Khu
A Tale of Ancient Egypt
By Jocelyn Murray
Copyright © 2014 Jocelyn Murray
All Rights Reserved
Table of Contents
PLACES
GODS OF ANCIENT EGYPT
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
HISTORICAL NOTE
FOR MONICA
my beloved sister
memoria in aeterna
Last night I crossed the desert sand
Where ruins lay upon the land
Where moon-glossed relics looked dismayed
Their stony grandeur now decayed
Where myths and monsters lay in a heap
Their fallen kings long gone to sleep
Jocelyn Murray, “The Desert Sand”
© Dudarev Mikhail / Fotolia
Save me from those who deal wounds, the slayers whose fingers are sharp,
Who deal out pain, who decapitate those who follow after Osiris;
They shall not have power over me,
And I will not fall into their cauldrons
Excerpt of Spell 17
R. O. Faulkner, trans. The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead
© ocipalla / Fotolia
Map of Ancient Egypt
© Peter Hermes Furian / Fotolia
PLACES
Most of the names of the places in this novel are ancient equivalents of known sites based on the major cult centers and provinces of ancient Egypt. For other places, the author has used their commonly known or widely recognizable names, in an effort to reduce confusion and based on simple personal preference. While many of the names have evolved throughout the millennia, it is what lies beneath the shifting sands of time that is most intriguing: the histories, myths and legends hidden or buried within the artifacts and ruins themselves.
Abdju—now known as Abydos. It was one of the oldest sacred cities of the ancients, and the cult center of the god Osiris, as well as an important site of many temples.
Abu Simbel—located on the west bank of the Nile in the land of Kush. Abu Simbel was a sacred place where Ramesses II built two temples directly into the sandstone cliffs by the river, during the 19th Dynasty of the New Kingdom.
Deir el-Bahari—the mortuary-temple complex on the western bank of the Nile that includes the temple-tomb of King Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II.
Gebtu—now known as Qift. Its Greek name was Coptos, also spelled Koptos. Gebtu was the main cult center of the god Min. It also marked the beginning of the ancient caravan trade route that leads to the western coast of the Red Sea at Quseer. The caravan route follows a dry river bed known as Wadi Hammamat. Gebtu is the shortest point from the Nile to the Red Sea.
Inbu-Hedj—known by its Greek name Memphis; also known in ancient times as Inebou-Hedjou, Aneb-Hetch, Djed-Sut, Ankh-Tawy and Men-nefer. Inbu-Hedj is located by the modern-day town of Mit Rahina. It was the cult center of the god Ptah. It was also the seat of power during the time of Egypt’s Old Kingdom.
Ipu—now known as Akhmim. The ancient Greeks called it Khemmis (also Chemmis and Panopolis). Ipu was the site of an ancient necropolis on the east bank of the Nile. It was also one of the cult centers of the god Min.
Kush—later known as Nubia. Kush (Kingdom of Kush, land of Kush) included territories in what is now known as Southern Egypt, Sudan, and part of Ethiopia.
Nekhen—known by its Greek name Hierakonpolis, it was the cult center of the god Horus. Located in Upper Egypt, Nekhen was called “City of Falcons,” and sometimes interchangeably called “City of Hawks.”
Nen-nesu—the site that is near the modern day city of Beni Suef (also spelled Bani Suwayf) in Lower Egypt. In ancient times it was also known as Henen-nesut or Hwt-nen-nesu (Greek names Heracleopolis, Herakleopolis, or Herakleopolis Magna). It was the cult center of the ram-god Heryshef. Nen-nesu was Lower Egypt’s seat of power during part of the First Intermediate Period.
Nile—Nile River and River Nile are used interchangeably in this novel. The Nile was simply called Iteru meaning “river” by the ancient Egyptians.
Nubt—known as Naqada, it was also known by its Greek name Ombos. Nubt was the cult center of the god Seth.
Quseer—the site of a remote outpost and an important port on the western shores of the Red Sea in ancient Egypt. It is also written as Al-Quseir and Al-Qusayr.
Sea of Reeds—now known as the Red Sea.
Sopdet—now known as the star Sirius (Greek name Sothis). It is the brightest of all the stars in the sky. The ancient Egyptians based their calendar on the heliacal rising of Sirius which always occurred just before the Nile’s annual flooding. Sopdet was personified as a goddess who was known as “Bringer of the New Year and Nile Flood.” Her annual appearance in the sky was welcomed with great joy and anticipation.
Swentet—now known as Aswan, previously written as Assuan. It was the cult center of Anqet, goddess of fertility and the Nile at Aswan.
Thebes—the ancient province that includes modern day Luxor and Karnak in Upper Egypt. Thebes was the Greek name for the ancient Egyptian city of Waset. It was the cult center of the god Amun, and the Theban Triad which included Amun, Mut and Khonsu. Thebes was Upper Egypt’s seat of power during the First Intermediate Period, and continued to be Egypt’s capital during part of the Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom, thus earning it the title “City of the Scepter.”
Tjeny—now known as Thinis, also written as This. Tjeny was the capital seat of power in the early dynasties of ancient Egypt.
Wadi Hammamat—the dry riverbed that served as an important trade and caravan route, being the shortest path from the Nile at Gebtu (Qift) to the Red Sea at Quseer. The Wadi Hammamat cuts through quarries and mines that were used in ancient times.
Yabu—now known as Elephantine Island. Its ancient name is also written as Abu and Yebu, both of which also mean “elephant.” The island is located in the Nile River within the Aswan area. It was the cult center of the ram-headed god Khnum who was worshipped as part of the triad that included his wife Satis and their daughter Anqet.
Zawty—now known as Asyut, also spelled Assiut; also known as Səyáwt during ancient times. Its Greek names were Lycopolis, Lykopolis, Lycon or Lyco. It was the cult center of the funerary gods Anubis and Wepwawet.
GODS OF ANCIENT EGYPT
MENTIONED IN THIS BOOK
Ammit—crocodile-headed, soul-eating female demon with the upper body of a lion and the lower body of a hippopotamus. Ammit devoured the hearts of the dead who were deemed unworthy of eternal life. Her name means “Devourer.”
Amun—king of the gods and one of the creator gods. Amun was the patron god of Thebes. His name means “Hidden” or “Invisible One” because his spirit was believed to be present everywhere, like the wind which symbolized him. Amun was often represented in human form wearing the tall double-plumed headdress—Two Feathers Crown. Together with his wife Mut and son Khonsu, he forms the Triad of Thebes. Amun was later merged with the sun-god Re and came to be known as Amun-Re when he was worshiped as principal god of all Egypt.
Anubis—god of the dead and patron of embalmers. The jackal-headed god Anubis weighed the hearts of the dead against a feather symbolizing truth, during their final judgment before the throne of Osiris. Anubis was also depicted in the full-animal form of a jackal. He was revered as a guardian of tombs, and oversaw funerary rites, embalming and mummification. His cult
center was in Zawty, or modern day Asyut.
Apep—demon/god of all evil, and embodiment of all that was wicked. Apep was depicted as a very large water serpent. He was the evil brother of the sun-god Re. He lived in the darkness of the Underworld where he ruled over an army of demons, and was known as “Destroyer,” as well as “Eater of Souls.”
Bastet—cat goddess who was the patron of Lower Egypt. She was the daughter of the god Re, and the wife of Ptah. Bastet was depicted as a woman with the head of a cat, or in the full-animal form of a cat. She was the goddess of the home, cats, protection, love, joy, music and dance, and was also believed to aid in the growth of crops.
Hapi—god of the Nile inundation who oversaw the river’s annual flooding.
Hathor—one of the fertility gods, Hathor was a mother goddess of love, joy, music and childbirth, and patron of women. She was depicted as a woman wearing the headdress of cow horns with a moon-disk between them, or in the full-animal form of a cow. Hathor’s main cult center was in Dendera.
Heryshef—ram-god who was the ruler of the riverbanks. Heryshef was the patron of Nen-nesu in Lower Egypt.
Horus—falcon-headed god of the sky, son of Osiris and Isis. His name means “Distant One” also “He Who is High.” Horus was the god of war and protection, and represented world order. He was the patron god of Nekhen in Upper Egypt. The Eye of Horus emblem was ubiquitous in ancient Egypt, and symbolized strength and protection.
Isis—goddess of motherhood, fertility and healing. Isis was the wife of Osiris, and mother of Horus. She was revered for her protection and magical powers.
Khonsu—moon god, and son of Amun and Mut. He was worshiped in Thebes as part of the Theban Triad.
Min—one of the male fertility gods. He was also the god of the eastern desert, and was believed to be the protector of gold mines, quarries and caravan routes that ran through the eastern desert region. Min was the son of Osiris and Isis, and brother of Horus.
Mut—wife of Amun, mother goddess, and queen of goddesses. Mut was usually depicted in human form wearing the vulture headdress. Along with Amun and Khonsu, she was worshipped as part of the Theban Triad.
Osiris—god of the dead and the Underworld. Osiris was the patron of Abdju (Abydos), and was revered for his life-giving contribution to the land’s vegetation. He was represented in mummified human form, holding the crook and flail, and wearing the Atef feathered crown on his head.
Ptah—god of craftsmen and principle god of Inbu-Hedj (Memphis). Ptah was also revered as a patron of royalty. He was depicted in human mummified form holding a staff.
Re—sun-god who sailed across the sky each day in his golden Barque of a Million Years, then on through the Underworld in his night barque. Re is one of the creator gods who was often depicted in human form with the head of a falcon wearing a sun-disc headdress. Re was later called Amun-Re when he was merged with the god Amun to become lord of the gods. His main cult center was in the city of Heliopolis in Lower Egypt.
Sekhmet—lion-headed goddess of war, battle and vengeance, whose name means “Powerful One.” Sekhmet was the wife of Ptah and daughter of Re. She was believed to have caused and cured epidemics as well.
Seth—god of the desert and storms, and evil brother and murderer of Osiris. Seth and Horus were eternal rivals.
Thoth—god of wisdom and patron of scribes. He was depicted as a man with the head of an ibis, as well as in the full-animal form of an ibis or baboon. Thoth recorded the verdict of Osiris during the judgment of the dead after the Weighing of the Heart proceeding.
Thoueris—one of the fertility mother goddesses depicted as a pregnant hippopotamus. She was closely associated with Isis and Hathor. It was believed that Thoueris ensured safe childbirth.
Wepwawet—one of the funerary gods, he was also the god of war. Wepwawet was the brother of Anubis, and usually depicted in full-animal form of a wolf or other canine.
ONE
On the east bank of the River Nile, where the papyrus reeds grow in abundance and the lotus flowers bloom, a boy was hiding. He had made the long journey south to Thebes from his village in the north, first on a small papyrus raft that had fallen apart after a few days, and then on foot. He walked for days on bare feet, keeping to the riverbank, pausing only to rest when his legs could no longer carry him, or to eat whatever fish he was able to spear with a makeshift lance, or to nibble on the ripened fruit that had fallen from the doum palms growing beyond the reeds in the lush floodplains. And deeply fatigued, he had fallen ill with a high fever after he had finally crawled into a small space between the tall papyrus reeds that would shade him from the sun’s early morning rays, and keep him safely hidden.
Only the night herons spotted the bedraggled child with their red eyes, their light gray and white plumage softly luminous in the pale moonlight. The birds moved away from the boy, stepping closer to the river on short yellow legs where they came to stand still at the edge of the water. They waited quietly, hunched and brooding as they ambushed their prey with sharp black beaks, catching the silvery fish as they swam just beneath the water’s surface. But the boy noticed nothing except for his own racking pain, for the fever had left him delirious and shivering long past the darkest hours of the night until he had at last succumbed to a fitful sleep.
Early the next morning three servant women who worked at the nearby palace were gathering some of the reeds and lotus flowers that grew by the water when they came upon the sleeping boy.
“What is it Mesi?” one of the three asked when she saw the first woman stop suddenly and turn to them, raising a finger to her lips in a gesture of silence.
Mesi did not reply. She only shook her head and motioned the other two over.
The sun’s early morning rays were slanting through the scattered trees and over the reeds by the riverbank, setting everything aglow. The servant women would never even have suspected that the boy lay asleep nearby if Mesi had not almost stepped on his small frame. The women crept closer around thick clusters of flowering plants and tall grasses, eager to see what had startled Mesi. Then all three stared down at the sleeping boy who lay curled in a fetal position in the center of a bunch of reeds. He had fashioned a kind of nest for himself, away from the water, and away from prying eyes, until now. Perspiration beaded his forehead, and his skin took on a sallow pallor. His breathing was shallow and labored. He looked small and weak.
“He is ill,” Mesi whispered as the boy began to stir.
The boy sensed himself being watched, much like a gazelle senses the presence of a lion. And fluttering his eyelids, he then opened them and fixed his feeble gaze on the women servants.
All three of them gasped.
Never before in their lives had they seen eyes like his. They were like the eyes of a cat, gold with speckles of green. The women stared in wonder at the boy, captivated by him. His almond-shaped eyes had a pale, translucent and luminous quality to them. They were a piercing shade of golden quartz with bits of malachite like the gemstones used to make precious amulets and jewelry treasured by the people. He was beautiful.
“He is the One,” one of them uttered in astonishment. “The one in the prophesies… he must be,” she said, unable to tear her gaze from the boy’s eyes.
“He is beautiful,” another one whispered.
The boy stirred again and mumbled something incoherent. He was still in the clutches of the fever, although it had subsided a bit with the night’s retreat. His body ached, and his eyes burned with the effort of opening them. All his strength had long since drained away, and he lay helpless as a newborn lamb.
“It is alright, child,” Mesi told him soothingly as she bent down closer to his side. “You are safe here.”
The boy calmed down and relaxed his thin frame, exhaling quietly and closing his eyes once again. The three women took note of his blood-stained, dirt-encrusted clothing. He wore a linen shirt in the style of a short tunic over a loin cloth. Both had been white at some point, but had changed to a filthy-br
own. The blood staining his clothing had long since dried to a thick crust, which also soiled much of his body. His head was shaved except for one long plaited lock that hung to one side, as was the custom for children who had not yet reached puberty.
The women exchanged worried glances, wondering what possibly could have happened to the boy. A red-tailed hawk screeched above as it glided under the cloudless sky, and one of the women shuddered. Dragonflies and butterflies fluttered their iridescent wings by the shoreline where rocks jutted out from the Nile’s murky depths.
“Let us carry him to the palace,” Mesi suggested, and the others agreed.
Together the three women cleared away some of the reeds and took the boy to the palace that was set farther back from the floodplain. Mesi—the strongest of the three—lifted his small frame while the other two carried the baskets with the lotus flowers and reeds.
***
“Khu…”
The boy heard a sweet voice whisper to him. It seemed to float from someplace far above where he slept. He dreamed of fields of wheat and barley stretching as far as the eye could see. They rippled softly in a breeze, like golden waves in a sea that caught the light of the midday sun.
Khu: A Tale of Ancient Egypt Page 1
