun god, at the rising sun
and with Osiris, god of the underworld, with the setting sun. This article is
continued in the magazine. Back to Ancient Egypt Magazine - Volume Three Issue Two contents
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