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Nefertiti: Royal Queen of Egypt
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Nefertiti
is perhaps one of the best known queens of Ancient Egypt.
Nefertiti
was the Wife of Akhenaten during the Eighteenth Dynasty. Her face
appears in more sculpture and artwork than even the King Akhenaten. She
is considered one of the most beautiful women of the ancient world. She
joined her husband in reigning and in worship of a new religion. Nefertiti, the Great Royal Wife of King Amenhotep IV better known as Akhenaten, joined her husband in worship of a new religion that celebrated the power of the sun-disk Aten. Queen Nefertiti was said to have supported her husband Akhenaton as he made a unique impression on Egypts history, when the King began to promote the worship of one god above all others - the 'sun-god' Re or Ra. At the time the god 'Amun' was being worshipped and he caused a stir amongst all Egyptians. He then changed his name from Amenophis (Amun is content) to Akhenaton (it is well with Aton).
During the Amarna Period, Akhenaten at the age of twenty-one
renounced his ties to the old religion of the Middle Kingdom by moving the
capitol of Egypt from Thebes to a new site, Tell- el Amarna. He named the
territory, Akhetaten, which means the "horizon of Aten".
Nefertiti's prominent role in Egyptian royal rule and religious worship reflects her influence in the public sphere.
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Together Akhenaten and
Nefertiti transformed the religious practices of ancient Egyptian society. This
limestone relief (right) found in the Royal Tomb at Amarna depicts Akhenaten,
Nefertiti, and two of their daughters making an offering to the sun-disk Aten.
Akhenaten and Nefertiti carry flowers to be laid on the table beneath the
"life-giving" rays of the Aten. The figures are carved in the
grotesque style, a characteristic of the early half of the Amarna period.
The
two were said to be very much in love, and at times inseperable. Many pictures
show them embracing, and others show the whole family in domestic scenes.
She seemed to be a beloved wife and mother.
King Akhenatons love was noted as legendary.
They
had seven daughters but no sons. However she adored her son-in-law,
future king Tutankhamun.
One story says that Ankhsenamen (Tutankhamun's wife when he became king)
was one of Nefertiti's daughters.
Towards the end of Akhenaton's reign, Nefertiti abruptly
left the palace, apparently taking her daughter and son-in-law, Tutankhaton (Tutankhamun's
name before worshipping Amun) with her. Thereafter she vanished from
history.
We also know she wielded the major political and religious power of her day. Nefertiti
was also influential in establishing one of the world's first monotheistic
religion (the worship of one God), with the worship of the sun-god Aton.
Egyptologists have assumed that this was either due
to banishment or her death. However, little evidence suggests that she actually
died. Similarly, speculation exists as to whether she was the obscure pharaoh
Nefernefuaten.
To
emphasize the strength and power of the pharaoh, Egyptian iconographical
tradition required the female figure to be smaller in scale than the male.
The figure of Nefertiti, although she is Akhenaten's Royal Wife, is carved at a smaller scale than her illustrious husband. She is enrobed in a traditional long white garb. Akenaten wears a short white loin cloth and is adorned with a neck decoration. In contrast, to Akhenaten's red skinned robust body, Nefertiti's figure is rendered in white tones. Characteristic of the Amarna style, the figures are fashioned with swelled-stomachs. This new style portrayed the human body with unflattering realism.
Egyptian history's most famous queen is Nefertiti, renown for the gorgeous portrait sculpture with elegant neck and classic features.
Akhenaten 6 daughters and no sons, and shared a near co-rulership with the king. Unfortunately, the lack of male sons left Akhenaten with no male royal heir to the throne. As a result, Akhenaten appointed an heir outside of the bloodline. Fifteen years after her appointment to the position of Queen of Memphis, and the Eighteenth Dynasty, Nefertiti mysteriously disappeared. Egyptologists have assumed that this was either due to banishment or her death. However, little evidence suggests that she actually died. Similarly, speculation exists as to whether she was the obscure pharaoh Nefernefuaten.
AMINA
QUEEN
Of ZARIA (1588-1589)
This
queen of Zazzua, a province of Nigeria now known as Zaria, was born around 1533
during the reign of Sarkin (king) Zazzau Nohir. She was probably his
granddaughter. Zazzua was one of a number of Hausa city-states which dominated
the trans-Saharan trade after the collapse of the Songhai empire to the west.
Its wealth was due to trade of mainly leather goods, cloth, kola, salt, horses
and imported metals. At the age of sixteen, Amina became the heir apparent (Magajiya)
to her mother, Bakwa of Turunku, the ruling queen of Zazzua. With the title came
the responsibility for a ward in the city and daily councils with other
officials. Although her mother's reign was known for peace and prosperity, Amina
also chose to learn military skills from the warriors. Queen Bakwa died around
1566 and the reign of Zazzua passed to her younger brother Karama. At this time
Amina emerged as the leading warrior of Zazzua cavalry. Her military
achievements brought her great wealth and power. When Karama died after a
ten-year rule, Amina became queen of Zazzua. She set off on her first military
expedition three months after coming to power and continued fighting until her
death. In her thirty-four year reign, she expanded the domain of Zazzua to its
largest size ever. Her main focus, however, was not on annexation of neighboring
lands, but on forcing local rulers to accept vassal status and permit Hausa
traders safe passage. She is credited with popularizing the earthen city wall
fortifications, which became characteristic of Hausa city-states since then. She
ordered building of a defensive wall around each military camp that she
established. Later, towns grew within these protective walls, many of which are
still in existence. They're known as "ganuwar Amina", or Amina's
walls. She is mostly remembered as "Amina, Yar Bakwa ta san rana,"
meaning "Amina, daughter of Nikatau, a woman as capable as a man.
Contributed by Danuta Bois
CANDACE
EMPRESS
OF ETHIOPIA (332 B.C.)
Alexander
reached Kemet (Ancient Egypt) in 332 B.C., on his world conquering rampage. But
one of the greatest generals of the ancient world was also the Empress of
Ethiopia. This formidable black Queen Candace, was world famous as a military
tactician and field commander. Legend has it that Alexander could not entertain
even the possibilty of having his world fame and unbroken chain of victories
marred by risking a defeat, at last, by a woman. He halted his armies at the
borders of Ethiopia and did not invade to meet the waiting black armies with
their Queen in personal command.
CLEOPATRA VII
QUEEN
OF KEMET (Ancient Egypt the land of the blacks) (69-30 B.C)
Although
known to be of African descent she is still deliberately portrayed as being
white. She came to power at the tender age of seventeen and the most popular of
seven queens to have had this name. She was also known to be a great linguist
and was instumental in making Kemet(Egypt) into the world number one super power
at that time.
QUEEN
KAHINA
She
fought against the Arab incursion in North Africa where under her leadership
Africans fought back fiercely and drove the Arab army northward into
Tripolitania. Queen Kahina was of the Hebrew faith and she never abandoned her
religion. Her opposition to the Arab incursion was purely nationalistic, since
she favored neither Christians nor Moslems. Her death in 705 A.D by
Hassen-ben-Numam ended one of the most violet attempts to save Africa for the
Africans. She prevented Islam's southward spread into the Western Sudan. After
her death the Arabs began to change their strategy in advancing their faith and
their power in Africa. The resistance to the southward spread of Islam was so
great in some areas that some of the wives of African kings committed suicide to
avoid falling into the hands of the Berbers and Arabs who showed no mercy to the
people who would not be converted to Islam
QUEEN
OF KEMET (Ancient Egypt the land of the blacks) (1503-1482 B.C.)
One
of the greatest queens of ancient Kemet was Queen Hatshepsut. While she was
known as a "warrior" queen, her battles were engaged with her own
rivals for the position of power in Kemetic hierarchy. A born dynast in her own
right, Hatshepsut proved to be an aggressive and overpowering force. However, it
was not in war, but in her aspiration to ascend to the "Heru (Horus)
consciousness," she displayed the strength that has given her a place in
history. She adopted the Truth of Maat and became involved in the elimination of
undesirable people and elements from Kemet. Determined to be revered in times
yet to come, Hatshepsut depicted herself in as many masculine attributes as
possible, i.e. male attire, king’s beard, etc. Although she ascended to the
throne upon the death of her king-brother Thutmose II, she exerted her rightful
claim to the throne. In exercising her power, she involved herself in foreign
campaigns, a concentration on domestic affairs, extensive building and
commercial ventures. The most famous of her commercial ventures was the Punt
expedition in which goods and produce were acquired from the rich market there
to be brought back to Kemet. While it would appear that her opponents were not
antagonistic regarding her sex, they were so regarding her non-aggressive
philosophy.
Even before becoming legal ruler, Hatshepsut, was actively pushing things
dearest to the hearts of all Africans leaders: the expansion of foreign trade,
international diplomatic relations, perfection of national defense, vast public
building programs, securing the South and the North through either peace or war
and, one of her "pet projects", building a great navy for both
commerce and war. Her success on most of these fronts made her one of the giants
of the race.
QUEEN
OF SHEBA (The symbol of Beauty) (960 B.C.)
"I
am black but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the
curtains of Solomon, Look not upon me because I am black Because the sun hath
scorched me." (Song of Solomon)
Although
most of Black history is suppressed, distorted or ignored by an ungrateful
modern world, some African traditions are so persistent that all of the power
and deception of the Western academic establishment have failed to stamp them
out. One such story is that of Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, and King Solomon of
Israel. Black women of antiquity were legendary for their beauty and power.
Especially great were the Queens of Ethiopia. This nation was also known as
Nubia, Kush, Axum and Sheba. One thousand years before Christ, Ethiopia was
ruled by a line of virgin queens. The one whose story has survived into our time
was known as Makeda, "the Queen of Sheba." Her remarkable tradition
was recorded in the Kebar Nagast, or the Glory of Kings, and the Bible. The
Bible tells us that, during his reign, King Solomon of Israel decided to build a
magnificent temple. To announce this endeavor, the king sent forth messengers to
various foreign countries to invite merchants from abroad to come to Jerusalem
with their caravans so that they might engage in trade there. At this time,
Ethiopia was second only to Egypt in power and fame. Hence, King Solomon was
enthralled by Ethiopia's beautiful people, rich history, deep spiritual
tradition and wealth. He was especially interested in engaging in commerce with
one of Queen Makeda's subjects, an important merchant by the name of Tamrin.1
Solomon sent for Tamrin who "packed up stores of valuables including ebony,
sapphires and red gold, which he took to Jerusalem to sell to the king."2
It turns out that Tamrin's visit was momentous. Although accustomed to the
grandeur and luxury of Egypt and Ethiopia, Tamrin was still impressed by King
Solomon and his young nation. During a prolonged stay in Israel, Tamrin observed
the magnificent buildings and was intrigued by the Jewish people and their
culture. But above all else, he was deeply moved by Solomon's wisdom and
compassion for his subjects. Upon returning to his country, Tamrin poured forth
elaborate details about his trip to Queen Makeda. She was so impressed by the
exciting story that the great queen decided to visit King Solomon herself.3 To
understand the significance of state visits in antiquity in contrast to those of
today, we must completely remove ourselves from the present place and time. In
ancient times, royal visits were very significant ceremonial affairs. The
visiting regent was expected to favor the host with elaborate gifts and the
state visit might well last for weeks or even months. Even by ancient standards,
however, Queen Makeda's visit to King Solomon was extraordinary. In I Kings
10:1-2, the Bible tells us: "1. And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the
fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard
questions. "2. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with
camels that bear spices and very much gold, and precious stones. And when she
was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart." I
Kings 10:10 adds: "She gave the king 120 talents of gold, and of spices
very great store and precious stones; there came no more such abundance of
spices as these which the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon." We should
pause to consider the staggering sight of this beautiful Black woman and her
vast array of resplendent attendants travelling over the Sahara desert into
Israel with more than 797 camels plus donkeys and mules too numerous to count.
The value of the gold alone, which she gave to King Solomon, would be $3,690,000
today and was of much greater worth in antiquity. King Solomon, and undoubtedly
the Jewish people, were flabbergasted by this great woman and her people. He
took great pains to accommodate her every need. A special apartment was built
for her lodging while she remained in his country. She was also provided with
the best of food and eleven changes of garments daily. As so many African
leaders before her, this young maiden, though impressed with the beauty of
Solomon's temple and his thriving domain, had come to Israel seeking wisdom and
the truth about the God of the Jewish people. Responding to her quest for
knowledge, Solomon had a throne set up for the queen beside his. "It was
covered with silken carpets, adorned with fringes of gold and silver, and
studded with diamonds and pearls. From this she listened while he delivered
judgments."4 Queen Makeda also accompanied Solomon throughout his kingdom.
She observed the wise, compassionate and spiritual ruler as he interacted with
his subjects in everyday affairs. Speaking of the value of her visit with the
King and her administration for him, Queen Makeda stated: "My Lord, how
happy I am. Would that I could remain here always, if but as the humblest of
your workers, so that I could always hear your words and obey you.
"How
happy I am when I interrogate you! How happy when you answer me. My whole being
is moved with pleasure; my soul is filled; my feet no longer stumble; I thrill
with delight.
"Your
wisdom and goodness," she continued, "are beyond all measure. They are
excellence itself. Under your influence I am placing new values on life. I see
light in the darkness; the firefly in the garden reveals itself in newer beauty.
I discover added lustre in the pearl; a greater radiance in the morning star,
and a softer harmony in the moonlight. Blessed be the God that brought me here;
blessed be He who permitted your majestic mind to be revealed to me; blessed be
the One who brought me into your house to hear your voice.
Solomon
had a harem of over 700 wives and concubines, yet, he was enamored by the young
Black virgin from Ethiopia. Although he held elaborate banquets in her honor and
wined, dined and otherwise entertained her during the length of her visit, they
both knew that, according to Ethiopian tradition, the Queen must remain chaste.
Nevertheless, the Jewish monarch wished to plant his seed in Makeda, so that he
might have a son from her regal African lineage. To this end the shrewd king
conspired to conquer the affection of this young queen with whom he had fallen
in love. When, after six months in Israel, Queen Makeda announced to King
Solomon that she was ready to return to Ethiopia, he invited her to a
magnificent farewell dinner at his palace. The meal lasted for several hours and
featured hot, spicy foods that were certain to make all who ate thirsty and
sleepy (as King Solomon had planned.) Since the meal ended very late, the king
invited Queen Makeda to stay overnight in the palace in his quarters. She agreed
as long as they would sleep in separate beds and the king would not seek to take
advantage of her. He vowed to honor her chastity, but also requested that she
not take anything in the palace. Outraged by such a suggestion, the Queen
protested that she was not a thief and then promised as requested. Not long
after the encounter, the Queen, dying of thirst, searched the palace for water.
Once she found a large water jar and proceeded to drink, the King startled her
by stating: "You have broken your oath that you would not take anything by
force that is in my palace. The Queen protested, of course, that surely the
promise did not cover something so insignificant and plentiful as water, but
Solomon argued that there was nothing in the world more valuable than water, for
without it nothing could live. Makeda reluctantly admitted the truth of this and
apologized for her mistake, begging for water for her parched throat. Solomon,
now released from his promise, assuaged her thirst and his own, immediately
taking the Queen as his lover."6 The following day as the Queen and her
entourage prepared to leave Israel, the King placed a ring on her hand and
stated, "If you have a son, give this to him and send him to me."
After returning to the land of Sheba, Queen Makeda did indeed have a son, whom
she named Son-of-the-wise-man, and reared as a prince and her heir apparent to
the throne. Upon reaching adulthood, the young man wished to visit his father,
so the Queen prepared another entourage, this time headed by Tamrin. She sent a
message to Solomon to anoint their son as king of Ethiopia and to mandate that
thenceforth only the males descended from their son should rule Sheba. Solomon
and the Jewish people rejoiced when his son arrived in Israel. The king anointed
him as the Queen had requested and renamed him Menelik, meaning "how
handsome he is." Though Solomon had many wives, only one had produced a
son, Rehoboam, a boy of seven. So the king begged Menelik to remain, but the
young prince would not. Solomon therefore called his leaders and nobles and
announced that, since he was sending his first born son back to Ethiopia, he
wanted all of them to send their firstborn sons "to be his counselors and
officers." And they agreed to do so. Menelik asked his father for a relic
of the Ark of the Covenant to take back with him to the land of Sheba. It is
said that while Solomon intended to provide his son with a relic, the sons of
the counselors, angry at having to leave their homes and go to Sheba with
Menelik, actually stole the real Ark and took it to Ethiopia. Menelik returned
to Sheba and, according to tradition, ruled wisely and well. And his famous line
has continued down to the 20th century when, even now, the ruler of Ethiopia is
the "conquering lion of Judah" descended directly from King Solomon
and the Queen of Sheba.
Written
by Legrand H. Clegg II
QUEEN
OF ZULULAND (Symbol of a woman of high esteem) (1778-1826)
Mother
of the great leader Shaka Zulu. Nandi is the evalasting symbol of hard work
patience and determination. She withstood and overcame many obsticles to raise
to a position of power in all Zululand.
QUEEN
OF KEMET (the land of the blacks) (1292-1225 B.C)
Her
marriage to the great Rameses II of lower Ancient Egypt is known as one of the
greatest royal love affair ever. This marriage also brought an end to the
hundred year war between upper and lower ancient Kemet (Egypt), which in essence
unified both sections into one great Kemet which was the world leading country.
Monuments of this love affair still remains today in the temples that Rameses
built for his wife at Abu Simbel.
The immense structures known as the two temples of Abu Simbel are among the most
magnificent monuments in the world. Built during the New Kingdom nearly 3,000
years ago, it was hewn from the mountain which contains it as an everlasting
dedication to King Ramses and his wife Nefertari. Superb reliefs on the temple
detail the Battle of Kadesh, and Ramses and Nefertari consorting with the
deities and performing religous rituals. The rays of the sun still penetrate to
the Holy of Holies in the rock of the main temple on the same two days of the
year: the 20th of October and the 20th of Febuary. This timing is probably
connected to the symbolic unification, via the rays of the sun, of the statue of
Ra-Herakhty and the statue of Ramses II. Up to today these structures remains as
the largest, most majestic structures ever built to honor a wife.
QUEEN
OF KEMET (Ancient Egypt the land of the blacks)
It
is believe by some historians that Nefertiti was the daughter of Aye and Tiy,
while other claims her as the oldest daughter of Amenhotep III. Nefertiti was
married to Akhenaten the originated of the one god concept(monotheism) as it
became known today. During the early life of Nefertiti she lived in a Kemet
where a new model of human nature in relation to god was emerging. This belief
considered man primarily has a material entity, whose happiness was measured by
his ability to acquire and maintain a material heaven(wealth and pleasure). In
this material heaven women were not principals that predicted or participated in
social policy, but were objects of sensuality or objects to be used by men. As
weaker members of this paradise women could not be participants in its building.
This belief was completely contrary to the beliefs of the ancients and the
principles of Ma'at. Akhenaten developed another model. The nature of his new
religion was that Aton represented by the Sun was the sole god and creator of
all life.
Nefertiti could not relegate herself to the traditional role of subservient-queen. She envisioned an active role for herself in reshaping civilization. This was later manifested as she is shown participating in all the religious ceremonies with Akhenaten. It was only through the combined royal pair that the god Aton's full blessing could be bestowed. Nefertiti is displayed with a prominence that other Egyptian queens were not. Her name is enclosed in a royal cartouche, and there are in fact more statues and drawings of her than of Akhenaten. Yet the priest with their materialist model were powerful and they dominated the higher government offices. In this arena women were incapable of divinity. Akhenaten and Nefertiti countered a revolt by the priest and emerged victorious and created a new capital for Kemet called Akhetaten a city that could give birth to their scared mission, a mission in pursuit of Divine life. She insisted on being portrayed has a equal divine partner to Akhenaten and their exist many illustrations of her riding a chariot with Akhenaten during major rituals. While Akhenaten's ideas wanned without him their to defend them. The priest still considered Nefertiti's heresy a greater threat. The concept of a woman bypassing the male priest hood via a mother-goddess to worship the divine was totally unacceptable. And sadly enough continues to be unacceptable in the major religions that dominate the world today. Nefertiti though her devotion and her demand for respect proved she deserved a special place in the history of women.
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