(no subject)

From: contracycle <gamartin_at_...>
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 14:21:59 -0000

a little Hw-ish comment on the Egyptian kings:

The king's identification with Ra was not merely a symbol of power, but a magical act. The Egyptians held that the classic stories of the gods happened in a primeval time, and that the energy of a god at this time could be tapped into through ritually identifying oneself with him. Once the connection between a person and a god had been established in this way, it was possible for the person to use the power of the god for his own ends. The king climbed the stairs of the Temple of Morning at precisely dawn each day after a ritual bath, symbolizing Ra's (and therefore his) daily rebirth from the primordial waters. Since the king symbolized Ra, all his subjects always addressed him in the same way one would address Ra. They believed that this constant reinforcement actually endowed the king with the power to act as the god. During war, the king and other magicians performed rituals that linked the adversary to the demon Apophis, whom Ra slew. If the king was linked to Ra and the enemy was linked to Apophis, it was considered certain that the power of the myth would ensure the destruction of the enemy.

Powered by hypermail