A rebirth for the pharaoh: reflections on the classification of the new kingdom divine birth cycle as a ritual

Authors

• Mia Rikala University of Helsinki

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67291

Keywords:

Egypt -- History, Pharaohs, Egyptology, Ritual, Gods and goddesses, Egyptian, Rites and ceremonies

Abstract

The interpretation of rituals enacted, or represented,in the temples of Egypt is limited by the often sparse survival of evidence; most of our knowledge of the Egyptian temple cult comes from the temples of the Graeco-Roman period. This paper deals with an aspect of ancient Egyptian divine kingship, the divine birth cycle, and the question of its rituality. The focus is on the well-known but somewhat enigmatic event of engendering the divine child (i.e. the king), as depicted during the New Kingdom period. Following the various types of ritual classification, one might be tempted to interpret the divine birth cycle as a political ritual designed to legitimize the pharaoh's rule. At the same time, it coequals with various aspects of religious renewal, such as the annual re-creation, and rebirth of the pharaonic state through its socio-ideological self, represented by the king. In this respect, one might categorize divine birth as a festival or calendrical rite. The purpose of this paper is to explore various ways of interpreting the divine birth cycle as a ritual, or as a religious representation of a different type.