The name of the deity of the Nile River in ancient Egyptian mythology. Gods of Ancient Egypt - list and description. What Hapi looked like
Date of creation: 1666.
Type: oil painting.
Genre: historical picture.
Location: Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA.
Synopsis
This painting is one of Rembrandt's last major works. The sad painting illustrates the painful death of Lucretia, which led to the uprising and the further formation of the Roman Republic, and demonstrates the author’s mastery of chiaroscuro, which gives three-dimensional realism to the main character. This manner of creating lighting was certainly borrowed from Caravaggio and his followers.
The emotional power of the painting is given by the expressive eyes and facial expression of Lucretia’s virtue. Psychologically stressful " Suicide of Lucretia"fully justifies Rembrandt's status as one of the best Dutch realists.
History of the painting
The tragedy of Lucretia, the exemplary wife of Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus, began when the woman came into contact with the son of Tarquinius the Proud, the cruel Etruscan king of Rome. Sextus Tarquinius, threatening with weapons and reprisals against the family of Lucretia, dishonored the unfortunate woman, since she was afraid of the death of loved ones, scandals and shame, having done everything that the king’s son wanted. But then, she tells her husband and father about what happened, after which, having received their oath of revenge, Lucrezia stabbed herself to death. According to the history book of Libya in Rome, after the suicide of a woman, the monarchy was overthrown.
Suicide of Lucretia
In order to focus the viewer's attention solely on the psychological aspects, Rembrandt deprives the composition of any distracting details and factors. In addition, unlike most paintings on this topic, in which Lucretia is depicted naked, which gave erotic overtones to the work, Rembrandt “dresses” the heroine in rich noble clothes. A dark and deep background gives a gloomy mood and greater expressiveness to the dramatic situation. To calm herself, Lucrezia grabs the cord of the curtain - a symbolic representation of the end of her life. At the moment captured in the painting, the heroine has already stabbed herself and pulled out a dagger, blood begins to seep through her dress. A line extending the dagger, chains, ropes and folds of clothing intersect at the site of the fatal wound. Her dark eyes are filled with sadness, and her pale face indicates approaching death. Lucrezia's pose and facial expression are strikingly reminiscent of the work "David with the Head of Goliath" by Caravaggio. It is possible that Rembrandt saw the original or a copy of this work, which inspired him to create such a dark canvas.
Borgia Lucrezia
(b. 1480 - d. 1519)
A worthy daughter of the Borgia family, who became a toy in the political game of her father and brother. She became famous for her beauty, depravity, cruelty and... patronage of literature and the arts.
Story about Lucrezia Borgia One cannot help but preface this with the history of her family. Without it, much in this woman's personal life may remain unclear or misinterpreted.
The Spanish family Borja from Xativa has been known since the 12th century. Gradually the family strengthened its position among the nobility. And the doctor of law Alonso de Borja (b. 1378), having supported King Alfonso Y of Aragon and Naples in time, became his closest adviser, personal secretary(1418), head of the wealthy Valencian episcopate (1429) and tutor to the king's illegitimate son. And Alonso himself was not particularly distinguished by holiness. The bishop was attached to the families of his sisters and patronized his nephews in everything. He especially singled out Rodrigo and Francisco, who, according to the historian A. Chacon (Chaconnius), were his illegitimate sons, the sin of incest, but this fact remains unproven, although at that time there was nothing unusual about it.
Before the master of political intrigue, the Cardinal-Bishop of Valencia, the road to Rome was opened in exchange for the betrayal of his king. In 1455, the conclave elected Alonso Borgia pope (as they began to call him in the Italian manner). He took the name Calixtus III. A year later, Rodrigo and Francisco become cardinals. The family uses all conceivable and inconceivable means to strengthen the power and wealth of their clan in opposition to the Medici, Sforza, Este, Gonzaga, and during the two years of the papacy Calixtus III succeeds in this. Rodrigo, an educated, active, unscrupulous intriguer who skillfully used his intelligence and connections, secured a particularly strong position for himself. Over the 12 years of his cardinalship, he helped four popes ascend to the Holy See, receiving lucrative posts and huge amounts of money for this. And in 1491, Rodrigo himself dons the papal tiara under the name of Alexander VI and launches violent political and aggressive activities, strengthens the power, prestige and financial capabilities of the Holy See, and at the same time the Spanish Borgia clan becomes richer and stronger than the Italian ones.
But Rodrigo does not only do this. Violating all church vows, he leads a depraved life, and from numerous mistresses in different time he has nine children. But he especially singled out Rosa Vanozzi, who bore him Cesare (or Caesar, born 1475), Juan (in literature more often than Francesco, born 1476), Lucrezia (born 1480) and Jofre (born 1482). R.). While still a cardinal,
Rodrigo regularly successfully marries his mistress and her spouses consider their horns an honor. In addition, he not only recognizes, but also legitimizes the birth of all children, which does not raise objections from the church; moreover, he carefully monitors the upbringing of his sons and raises them as princes.
Little Lucretia, who was born in Subiaco Abbey, was not left without guardianship. The voluptuous father entrusted his daughter to his widow cousin Andrienne de Mila, the mother of young Orso (evil tongues claimed that he was also the father’s son). The Cardinal often visited her house, but not so much because of her daughter (she was still small), but because of Orso’s young bride, Giulia Farnese. Lucretia was then educated at the monastery of St. Sixtus, but at the age of 11 the precocious beauty was returned home. How prettier she has become: lush blonde hair, charming body lines, light green eyes, inviting and languid at the same time...
Alexander VI had special plans for her. Lucrezia had to find someone profitable in politically groom The contract with the Spaniard Don Cherubino Juan de Centella was terminated two months later and concluded with another applicant, 15-year-old Don Gaspare, but even then the father changed his mind. He decided to become related to the influential Sforza family. Without even breaking off the previous engagement, Lucrezia becomes the bride and then the wife of Giovanni Sforza, ruler of Pesaro (1493). A vain, intrigued by rumors, a 26-year-old widower and a 13-year-old newlywed, after a luxurious wedding ceremony, attend a feast that lasts almost a week, turning into a real bacchanalia at night. The young woman was no stranger to such sights, because two last year she spent in the house of Andrienne de Mila and Giulia Farnese - her father's mistresses. In addition, it was rumored that the immaculate, beautiful Lucrezia managed to become the wife of Count Aversa, and Alexander VI barely paid off his first son-in-law.
But the political situation showed that this marriage was rushed. Feeling a threat to his life, Sforza retired to his fiefdom, and Lucrezia remained in the Vatican. Rumors spread throughout Rome, and it seems not unfounded, that she began to live with her father and brothers Juan and Cesare. Lucrezia blossomed and became so beautiful that, as a married but single woman, she began to attract many admirers. One strange thing is that her admirers soon died from a knife, without even having time to climb into her warm bed. The slightest inclination on the part of the Venetian Marcello Candiano and the Ferrarese Dalbergetti was enough for the jealous Cesare to send them to their forefathers. While her husband was on the run, Lucretia gave birth to a daughter, Laura. “Yes, this is a living portrait of dad, this is, of course, his child!” - exclaimed one of the relatives, prelate Lorenzo Pucci. The child was given to some kind of nurse. When her mother remembered her before her death, the girl was no longer alive. For the sake of decency, Lucrezia lived a little with her husband in Pesaro, but life there seemed insipid to her, and her relatives missed her.
The war between Alexander VI and the French king Charles VIII proved to the pope how important it was for the family to strengthen its secular influence. The 16-year-old Countess Sforza again becomes a bargaining chip in resolving this issue. Frightened by constant threats, the husband flees Rome again. Lucretia complains to everyone that he abandoned her. She made sure that information reached Giovanni that they were going to kill him. Although she was tired of her husband, Lucrezia still took pity on her unlucky husband; she really did not want him to become another victim of the jealous brothers, Juan and Cesare, who hated each other. Neither one was going to give up his criminal love for his sister. Lucrezia herself liked Juan Gandia better - he was more handsome, gentler and more courteous than the assertive and rude Cesare. The brothers were second only to their father. There were few women who could refuse Rodrigo Borgia. One of his contemporaries wrote: “He has a soulful voice. He speaks both passionately and very softly at the same time. His black eyes are magnificent. The face is always pleasant. It expresses cheerfulness and happiness. A conversation with him in a strange way can excite the weaker sex. He attracts women like a magnet attracts iron. But he cleverly hides his victories, and no one knows how many women submitted to him.” And the obedient daughter did not refuse him.
While her future fate was being decided, the “abandoned wife” retired, according to custom, to the monastery of San Sisto, where she secretly received only Juan. Infuriated by this, Cesare decided to commit a bloody murder. After a feast at Vanozzi’s, at which Lucrezia managed to “reconcile” the brothers and they parted amicably, Juan went on a love date prepared by Cesare, but never returned home. On the night of June 16, 1497, he was killed by mercenaries, who threw his body into the Tiber, and even in the place where garbage is usually dumped. The active investigation successfully came to a dead end. Everyone in Rome knew who the murderer was, but for the sake of the honor of the family, the pope forgave Cesare for the death of his most beloved son and even appointed him legate to Naples. Lucretia atone for her sins in the monastery and left it occasionally to “comfort” the pope.
Alexander VI, meanwhile, is trying to get his daughter’s marriage to Giovanni Sforza dissolved, accusing him of male insolvency. Lucretia is dying of boredom. The pope sends her tender letters to the monastery with promises that the seclusion will soon end. His constant and “reliable” postman becomes the handsome and young Spanish chamberlain Pedro Caldes (Calderon), also called Perotto. It didn’t take him long to persuade the 17-year-old beauty, who was suffering greatly without male company. But, surrendering to young passion, they completely forgot about caution and family plans - Lucrezia became pregnant. In the sixth month, in loose clothes, the beautiful lady appeared at the divorce ceremony (1497), where she was declared a virgin, with the consent of her husband (what can’t be sacrificed to save a life!).
As soon as the divorce was announced, the names of three contenders for the “untouched” beauty became known. But while the pope was deciding which groom was preferable, Lucrezia gave birth to the boy Gianni (1498). Only three years later his birth was legalized, and he had two fathers at once. In one bull he was recognized by Cesare, and in another by Alexander VI himself. Lucretia's name was not even mentioned. Mother was listed as " single woman" And the real father (or maybe he was not the culprit and just got caught in the red) was first put in prison, and then “fell into the Tiber against his will,” wrote the master of ceremonies of the papal palace, Burkard (Burkhard). Scabrous jokes spread across Rome. The humanist Sannazzaro even composed an epigram in the form of an epitaph: “In this grave sleeps Lucrezia, who would better be called Theis, because she was the daughter, wife and daughter-in-law of Alexander VI.” But the Borgias remained absolutely calm, and Lucrezia was preparing for the wedding.
Finally, a groom was found for the weary woman - Alfonso of Aragon, Duke of Bisceglie (Bisegli) - one of the most handsome princes of the time, with amiable manners and a gentle character, but most importantly - the son of the King of Naples, although a bastard. Lucrezia really liked her future husband, chosen by her brother. In July 1498, a magnificent wedding took place. At the evening masquerade, Cesare appeared in a unicorn costume - a symbol of purity and fidelity. It was very funny. But this marriage turned out to be even shorter than the first. Oddly enough, Lucretia became attached to her husband and was expecting a child from him. She calmed down after her marriage and Cesare's departure, but could not convince Alfonso that there was no threat. He knew well how many people had suffered from the Borgia's disfavor.
Having taken refuge in Genazzano, the Duke calls his wife to him. But Alexander VI, to whom his daughter meekly obeyed in everything, appointed her governor of the main papal fortress north of Rome, Spoletto and Foligno (1499). This position was usually held only by cardinals and prelates. Lucrezia served as governor for only two months, but, according to contemporaries, she successfully handled her responsibilities: at the expense of the commune, she organized a gendarmerie corps to assist the police, and obliged Spoletto and Terni to conclude a three-month truce. She was calm and happy, especially after the return of Alfonso, who was near her at the time of the birth of their son Rodrigo - the first legitimate grandson of the pope from all his children.
Lucrezia was just starting to get the hang of it family life, as political interests demanded a new sacrifice from her. On June 15, 1499, Cesare's assassins seriously wounded the young Duke, but considered him dead and threw him on the pavement. The servants carried the bleeding gentleman to Lucretia, and she nursed him back within a month. Cesare was torn and angry after visiting the Duke, seeing Lucrezia’s care. He still preferred her to his wife and mistresses. Those present heard strange words spoken to them at parting: “What is not done for lunch will be done for dinner.” And Burkard writes in his diary: “Given that Don Alfonso refused to die from his wounds, he was strangled in his bed.” Lucretia’s grief this time was unfeigned. The Duke became her first true love. Her behavior irritated the pope and Cesare; they were tired of her tears and swollen face. The widow was sent to Nepi “to seek consolation,” as the sarcastic Burkard writes (as it turned out later, he was a supporter of Giulianno della Rovere and his words cannot be trusted in everything). Of course, it is difficult to believe that such a depraved woman among her relatives, who were distinguished by their shamelessness, could sincerely grieve, but she ended each of her letters with the words: “The most unfortunate woman.” She had no need to play in front of her father, who drowned her in the mud.
But returning to Rome, the young widow again plunges into voluptuous debauchery. Her body, accustomed to love pleasures, requires men. Now that Cesare is far away and fighting for lands and wealth, Lucrezia herself can successfully cope with any annoying lover. For this there is the famous Borgia poison. Her feelings were heightened to the limit in anticipation of the death of her admirer. Poisoned fruit, wine, gifts... And Lucretia also had a key to the bedroom, a small spike of which was covered with poison. The lock is tight, the admirer is impatient, a small scratch, a night of passion, and a day or two later - death... More than one seeker of sweet pleasures was killed in this way, everyone knew about it, but nevertheless the number of those who wanted it did not decrease. Lucretia was a worthy daughter of her father, who resolved difficult issues and amassed a huge fortune by poisoning many church fathers and unwanted but wealthy guests.
All the murders, orgies, sacrileges did not surprise anyone - Rome was the most depraved city. No wonder Petrarch wrote: “It is enough to see Rome to lose faith.” No one was indignant that the depraved Lucretia ruled the Vatican three times in 1501, occupied the papal apartments (even women were prohibited from entering there) and conducted the current affairs of the Church. She is only 21 years old, her name is trampled into the mud, but you can’t deny her intelligence. She made no mistakes in leadership.
Two years later, Lucrezia was again chosen for a groom. Prince, heir to the Duchy of Ferrara, Alfonso d'Este, son of Hercules I. He is a childless 24-year-old widower. There were unpleasant memories from his first marriage with Anna Sforza: his wife avoided intimacy with him, contenting herself with a black slave. D'Este's representative in the Vatican, D. Castellini, reported to the prince about the new bride that “she is undoubtedly beautiful, has become even more majestic and seems so tender that it is impossible and should not suspect her of sinister crimes... Don Alfonso will be completely satisfied with her, because “Besides her perfect grace, modesty, affability and honesty, she is a devout Catholic and God-fearing.” The young Duke was interested, but his father demanded a huge dowry in exchange for the princely title. Alexander VI fulfilled all the conditions, especially since Lucretia herself asked for this, realizing that this marriage would be her triumph... Even the sons Gianni and Rodrigo received a huge dowry confiscated from the Roman barons.
Before her departure, Cesare organized a farewell feast, to which he invited 50 famous courtesans of Rome. Burkard records: "After dinner women lung behavior danced with servants and other invitees. At first they were in dresses. Then they found themselves completely naked. Since dinner was over, the candlesticks with lit candles were placed on the floor. The guests began to scatter chestnuts, and the courtesans collected them, crawling between the candlesticks. Finally, silk capes, shoes, and headdresses were put on public display - they were promised to those who best demonstrate their masculine strength to the courtesans. Copulation took place right there in front of everyone in the room. Those present, who acted as arbitrators, distributed prizes to those who were declared winners. Lucrezia sat with the pope on a high platform, holding in her hands a prize intended for the most ardent and tireless lover.” This is exactly how the Roman nobility and clergy had fun, but most historians doubt the presence of Lucretia at the orgy. It was not beneficial for her to show herself in such a light in front of the Ferrara guests.
The road from Rome to Ferrara became a fabulous journey for Lucretia. Alfonso d'Este, who met her, was captivated at first sight by the kind, charming bride, sparkling with intelligence and jewels. Stories about obscene adventures only awakened his desire, but dulled his attention. Taste and joy of life were the key to Lucrezia’s success among all representatives of the groom’s family. On February 2, 1502, a magnificent wedding took place in Ferrara.
After the splendor of the wedding celebrations, the d'Este family, distinguished by their stinginess, returned to their former dull life in a gloomy castle. Lucretia and her husband had a complete idyll. The dark, broad-shouldered, sensual handsome man in bed suited his ardent wife quite well. And while he was busy with guns, horses, tournaments, playing the viol and painting faience, Lucrezia surrounded herself with a select society that gravitated toward fine literature. Many were surprised when, among the expensive outfits, they discovered a quite decent library that belonged to Lucretia. This circle of her favorites included: Nicolo Correggio - poet, singer, director of ancient comedies (he will remain devoted to his patron until his death); Tito Vespasiano Strozzi - a venerable old man, a member of the highest tribunal of the "Twelve", the most famous poet of Ferrara, and his son Ercole, who wrote melancholic poetry; and the scholar and poet Antonio Tibaldeo. All this impressed the gloomy husband, and gradually he truly fell in love with his wife. And he was also struck by how attentively the frivolous woman, according to reviews, treats her son and “nephew” Gianni. In her marriage to Alfonso, Lucrezia became pregnant 11 times, but only four children survived. Despite the enormous loss of strength and health, she remained an attractive woman, worthy of the attention of other men. Thus, the tender friendship and platonic love between Lucretia and the famous poet, scientist and leader of humanists, Pietro Bembo, gave way to fiery passion. In passionate elegies and subtle sonnets, he sang of her beauty and intelligence, and dedicated his “Azolan Conversations” - dialogues about love - to “The Beautiful Lady from Ferrara”. However, for some time Lucretia had to forget about her love for the poet: she received terrible news about the painful death of Alexander VI (August 18, 1503). Gloomy Alfonso remained indifferent to her grief. Lucrezia could not blame her father for anything, because all his crimes were committed in the name of the prosperity of the Borgia family and she, an illegitimate daughter, is now a princess. Only Pietro consoled her, and then with letters, but the Duke became suspicious, and soon the correspondence and love faded away.
After the death of the pope and the disgrace of Cesare, against whom all those offended took up arms, the rulers of Ferrara were explicitly hinted to get rid of their imposed daughter-in-law and wife, but everyone became attached to her. Lucrezia was only forbidden to bring Cesare’s son and children to her, since she gave birth to an heir to her husband (Hercules II) only in April 1508, when her brother was no longer alive. But they could not forbid her to help financially and protect their future, especially after the death of the old Duke, when Lucretia became the ruling Duchess of Ferrara. Only her care saved the lives of Cesare's children.
And the faded passions were replaced by new love. And although the jealous Alfonso tried to alienate his wife from the Spaniards and even built an internal passage from the official apartments to Lucrezia’s personal chambers, she found herself a new admirer - he became her brother-in-law, Francisco Gonzaga, Margrave of Mantua, delicate and attentive. But the matter did not go further than correspondence: the admirer was eaten away by syphilis, and he was impotent. However, on the orders of a jealous husband, the lovers' attorney, Ercole Strozzi, was killed.
Lucrezia’s lifestyle changed, now she was no longer dominated by her father and brother, in whose hands she was an obedient toy, a trump card and in some ways a victim. After all, living among depravity and remaining pure is the lot of saints, and she was born a passionate woman. Now Lucrezia patronized poets and artists, and the d’Este court was recognized as one of the most enlightened. Alfonso, leaving on business or for another war, calmly left the management of the duchy to his wife, who was assisted by a council of ten citizens. The dangers she and her husband experienced together - the campaign against Ferrara by Pope Julius II, the four-year war, the capture and escape of Alfonso, his excommunication - completely reconciled the spouses. Louis XII, who insistently demanded that Lucretia resign after the death of the pope, admitted that “this woman is one of those empresses who are worthy of competing with the Queen of France.” In addition, it turned out that she is a wonderful mother and devoted wife.
After the death of the evil Julius II (1513), Pope Leo X made peace with Ferrara and Mantua, and the poet and old friend Lucrezia Pietro Bembo. The beautiful lady from Ferrara changed a lot, became religious, wore a hair shirt under thin shirts and diligently attended church. The children grew up in a decent environment and received a proper upbringing. Lucretia was calm in advance for the fate of everyone: Duke Hercules II united in marriage with Rene of France, daughter of Louis XII, and became the ancestor of Henry of Guise; Hippolytus II became a cardinal and was one of the most generous patrons of the arts; Francesco received the title of Marquis de Massalombarda; Eleanor took monastic vows and became abbess of the Convent of Corpus Christi in Ferrara. Lucretia was still beautiful. Ludovico Ariosto, who sang her praises on the eve of the wedding, again extols her in the poem “Furious Roland”: “With her special beauty, her great caution, she surpasses perfection itself.” The inhabitants of Ferrara also cannot praise their mistress enough.
In 1518, Lucrezia's 77-year-old mother, Rosa Vanozzi, died. After the death of Alexander VI, her lover and father of her children, she managed to earn universal respect and bequeathed her entire enormous fortune to churches, hospitals and the children of the poor. By order of Leo X, she was given the honors usually reserved for cardinals. Lucretia could not say goodbye to her mother - she was expecting a child and the pregnancy was very difficult. She was not yet 40 years old, and she had no vitality left. The daughter died immediately after baptism, and Lucretia began to suffer from childbed fever. She received complete absolution from Leo X. Her husband, with whom she lived together, suffering and rejoicing, for 17 years, did not leave her bedside for ten days.
Lucrezia Borgia died on June 24, 1519 and was buried in the family crypt. Alfonso wrote to his nephew how hard it was for him “to part with my dear and tender companion, because she was dear and sweet to me with her virtues and tenderness that united us.” And this is all about the insidious, cruel, depraved, adulteress who did not disdain murder... Perhaps if there had not been so much abomination around her, she would have become a decent woman, and not a terrible ghost appearing through the centuries in the novel by A. Dumas and in the drama B Hugo. It is not without reason that D. Campori, in his study, called her a “victim of history.”
But the Duke d’Este very quickly found comfort in the arms of his mistress, the daughter of a hosiery maker. But what is not a sin for a man is a shame for a woman...
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According to some researchers, there were five thousand gods in Ancient Egypt. Such a huge number of them is due to the fact that each of the numerous local cities had their own gods. Therefore, one should not be surprised at the similarity in the functions of many of them. In our list, whenever possible, we tried not only to give a description of this or that celestial being, but also to indicate the center in which he was most revered. In addition to gods, some monsters, spirits and magical creatures are listed. Our table lists the characters in alphabetical order. The names of some gods are designed as hyperlinks leading to detailed articles about them.
The table of gods can be used in school to prepare 5th grade students.
10 Main Gods of Ancient Egypt
Amat- a terrible monster with the body and front legs of a lioness, the hind legs of a hippopotamus and the head of a crocodile. It lived in the lake of fire underground kingdom the dead (Duat) and devoured the souls of the dead, who were recognized as unrighteous at the trial of Osiris.
Apis- a black bull with special markings on its skin and forehead, which was worshiped in Memphis and throughout Egypt as the living embodiment of the gods Ptah or Osiris. The living Apis was kept in a special room - Apeion, and the deceased was solemnly buried in the Serapeum necropolis.
Apophis (Apophis)- a huge snake, the personification of chaos, darkness and evil. Lives in the underworld, where every day after sunset the sun god Ra descends. Apep rushes onto Ra's barge to swallow it. The sun and its defenders wage a nightly battle with Apep. The ancient Egyptians also explained solar eclipses as an attempt by the serpent to devour Ra.
Aten- the god of the solar disk (or, rather, sunlight), mentioned back in the Middle Kingdom and proclaimed the main god of Egypt during the religious reform of Pharaoh Akhenaten. Unlike most other representatives of the local pantheon, he was depicted not in a “bestial-human” form, but in the form of a solar circle or ball, from which arms with palms extended towards the earth and people. The meaning of Akhenaten’s reform, apparently, was the transition from a concrete-figurative religion to a philosophical-abstract one. It was accompanied by severe persecution of adherents of former beliefs and was canceled shortly after the death of its initiator.
Atum- the solar god revered in Heliopolis, who created himself from the original chaotic Ocean of Nun. In the middle of this Ocean arose the primordial hill of the earth, from which all the land originated. Having resorted to masturbation, spitting out his own seed, Atum created the first divine couple - the god Shu and the goddess Tefnut, from whom the rest of the Ennead descended (see below). In archaic antiquity, Atum was the main solar god of Heliopolis, but later he was relegated to the background by Ra. Atum began to be revered only as a symbol coming in sun.
Bastet- cat goddess from the city of Bubastis. She personified love feminine beauty, fertility, fun. Very close in religious meaning to the goddess Hathor, with whom she was often united.
Demon– (Demons) dwarf demons who are favorable to humans with an ugly face and crooked legs. Kind of good brownies. In Ancient Egypt, figurines of Demons were widespread.
Maat- goddess of universal truth and justice, patroness of moral principles and firm legality. She was depicted as a woman with an ostrich feather on her head. During the judgment in the kingdom of the dead, the soul of the deceased was placed on one scale, and the “feather of Maat” on the other. A soul that turned out to be heavier than a feather was considered unworthy of eternal life with Osiris. She was devoured by the terrible monster Amat (see above).
Mafdet– (lit. “fast running”) goddess of harsh justice, protector of sacred places. It was depicted with the head of a cheetah or in the form of a genet - an animal from the civet family.
Mertseger (Meritseger)- goddess of the dead in Thebes. She was depicted as a snake or a woman with a snake's head.
Meskhenet- the goddess of childbirth, who enjoyed special honor in the city of Abydos.
Min- a god revered as the giver of life and fertility in the city of Koptos. He was depicted in an ithyphallic form (with pronounced male sexual characteristics). Worship of Min was widespread in early period Egyptian history, but then he receded into the background in front of his own local Theban variety - Amun.
Mnevis- a black bull that was worshiped as a god in Heliopolis. Reminiscent of Memphis Apis.
Renenutet- a goddess revered in the Fayum as the patroness of harvests. Depicted as a cobra. The grain god Nepri was considered her son.
Sebek- the crocodile-shaped god of the Fayum oasis, where there was a large lake. His functions included managing the water kingdom and ensuring earthly fertility. Sometimes he was revered as a kind, benevolent god, to whom people prayed for help in illnesses and life difficulties; sometimes - like a formidable demon, hostile to Ra and Osiris.
Serket (Selket)- goddess of the dead in the western Nile Delta. Woman with a scorpion on her head.
Sekhmet- (lit. - “mighty”), a goddess with the head of a lioness and a solar disk on it, personifying the heat and scorching heat of the Sun. God's wife Ptah. A formidable avenger who exterminates creatures hostile to the gods. The heroine of the myth about the extermination of people, which the god Ra entrusted to her because of the moral corruption of humanity. Sekhmet killed people with such fury that even Ra, who decided to abandon his intention, could not stop her. Then the gods spilled red beer all over the earth, which Sekhmet began to lick, mistaking it for human blood. Due to intoxication, she was forced to stop her slaughter.
Seshat- goddess of writing and accounting, patroness of scribes. Sister or daughter of the god Thoth. Upon the accession of the pharaoh, she wrote down the upcoming years of his reign on the leaves of the Ished tree. She was depicted as a woman with a seven-pointed star on her head. Seshat's sacred animal was the panther, so she was represented in leopard skin.
Sopdu- a “falcon” god, worshiped in the eastern part of the Nile Delta. Close to Horus, identified with him.
Tatenen- a chthonic god, worshiped in Memphis along with Ptah and sometimes identified with him. His name literally means “rising (i.e., emerging) earth.”
Taurt- a goddess from the city of Oxyrhynchus, depicted as a hippopotamus. Patroness of birth, pregnant women and babies. Drives away evil spirits from homes.
Tefnut- a goddess who, together with her husband, the god Shu, symbolized the space between the earth’s firmament and the firmament. From Shu and Tefnut the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut were born.
Wadget- a snake goddess who was considered the patroness of Lower (Northern) Egypt.
Upout- the god of the dead with the head of a jackal, revered in the city of Assiut (Lycopolis). By appearance and the meaning strongly resembled Anubis and gradually merged with him in one image.
Phoenix- a magical bird with golden and red feathers, which, according to Egyptian legend, flew to the city of Heliopolis once every 500 years to bury the body of its deceased father in the Temple of the Sun. She personified the soul of the god Ra.
Hapi- god of the Nile River, patron of the harvests provided by its flood. Depicted as a man of blue or Green colour(color of Nile water in different times of the year).
Hathor- goddess of love, beauty, joy and dancing, patroness of childbirth and nurses, “Heavenly Cow”. She personified the wild, elemental power of passion, which could take cruel forms. In such an unbridled form, she was often identified with the lioness goddess Sekhmet. She was depicted with the horns of a cow, inside of which there is the sun.
Hekat- goddess of moisture and rain. Depicted as a frog.
Khepri- one of the three (often recognized as three attributes of the same being) solar gods of Heliopolis. Personified the sun at sunrise. His two “colleagues” are Atum (sun On the Sunset) and Ra (the sun at all other hours of the day). Depicted with the head of a scarab beetle.
Hershef (Herishef) – main god the city of Heracleopolis, where he was worshiped as the creator of the world, “whose right eye is the sun, whose left eye is the moon, and whose breath animates everything.”
Khnum- a god revered in the city of Esne as a demiurge who created the world and people on a potter's wheel. Depicted with the head of a ram.
Khonsou- lunar god in Thebes. Son of the god Amun. Together with Amon and his mother, Mut formed the Theban triad of gods. Depicted with a lunar crescent and a disk on his head.
Ancient Egypt and its Gods.
Hapi is the kind and generous god of the Nile, the lord of floods that bring fertile silt to the fields. He makes sure that the banks do not dry out, that the arable lands produce abundant harvests, and that the meadows have good grass for livestock. Therefore, Hapi is one of the most beloved gods, and the grateful Egyptians give him great honors.
The God of the Nile is the husband of the goddess Nekhbet, the patroness of Upper Egypt. This is an elderly obese man with a plump, saggy belly and woman's breasts. He wears a fisherman's loincloth and wears aquatic plants on his head - most often papyrus. Hapi figurines were usually painted blue - the color of the sky and deity, or green - the color of nature resurrected after the Nile flood.
Sometimes two forms of Hapi are distinguished - the gods of the northern and southern Nile. When Hapi is considered the god of the Upper Nile, he is depicted wearing a headdress of lilies and lotuses. Hapi is identified with Nun as the embodiment of the water element and with Osiris as the god of fertility.
The Nile River is also called Hapi in ancient Egyptian. The Egyptians call the Nile simply - “River”, or “Great River”. The Great River originates in the Afterlife-Duat; its source is guarded by snakes. God Hapi lives in the Gebel-Silsile gorge at the first rapids of the River.
Solar and lunar year. Birth of children Nut
After the world was created and Shu divided heaven and earth, the ruler of the gods, Ra, shone on the earthly throne, marking the beginning of the Golden Age. He lived in Heliopolis, slept in a lotus flower at night, and in the morning soared into the skies and flew over his kingdom in the guise of a falcon. Sometimes it dropped too low, and then a drought began. This happened day after day, year after year.
In those days, the solar year had the same number of days as the lunar year - 360. God Thoth, the lord of time, divided the year into three parts and gave each of them a name: the Flood season, the Shooting season and the Harvest season. This is how the seasons came into being.
Then Thoth divided each season into four parts, 30 days each, and months appeared. The first month of the year was the first month of the Flood - the month of Thoth; it began on the summer solstice. It was followed by the remaining months: Paofi, Atir, Hoyak, Tibi, Mehir, Famenot, Farmuti, Pahon, Payni, Epiphi and Mesori.
The Sun God was very jealous. Having learned that although Shu, on his orders, separated heaven from earth, Nut still cohabited with Geb at night, Ra flew into a rage and imposed a curse for all 360 days solar year: From now on, Nut could not give birth to children on any day.
The heavenly goddess called out to Thoth in desperation, pleading. about help. After listening to Nut’s plea, Thoth promised to help her.
But how could the promise be fulfilled? Well, whoever, and He knew better than anyone that no one. It is not given to any of the gods to reverse the curse imposed by the Sun God. Any spells and sorceries are powerless against the Word of Ra. And is it even possible to dare to do such a thing - to contradict the ruler? His anger is terrible.
But It was not for nothing that He was known as the wisest of the gods: after much thought, he finally found what to do. If the curses cannot be lifted, then there is only one thing left: to create new days on which Ra’s curse would no longer apply.
In the guise of an ibis, Thoth flew to visit the Moon and invited her to play senet for fun. But for the sake of excitement, to make it more interesting to play. Thoth and the Moon bet 1/72 of the “light” of each of the 360 days of the lunar year. The God of Wisdom easily won, and the Moon, willy-nilly, had to pay.
Thoth's winnings were exactly 5 days. He took them from the Moon - since then lunar year lasts only 355 days - and added to the solar year, which from now on became equal to 365 days. He called the 5 days won from the Moon “those above the year”: the five days before the New Year were not counted among any of the months.
The difference between the length of the calendar year (30x12+5=365 days) and the astronomical solar year (365 1/4 days) was not taken into account in the ancient Egyptian calendar. Therefore, every 4 years the beginning of the calendar year and, accordingly, the calendar dates of all holidays shifted by 1 day, “lagging” behind the solar year. Thus, the first day of the first month of the Flood coincided with the summer solstice (June 22) and the beginning of the rise of water in the Nile once every 1460 years (Julian, = 1461 Gregorian years). During this cycle, each calendar day coincided once with each day of the solar year; Spring holidays fell in autumn, summer holidays - in winter, etc. In 238 BC. The Greek king of Egypt, Ptolemy III, made an attempt to bring the calendar and astronomical calendar into line by issuing a decree on the introduction leap year, - but this reform met with decisive resistance from the priesthood and failed.
Such a calendar with a “wandering” year was official, administrative. Along with it, there was a “folk” calendar, in which there were months. and the days were counted according to agricultural periods, and holidays were timed to coincide with them (the rise of water, the beginning of harvest, harvest, etc.). (The above names of months are given according to festivals and refer to the “folk” calendar). In the official calendar, months had no names and were designated by numerals, and historical events dated by the years of the reign of the ruling pharaoh (for example: “The year of the reign of His Majesty the Lord of the Two Lands Nebmaatr - may he live, may he live and may he prosper! - the tenth, sixteenth day of the second month of the Harvest”).
He immediately dedicated five new days - “those above the year” - to Ra: the Sun God would not curse, as he had previously cursed all 360 days, and the days dedicated to himself! And, of course, he will appease his anger after such a generous loyal gift!
He was not deceived in his calculations. The Lord forgave him, and the goddess of the sky could henceforth give birth to one child on each of the five days before the New Year. On the first day she gave birth to Osiris, on the second - Horus of Bekhdet, on the third - Seth, on the fourth - Isis and on the fifth - Nephthys.
This is how the four younger gods of the Great Nine were born - the children of Heaven. And in all subsequent years, when the days created by Thoth came, Nut gave birth to stars.
Pa and Apop. Pa's fight against the forces of darkness and darkness
When Ra ascended the throne, the eternal enemy of the Sun, the giant serpent Apep - an evil monster 450 cubits long, attacked the solar god in order to overthrow him and destroy him. Ra entered into battle with the serpent. The bloody slaughter lasted the whole day, from dawn to dusk, and, finally, the Lord of All That Existed won the victory and defeated the enemy. But the evil Apep was not killed: seriously wounded, he dived into the River and swam to the Duat. Since then, Apep lives underground and every night attacks the Boat of Eternity as it sails through the Duat from west to east.
The enemies of the Sun God very often take the form of hippopotamuses and crocodiles. The God of gods every now and then has to repel their hordes in order to protect the world order and law. Other gods help him in this: Shu, Onuris, the warrior god Montu, Khor Bekhdetsky - the son of Ra and Nut, the solar cheetah goddess Mafdet. Together with Ra, they killed the giant crocodile Maga by piercing him with spears.
But most often, evil forces and fiends, trying to destroy the Sun, attack the Boat of Eternity in the guise of snakes. However, Ra and his companions invariably defeat their enemies. Ra killed one of the villains - a giant multi-colored snake - under the sacred sycamore tree of Heliopolis, taking the guise of the Great Cat.
And yet, among the snakes, the Sun God has not only enemies. The uraeus cobra itself destroys the enemies of Ra with its incinerating rays. The Serpent Mehen-tha protects the Boat of Eternity during Ra's journey through the Duat. The snake goddess Merit-Seger guards the tombs of the Theban necropolis, in which the deceased pharaohs rest.
The Legend of Chorus Bekhdetsky, the Winged Sun
In the 36th year of the earthly reign of Ra-Horakhte, the solar god was in Nubia, and with him was his fearless army. Meanwhile, in Egypt, a conspiracy was brewing: the demons of darkness, dissatisfied with the rule of Ra, were preparing for a rebellion. Horus, the son of Ra and Nut, the patron saint of the city of Bekhdet, learned about this.
Ra sailed in his Boat<...>And the Horus of Bekhdet was in the Boat of Ra, and he said to his father Ra-Horakhta:
I see enemies plotting against their mighty ruler!
The Sun God ordered Horus to immediately engage in battle with the conspirators. The choir took the form of a winged solar disk, soared into the heavens and found the enemy camp from above. He prepared for battle, issued a war cry and so quickly attacked the demons of darkness, raged against them so much that he killed the entire horde instantly, and not a single head remained alive.
The triumphant Horus returned to his father's Rook and invited Ra-Horakhte and his daughter Astarte, the warrior goddess and patroness of war chariots, to the site of the massacre to admire the defeated enemies. And His Majesty set off.
The Lord of the World and his retinue contemplated the valley strewn with corpses for a long time. Having enjoyed this spectacle, Ra said to Thoth:
This means that my enemies are punished, and therefore this area will be called Edgbo from now on!
But not all of Ra’s enemies were destroyed by Horus in Egyptian land. There are still many who plot against the ruler. They all turned into crocodiles and hippopotamuses, took refuge in the waters of Hapi, and from there, from an ambush, again attacked the sacred Rook. Then the Bekhdetsky Chorus came with his companions, who followed him like harpooners.<...>They killed crocodiles and hippopotamuses and took away 651 enemies at once.
After this brilliant victory, already the second in a row, the Choir again took the form of a winged solar disk and positioned itself on the bow of the Boat of Eternity, taking with it Nekhbet and Wadget as two uraei frightening enemies. The Solar Boat pursued the enemy army, which had taken flight, throughout Egypt, from the Lower Reaches to the Upper Reaches, and the Chorus won many more victories near different cities. The bloodiest was the last battle - in the Meret region. The Bekhdet choir carried out (there) a great massacre among (the demons) and took away 381 captives and killed them before the Rook of Ra.
Then the lord of the fiends himself, Set, attacked Horus. They fought for a whole hour. And Horus of Bekhdet won again: he captured Seth, chained him in stocks, dragged him by the legs along (Nom Meret) and plunged his spear into his head and back. But Elodei nevertheless escaped: he turned into a roaring serpent and entered the earth in this city (Meret), and was never seen again.
After the final victory over the forces of evil, Ra-Horakhte ordered Thoth to place a winged solar disk in all the temples of Egypt - as a memory of the exploits of Horus.
The Legend of the Extermination of People
It was not only the demons who dared to oppose the great solar god. When Ra, having reigned safely, finally grew old, he became decrepit, and his power weakened; His body became silver, his limbs became gold, his hair became true lapis lazuli, and people took up arms against the Sun God. Having learned about the rebellion that the people of Egypt were planning, Ra called his retinue and ordered the gods:
Let my Eye, the goddess Hathor, appear here. Call also Shu, Tefnut, Geb and Nut, along with the fathers and mothers who were with me when I rested in Nun, as well as Nun himself. Just make sure you bring them secretly so that people don’t see it. Let them come and tell us how to fight the rebels.
The gods immediately carried out the will of their ruler. Soon Nun, Shu, Tefnut, Geb and Nut appeared at the call of Ra to the Great Hall - the earthly palace of the solar god. Seeing Ra sitting on the throne, they fell prostrate at the foot of the throne. Nun asked:
Tell me, O lord, what happened?
“My son Ra,” answered the wise old man Nun. - My son Ra, a god greater than those who created him and those who created him! Strong is your throne, and great is the fear from you - may your Eye be directed against those who insulted you!
Truly! - the other gods agreed. - There is no other Eye that could be in front of him and prevent him. when it descends in the form of Hathor (i.e., there is no force in the world capable of resisting the power of your Eye in the form of Hathor).
Your advice is good,” Ra said after thinking and looked at the people with his Sun-Eye, directing the scorching rays of the uraeus into their camp. But people were ready for this and managed to take cover behind high mountain, in the desert, - therefore the rays did not cause them any harm. Then the Sun God ordered his Eye in the form of Hathor to go into the desert and severely punish the daring, rebellious people.
Hathor-Eye took the form of a female lioness and received the name Sokhmet. She went into the desert, looked for people and, as soon as she saw them, growled fiercely. The fur on her neck stood on end, and a bloodthirsty gleam sparkled in her eyes. Full of rage, Hathor-Sokhmet pounced on the people and began to mercilessly torment them, killing one after another, watering the desert with blood and scattering pieces of meat around her.
Deciding that people had already been punished enough and that from now on they would never again dare to grumble at the sun god, much less rebel against him, Ra said to his daughter:
You have already accomplished what I sent you to do. Stop killing them! Go in peace.
But the formidable goddess did not listen to her father. Baring her bloody fangs, she growled fiercely in response to the ruler of the world:
I have mastered people, and there is sweetness in my heart! I want to destroy them all, I want to drink my fill of the blood of these troublemakers who disobey the gods!
I am strong over them as a king in their extermination (that is, I am a king, and only I have the right to decide whether they should be exterminated or not), objected the wise solar god. - Leave people alone. They have already been punished enough.
But stubborn Hathor-Sokhmet did not want to heed her father’s words. She really enjoyed killing people and drinking their blood. The thirst for revenge and the excitement of the hunt drowned out the voice of reason in her. The ferocious lioness attacked the people again. People fled in horror up the Great River, and the goddess pursued them and killed them mercilessly.
Ra was also horrified when he saw the carnage Hathor had committed. His anger towards people finally passed. The Sun God called to his retinue:
Call me fast-running messengers, until they rush like the shadow of a body! - he gave the order.
Immediately the messengers were brought before the face of Ra. The Sun God said:
Go to Elephaptipou Island and bring me as much of the red didi mineral as you can.
The messengers delivered didi. Immediately Ra, accompanied by his retinue, went to Helionol. There he found a miller and ordered him to crush the red stone into powder, and ordered his maids to grind barley and brew beer.
When the beer was ready, the servants of the Sun God filled seven thousand vessels with it and mixed crushed red didi powder into the beer. The result was a drink that was very similar in color to blood.
Oh, how wonderful this is, [for] I will save people [with this]! - exclaimed the Lord of All That Is. - Gods! Take the vessels, take them to the place where she killed people. Spill this colored beer in the fields, in the valley of the River. Ra's command was immediately carried out. Morning has come. Hathor came in the form of Sokhmet, looked around the place of yesterday's massacre and, seeing a great many blood-red puddles, was delighted. Seized by a lust for murder, the fierce goddess rushed to drink imaginary blood. She liked the beer; she lapped and lapped at it until she became so drunk that her vision became cloudy, and she could no longer distinguish people. Then Ra approached his daughter and said.
...Ancient Egypt is known for its rich mythology. One of the most revered and beloved was Hapi. He was loved in both Lower and Upper Egypt. We'll talk about it today. Let's find out why the Egyptians called the god Hapi the creator of grain and what power he personified.
Who is Hapi?
This is one of the oldest Egyptian gods. There is little information about his birth. The primeval ocean Nun, who created most of the supreme Egyptian gods, is considered his father.
Hapi was the patron saint of floods. It was he who flooded the great Nile River, saturating the lands with fertile silt. He was also called “the lord of birds and swamp fish”, “the lord of the river carrying plants”. It is quite clear why the Egyptians glorified the god Hapi. The fact is that the African Nile River, flowing through the whole of Egypt, brought life-giving moisture to the Egyptian land during its flood.
Hapi is a caring, kind and generous god who provided water and food. This is why the ancient Egyptians loved him so much. In addition, he monitored the cosmic balance.
The Egyptians identified the annual flood of the Nile with the coming of Hapi. After all, he made sure that the arable lands gave a rich harvest, and the meadows provided food for the livestock. That is why the Egyptians called the god Hapi the creator of grain. During the flood of the Nile, sacrifices were made to him, and papyri with a list of gifts were thrown into the river.
Origin of the name
The name Hapi (or Khapei) is still a mystery to historians. According to one version, this was once the name of the Nile River. However, he was not the god of the Nile itself, but of its fertile power. According to another version, the word “hapi” is translated as “the only current” (implying the flow of the Nile).
Lord of the River
Hapi personified the Great Nile. This river, according to the beliefs of the Egyptians, originates in the afterlife Duat. Its origins are guarded by a serpent. It is at the first rapids of the river, in the Khenu cave, that Hapi lives.
The deity was often depicted together with his wife. Most often it was the goddess Meret (translated from ancient Egyptian as “beloved”). At the same time, in Upper Egypt, Hapi had another wife - Nekhbet (the goddess of power of the pharaoh with the head of a kite). But the inhabitants of Lower Egypt preferred to see God in the company of the goddess Uto, who patronized the city of the same name in the Nile Delta. She was depicted as a red cobra.
What did Hapi look like?
The Egyptians imagined him as a man with a small belly and protruding, almost feminine, breasts. He had blue or green skin. His skin tone represented the color of the river water, which changed with the seasons. The god figurines were painted blue, symbolizing the divine principle. Hapi was dressed only in His head was crowned with a tiara (the headdress of ancient kings). The symbols on the tiara varied. The deity held a vessel with water in his hands.
Interesting fact: sometimes Hapi chose the guise of a hippopotamus.
It is noteworthy that Roman and Greek artists represented God in a slightly different form. He was depicted as a large man with a couple of extra pounds, curls and a beard. Next to him were traditionally a sphinx and 16 children. The number of children also has a symbolic meaning - it was believed that the water level rose by 16 cubits during the Nile flood.
Hapi of Upper and Lower Egypt
Upper and Lower Egypt were two different kingdoms. For a long time they fought among themselves and only united centuries later. It is noteworthy that the cause of one of the largest wars was the love of hippopotamuses. The pharaoh of one kingdom ordered another to destroy a pool with hippopotamuses, which his opponent loved very much. This war lasted for centuries.
The gods of Upper and Lower Egypt were also often depicted differently. Moreover, they gave them different names. However ancient egyptian god Hapi was revered in almost all Egyptian regions.
The inhabitants of Upper Egypt decorated his tiara with images of lotuses, lilies or even crocodiles. There were a lot of these predators in Upper Egypt.
The Hapi Tiara of Lower Egypt was decorated with papyrus and images of frogs. They were the symbols of this area.
Hapi and Sebek
These two deities are very similar, despite obvious differences in appearance. After all, if Hapi looked like a man, then Sebek was a deity with the head of a crocodile. More ancient cults depicted him in the body of a crocodile. True, such images are rare.
Sebek is one of the most ancient gods of Egypt. He commanded water and controlled the flood of the Nile. That is, he practically competed with Hapi. That is why these deities did not have the same power in any of the Egyptian regions. Where the crocodile was revered, there was no place for the god Hapi. In these areas, Sebek not only lost its significance. He was turning into a more uncontrollable, unpredictable and treacherous deity.
Historians believe that ancient people identified the most dangerous creatures with the gods. Today, crocodiles kill hundreds of people a year, but in ancient times the number of victims of predators was probably much higher. A magical way to protect yourself from the risk of being eaten by a crocodile is to make it a deity. In Middle Egypt, a huge temple complex dedicated to Sebek was even built. It contained thousands of mummified crocodiles, which the Egyptians kept as sacred pets.
Conclusion
Today we found out why the Egyptians glorified the god Hapi. This deity is one of the most interesting characters in the mythology of the Land of the Pyramids. Hapi is the kindest and most generous of the huge pantheon of Greek gods, who, judging by the ancient papyri, did not particularly care about mere mortals.
