The reliefs on the side-walls of the Colonnade Hall of Amenhotep III are
of fine work, and of especial interest, portraying, as they do, one of the
great religious festivals of the Theban year .
" The Feast of Amûn in the
Apts " took place about the middle of the inundation-period ( flooding
season ), and lasted for twenty-four days .
This feast had a peculiar interest to Haremhab, because on his
usurpation of the throne after the collapse of the Akhenaten regime, and the
deaths of Tutankhamûn and Ay, his arrival at Thebes to assume the crown and
have his accession recognized was, certainly by design, so arranged as to
coincide with the great festival .
The feast which happened so conveniently to regularize the ambitions of
Haremhab was of the same kind as that which brought Hathor of Dendera yearly to
Edfû, to meet with her consort Horus at the latter temple .
The sacred barge of Amûn, with the image of the god, was brought from
Karnak to Luxor on the river, and was accompanied by a splendid procession of
galleys, towing and escorting .
Meanwhile the smaller, portable models of the sacred barge were carried
in procession on land to Luxor, for the benefit of the faithful who could not
accompany the river ceremony .
Arrived at Luxor, the god was welcomed there with great sacrifices, and
in due course returned to Karnak, for the conclusion of the feast . The fine
reliefs still show a good deal of the detail of this great religious function,
though, of course, the upper parts of the work have perished .
We begin with the scenes on the left hand as we enter the colonnade from
the Forecourt of Amenhotep, i.e. in the west angle of the south wall,
continuing along the west wall . The scene in the angle of the south wall is
much damaged . It represents the king holding out the kherp-sceptre ( it was used in
connexion with offerings ) towards Amûn and Mût, while priests make libation .
The following scenes on the west wall show preparations for the great
festival, and rehearsals by the dancing-girls .
With the next scene the actual procession begins . First come soldiers
and standard bearers ; then two royal chariots, empty, led by grooms ( stableman
) ; then a group of persons, pulling at a rope which was attached to the sacred
barge, now destroyed .
A group of negroes follows, with cudgels and a drum, and a second group
with castanets . Next we have a women shaking sistra ( sistrum ), and men
clapping their hands ; while men pull a rope attached to another sacred barge,
which is partly preserved, and is being towed also by a rowing galley .
Another troop of soldiers follows, with standards, drums, trumpets and
castanets ; and is succeeded by groups of priests bearing the portable sacred
barges ; behind these is a representation of the gate of the temple at Karnak,
with its flagstaves, and of offerings and temple furniture . In the west angle
of the north wall we have the king making offering before Amûn and Mût .
We now pass over to the east angle of the north wall ( east wall ),
where again we see temple furniture and offerings .
And the scenes shows sacrificial bulls, three sacred barges being
carried back to Karnak, and standard-bearers and negroes in a high state of
devotional fervor .
Galleys are shown higher drifting down-river to Karnak .
In the next scene, the king's empty chariots appear again, with a
military guard ; followed by sistrum-bearing girls, and men clapping their
hands .
The next two scenes show standard-bearers and soldiers, minstrels, etc.
; while above are seen the sacred barges now floating down-stream to Karnak .
Lastly, we have a scene shows the conclusion of the whole journey, the
sacred barges being carried in, the butchers stalls, the king offering the
final sacrifice at Luxor Temple, and offering flowers to Amûn and Mût .
Part ( 10 ) Coming SoOoOon .....
Uploading .....
No comments:
Post a Comment