The Awakening Aten

by Aidan K. Morrissey

  They then spent several days inspecting the focal point of the whole complex. Kha pointed out where some original blocks had fallen, the crack which seemed to almost split the statue. They discussed at length how repairs could be done, discussed where the new wall should be built.

  One day, their discussions were interrupted when King Thutmose arrived with a dozen or more white clothed priests. They were dressed in full length gowns and white sandals, with shaven heads, religious amulets around their necks.

  Kha and Huy were not invited to participate in any discussions and watched curiously as the priests entered the Temples, performed rituals and debated. Kha was curious about how they didn’t seem as in awe of this place as he was. They ignored the majesty of the great statue, some sitting on the legs of the god as they spoke to each other in a monotonous tone, lacking respect. He wanted to run up to them and shout, ‘have you no veneration for this place? Do your eyes not see the wondrous things around you, buried for a thousand years?’ but, he didn’t. He just bemoaned the fact to Huy, who listened but made no comment.

  In the days that followed Hapu arrived with orders for Kha to return to Waset to commence work on the tomb of the King and for Huy to work with his father to draw up plans for the wall and also restoration of the Temples and construction of a sheltered viewing platform, where the King and privileged guests could come to admire what Kha believed to be the greatest sight in the world, a monument which would last until the world ended.

  Kha returned to Waset, knowing in his heart he would never see his work at this site finished. He was both sad and angry, but both of these feelings disappeared once he returned home and Merit greeted him, and Djoser hugged him. He threw himself into his work at the tomb, he and Merit concentrated on their family, which now included their new daughter Tawosret, and seventy families in the village. It was their duty to ensure the work was done, everyone fed, children educated and the elderly and sick helped and nurtured.

  Years passed with the great things in the world happening around Kha; he was no longer in the centre of events. His work meant that he heard of matters important enough to require carvings, or statues, to be made but he was removed from them. Sometimes, Yuya would add interesting details on his increasingly infrequent visits. Kha heard of the births of the King’s official children, his son Amenemhat, buried in his father’s tomb, his daughters, Tintamun, Amenemopet, Pyhia, and Tiaa, his other sons Siatum and lastly Crown Prince Amenhotep, son of Mutemwiya with whom Kha had travelled back from Naharina, so long ago. He knew there were many more children born to the King and raised in the Palace kap but these would never be recognised as their mothers were not of royal standing.

  He had seen the scarab the King had prepared, on which he had praised the Aten.

  ‘The King rises, with Aten before him, ready to fight and subjugate all to the rule of the-Aten forever.’ This had angered the priest of Amun, for that expression had traditionally borne the name of Amun, not Aten.

  ‘The King’s visit to my Hor-em-Akhet had more of an effect on him than I thought,’ he said to Merit.

  *

  ‘Thutmose is dying,’ Yuya told, Kha and Merit on one of his visits. ‘The physicians don’t know what ails him. He is just wasting away.’

  ‘He is so young,’ Merit said. ‘He hasn’t been King for more than ten inundations.’

  ‘They say it’s a sickness he’s had for years, maybe from his trip to Kush to quell the rebellion. Who knows, but nothing seems to give him respite. Even large quantities of poppy seed extract only lasts a short time.’

  ‘His heir is still an infant, Yuya. Who will keep him safe?’

  ‘Thutmose has asked me to be his Regent, when the time comes. The priests are not happy. They think I will force the child away from the old religions.’

  ‘Anyone who knows you Yuya, would never believe that.’

  ‘I will work with Mutemwiya to ensure the country and its new King prosper, until Amenhotep is old enough to deal with matters alone. His religion will be a matter for him when he is old enough to make a decision.’

  ‘We’ve come a long way you and I, Yuya, since those days in the prison.’

  ‘We have indeed Kha. I have been fortunate to have found good friends in both a King and a tomb builder. You and Merit mean more to me than anything in this world, and I’m a better person for having known you.’

  *

  A new child King came to rule Kemet. Amenhotep–Nebmaatre–Haqwaset, guided by his doting mother Mutemwiya and Yuya, former slave, prisoner and now the most powerful man in the world.

  During the following years, Yuya came to visit his old friends when he could. It was not often. Kha began working on another tomb for a new King. For the most part, these were happy years for Kha and his growing family. He had finally accepted Merit’s wise words to be content with what he had, and he prospered.

  PART TWO

  MANY YEARS LATER

  Grant that Horus may live, Strong Bull, who rises in truth, of the Two Ladies, the one who establishes laws and who makes the Two Lands peaceful. Golden Horus, great with strong arm, who smites the heqa-khasut, King of Upper and Lower Kemet, Nebmaatre, son of Ra, Amenhotep-Haqwaset, Ruler of Thebes, given life.

  Great King’s wife, Tiye, may she live.

  (From a ‘Lion’ Scarab of Amenhotep III)

  chapter eleven

  Tiye looked at her husband from her seat under the boat’s central canopy. The man she was watching had the throne name Amenhotep, ‘Amun is satisfied’. His name seemed perfect for days such as these. Today, Amenhotep, Lord of the Two Lands, gave every indication that he was indeed satisfied. He was standing at the prow of his magnificent royal barque, a man just twenty-eight years old, in his prime; the boat and world at his feet. Tiye, daughter of Yuya, Amenhotep’s ‘Great Wife’ was nursing the newest addition to the family, Hennutane. The gold and blue striped nemes, the symbol of his Kingship, covering Amenhotep’s freshly shaven head, protecting him from the ravages of the sun, had loosened slightly. Tiye was amused to see how it now sat on his head a little askew.

  His bronzed torso, bare and unadorned, shining with the sun-shielding oils his servants had applied this morning. He wore only a short white linen kilt, the muscles on his arms and legs clearly defined. He stood, one leg raised and resting on the side of the barque, his right arm resting on his knee. His left arm was around the shoulders of his eldest son Thutmose, now twelve years old, who was clutching his favourite companion Tamyt, a one eyed kitten whom he referred to affectionately as ‘Miauette.’

  Tiye smiled to herself, she too, ‘satisfied’.

  ‘Tiye-hotep,’ she thought, ‘perhaps I should ask Haqwaset to add this to my names.’

  ‘Modest,’ could never be used to describe her husband. Other words she had heard said about him by courtiers and diplomats, like ‘proud,’ ‘arrogant,’ ‘self-opinionated,’ ‘aloof,’ may have been impressions he gave others. Tiye knew him better.

  At times like this, with his family and close friends, he could be himself, the man she had grown to love and admire. The man she and the family called Haqwaset, had inherited all the wealth of Kemet as a small child. He had been taught well by Yuya and Mutemwiya, his own mother. He understood his place in the order of the world and was able to survive, and deal effectively with, the endless conniving and jockeying for power and position which encircled him constantly.

  No such problems today. Here, in the middle of the river, he could let the problems of power and state drift to the back of his mind. He could absorb the laughter of the children, the banter of their companions and the gentle, almost cradle-like, undulation of the boat as it moved downstream under sail. Here on the river he could escape the intrigue and undercurrents of treachery that surrounded their daily lives in the Palace. On the river they could relax. On the river they felt free. On the river they were, simply, a family.

&nbs
p; Haqwaset turned, Tiye caught his eye. The glances exchanged said more than words could convey.

  ‘We don’t get enough time together like this. I can’t remember the last time we took some days to relax with the children,’ they each thought.

  On board were all seven of their children. Sitamun, the eldest at thirteen, was already looking more like a woman than a child. Her comportment regal, always impeccably dressed. Today she was wearing a black shoulder-length wig, eyes kohled, her dress an exact copy of the one Tiye was wearing. Tiye had ordered the two dresses together. Sitamun, as the eldest daughter of the King would one day also become his wife. Tiye would ensure that, when that day came, her eldest daughter would be ready.

  ‘Teppy, don’t slam your jackals down on the board so violently.’

  Tiye’s attention was drawn to the low table, where their youngest son, also named Amenhotep but referred to by everyone as ‘Teppy,’ was seated playing a game of ‘Hounds and Jackals’ with his cousin Nefertiti. Young Nefertiti was beautiful. Only six years old, it was clear she had inherited her mother’s looks and would grow to be even more beautiful.

  Nefertiti was the daughter of Tiye’s brother Ay. Haqwaset and Tiye had already decided that Nefertiti would make the best possible choice as wife for Thutmose and would be an asset to his son and the throne of the Two Lands when he became King. Three years younger than Teppy, she was, even now, an intellectual match for the younger son. Tiye smiled openly as she listened to the conversation that went back and forth between the two young players. She was not sure they fully knew the rules of the game they were playing, as they both seemed to make things up as they went along, either to their own advantage or to the disadvantage of the other.

  ‘No Nefertiti, you can’t move your lead hound past my lead jackal if there are more than three spaces between your last two hounds.’

  It sounded convincing even if Tiye had never heard of this particular rule in a game she, too, had played since she was three years old.

  ‘No Teppy that only applies if there are less than two places between your second and third jackal,’ was Nefertiti’s quick retort.

  ‘And doesn’t apply at all if the game is played on the third day of the second month of Shemu,’ shouted Meri-bes.

  At the sound of his voice, Tiye turned to look across at Meri-bes. He was the ship’s Captain and the only member of the crew who was not deaf. Like his godly namesake Bes, Meri-Bes was a fierce fighter; the god was a god of war but also had a gentler aspect and was a protector of mothers and infants. Bes, the dwarf god, protected Horus; Meri-Bes his servant on earth protected the god’s incarnation and his growing young family. He had the respect and friendship of all on this boat. He was feared by those who would wish the royal family harm and with good cause.

  Haqwaset walked towards Tiye and his daughters. He sat down, placing a loving hand on the head of his new born child, smiling at Tiye as he did so. The King and his family were travelling to the ancient Temples of Abdju, on their annual pilgrimage to the burial place of the Ancient Kings, whose legacy the present Royal family were obliged to uphold. History was vitally important to the rulers of the Two Lands. The writings and teachings told how Kemet was unified by the first great King, Narmer. His burial place at Abdju was looked upon also as the resting place of the god Osiris, the ruler of the underworld and the afterlife.

  As Haqwaset headed towards the middle of the boat to sit with his wife, Meri-Bes moved and stood next to Thutmose in the spot vacated by Haqwaset. He too placed a protective arm around the Crown Prince. It was a seamless transition. The future ruler was being protected.

  Tiye and Haqwaset sat for a few moments in comfortable silence. To their right, on the east bank, the obelisks inside the Temple of Ipet-Ryst came into view. Waset was the centre of the worship of Amun and, under the reign of Haqwaset, its two great Temples, the one they were now approaching and the even bigger one just a very short distance downriver, Ipet-Sut, were being extended and changed.

  Haqwaset was following tradition. Since Ahmose oversaw the removal of the hated heqa-khasut from the Two Lands, almost two hundred years ago, each King in turn had made extensions or changes to the great Temples to Amun here in Waset. Each had donated land and wealth to the Temples and their guardians.

  ‘I know, Tiye, that my forefathers owed a debt of gratitude to the priests of Amun who gave up their entire wealth to fund the campaigns to remove the heqas, but surely they are rich and powerful enough.’

  ‘You always return to this topic, when we travel past the Temples,’ Tiye replied.

  ‘That’s because it’s important. The more gold and riches my forefathers obtained, the more they gave to the Temples. Now these priests have so much wealth they believe they are no longer bound to honour their King and think themselves to be more powerful than I.’

  ‘Next you will tell me how they killed your father,’ said Tiye.

  ‘By all the gods, Tiye, they did. Slowly poisoning him. You know, as well as I, they tried to murder our son when he was born.’

  ‘That much is true, but that was more to do with their hatred for, and fear of, my father, than of you or I.’

  ‘I cannot tolerate this growing dissent from the High Priest.’

  ‘I know, but you must be careful. If you don’t control him and his priests diplomatically, a power struggle will be inevitable, and there is no certainty you would win.’

  ‘I am the earthly manifestation of Amun, and as such, head of their church, yet I feel barely tolerated by those in authority within the Temple walls. I need to carry on the work started by my father and encourage the growth of other gods, particularly the sun god, Aten.’

  Teppy looked up from his game. ‘Father, I overheard grandfather, Yuya, talking and saying that he doesn’t think that the sun-disk is a god but is a gift from God. What did he mean?’

  ‘Not even nine years old and you’re worrying about religion Teppy. Have you asked your teachers? What did they say?’

  ‘They told me it was nonsense and I shouldn’t let my head be filled with blasphemy – whatever that is,’ the young Prince replied. ‘But I don’t think grandfather talks nonsense.’

  Haqwaset smiled.

  ‘No Teppy, your grandfather does not talk nonsense but not everyone has the same beliefs as he does. You shouldn’t worry about what is correct or not, at the moment. You should listen to the teachers and learn. Later, you can talk with your grandfather, listen to what he believes and then you can make up your own mind. That’s what I did.’

  ‘We must honour all the gods, Teppy,’ Tiye said. ‘We are responsible for the wellbeing of the people of Kemet, our time here is limited, but the land and its people will remain forever. Your father, as his father before him, and your brother, Thutmose, after him are guardians of the Two Lands. Its borders are now strong and we have had many years of peace. We can’t risk internal conflict destroying what we have.’

  With a shrug of his shoulders, Teppy returned to his game of hounds and jackals. Tiye continued the conversation interrupted by her son.

  ‘The priests are not a problem you can tackle head on,’ she said. ‘They have too much wealth and influence to pitch against you. The people, particularly here in Waset, adore their god Amun and, if you, his son on earth is seen to be abandoning or betraying your heavenly father, you can’t guarantee you would have their continuing support. It has taken almost two hundred years for the priests to build up their power, it might take as long again to remove it.’

  Haqwaset glanced to his right.

  ‘We have an audience Tiye,’ he said, nodding his head towards the small group standing on the eastern bank. Behind them he could see the towering papyrus columns of his new colonnade in the ‘southern sanctuary.’ Set in pairs there were fourteen of them, each more than thirty five cubits tall. Brightly decorated with scenes of the beautiful Festival of the Valley, all would be f
inished before the start of that very festival in just seventeen days. Work on the Great Hall was also nearing completion and had to be finished before the festival.

  The new obelisk had been placed and could be seen rising into the sky, not far from the one which had been placed by his father. Tiye could make out the white priestly robes on the Temple landing stage, the canopies to create shade, the fan bearers waving their oversized fans creating a, not always cooling, breeze for their masters. What she could not see from this distance was the hatred in the eyes of two of the onlookers.

  ‘They are probably wondering if you’re going to stop and oversee the spending of their money,’ she said.

  The priests, and in particular the High Priest of Amun, hated relinquishing gold and food and loathed Tiye. The High Priest wrongly believed she had engineered this ingenious way of making him deplete the Temple’s wealth. The suggestion to build the new addition to the Temple of Amun had officially come from the King, but the High Priest convinced himself he could see the cunning, conniving ways of the despised foreigner’s daughter in, and between, every line on the papyrus scroll and in every word which came from Haqwaset’s lips when he talked about this subject.

  ‘The King of Upper and Lower Kemet, Lord of the Two Lands, neb-maat-re, the Lord of Truth is Re, his son, Kanakht Khae-maat, Horus, strong bull appearing in Truth, SemenhepusegenehTawy, Favourite of the two ladies establishing laws and pacifying the Two Lands, aakhepeh-husetiu, Golden Horus of great strength defeater of foreign tribes, Amenhotep Haqwaset Ruler of Waset and giver of life, desires to portray his love for his true father Amun-Ra by the building on the ancient holy site at Ipet-Ryst a magnificent Temple in honour of Him that is his father and to celebrate the godly conception and birth of his true son. By his command, Amenhotep son of Hapu has prepared in love and truth a grand design which meets the approval of the son of Amun your sovereign. The works shall be commenced under the auspices of Amenhotep, son of Hapu and shall be completed in time to celebrate the Beautiful Festival of the Valley in the twenty third year of his glorious reign. The God together with Mut mother of all and their divine son Khonsu appeared to his son on Earth and revealed to him that the cost of such a celebration should be borne by His servants the holy priests of Amun from the gold and treasures He has granted to them so they too can celebrate His life and desire to have a son on Earth…’